The Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) currently tracks 10 Swallow-tailed Kites through their annual migration. These birds, each outfitted with GPS transmitters, are quickly making way back to their breeding locations in the Southeastern US.
As we have seen in previous years, migration is unpredictable. In the next week, Swallow-tailed Kites must decide when to cross the Gulf of Mexico. This is a long and dangerous crossing that could mean life or death if they get caught in unfavorable winds.
A Swallow-tailed Kite named PBC-ERM Male, is at the Bay of Honduras waiting for just the right tailwind to either shortcut to the Yucatan of Mexico or perhaps make it all the way to Cuba or the US. He has been there for three days staging until the right conditions encourage him to make a move.
Three kites are in Panama when their data uploaded on March 13th. Suwannee, who we had not received data from since January, is in western Panama. Slightly to the behind are Prichard, from Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, and Ponchitolawa, tagged by our colleague Dr. Jennifer Coulson in Louisiana.
The following kites are likely out of cell reception to upload their location data.
Sawgrass, from Pinellas County, Florida was last in northern Bolivia.
Jeaga #1 from Palm Beach County, Florida and Apopka were last in the state of Rondônia, Brazil.
Three other kites have been out of cell range for months; Sarasota last uploaded data from Acre, Brazil and both Sanibel South and Jeaga #2 last checked in from Colombia in the Fall.
Of course, as amazing as this remote tracking technology is, it remains imperfect. The timing of cellular-data uploads from kites on their winter range and during migration can be spotty due to a lack of cell coverage in remote areas. Kites sometimes go months without being in cell tower range to upload GPS location collected since the signal’s last transmission.
Wishing a safe migration to all Swallow-tailed Kites!
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey
bioGraphic
Caloosa Bird Club
Clearwater Audubon Society
CROW – Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife, Inc.
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Friends of Palmetto Bluff Conservancy
Friends of the Carlton Reserve
Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge
Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
Halifax River Audubon
Jacksonville Zoo and Garden
Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
National Audubon Society
Oklawaha Valley Audubon Society
Orange Audubon Society
Orleans Audubon Society
Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society
Palmetto Bluff Conservancy
Peace River Audubon Society
Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation SCCF
Sarasota Audubon Society
Seminole Audubon Society
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
St. Petersburg Audubon Society
Sunrise Wildlife Rehabilitation
The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey
Venice Area Audubon Society
West Volusia Audubon
Two in Lake Lindsey, Hernando County, Florida.
March 14, 2021. Afternoon.
1 seen in Rainbow Springs last week
Sixteen (!) were seen kettling over Shell Creek just east of Punta Gorda Saturday late Saturday afternoon, chattering away like squeaky toys.
I bet they just came across the Gulf and were happy to see land. Neat sighting!
We saw one this morning between chiefland and Trenton in levy county Florida ñ march 15 2021
Six kites over our woods in Jefferson County, Montcello FL this weekend. So happy to see them.
A pair flew by Chunky Pond, Levy County, FL around 9 am March 13.
Saw the first pair of kites in Bartow, Florida on Feb 28th 2021 at 8:21 am. since then we have seen them a couple times flying over and around the Cedar Trail landfill off E F Griffin rd.
Do y’all have any updates on the Swallowtail Jax? I don’t see anything about its migration. Thank you
Hi Debra,
We lost track of JAX on 1/20/2020 in Cuiaba, Brazil. Not sure if the transmitter stopped or the bird perished. We had great data from JAX! Happy to know that she nested successfully and fledged two chicks and showed us two years of migratory data.
They’re back! Palm Valley, st John’s county. 6 pm. About a dozen circled around my house saying hello. 😊
Another over Lake Lindsey, Hernando County, FL.
Mar. 19,2021 AM. Appeared to be hunting tree tops.
The nesting family has returned to the marsh edge here in Jacksonville, Florida within the last couple of weeks.
Saw my first one in Lawtey, Fl yesterday. Have been impatiently awaiting their return all month! So happy to have them back!
What happen to tracking Babcock?
We have 7 or 8 back in our neighborhood, south Titusville. First appeared last year. Saw 6 preening in a pine beside our driveway yesterday. Little white feathers falling like snow. The cicada hatch this year will be good for them. Love watching them!