Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) along with Orleans Audubon Society (OAS) are tracking 18 Swallow-tailed Kites fitted with GPS-trackers on their Southeastern U.S breeding grounds. Fourteen of these kites have been tracked to Brazil for the winter, non-breeding season. Eight of those fourteen have started back north towards the breeding grounds.
The five kites that are the farthest north, within the State of Rondônia, Brazil include Snuffbox Canal, Sanibel Botanical, Paurotis, Luckey Lox, and Cypress. Simmon’s Creek and Abita Flatwoods follow behind together in the State of Mato Grosso and Barrington in Mato Grosso do Sul.
We have been getting regular winter tracking data from Peter’s Creek in Rondônia and Belle River, Cino and Sweetwater in Mato Grosso Do Sul, all of which have not showed northbound movement yet.
Juno made her way to Mato Grosso, Brazil, last detected on 13 October 2025 and Suwannee 22 to Mato Grosso Do Sul by 7 October 2025, but we have not heard from them since.
As you have seen in our previous blogs, most of these Kites are being tracked with the GSM-cellular network so when they are not near cell towers, they cannot upload their data. They only attempt to upload their data once a day to save battery volts on their solar-powered units (by CTT) and during these big stretches over mountains, rainforest and vast wilderness, they are far from a cellular connection. We hope that is the case with our missing birds and that once they reach a place with cell coverage, they will be able to connect and upload all their location data.
ARCI and OAS are tracking Swallow-tailed Kites not only to monitor the roosts, foraging areas, stopover sites, and winter destinations, but also to see how they use public and private lands and survive throughout the Southeastern States. We are grateful to our funders and project partners for making this research possible.
American Bird Conservancy (ABC) ,
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF),
Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society ,
Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (ERM),
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
McDaniel Charitable Foundation
Friends of the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge Complex,
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Friends of Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge,
CTT GSM-GPS transmitters
Can you sign up for email updates? Usually see a few around here, but not as many as use to see.
Keep track here with our posts and facebook page. No email updates at this time. Thanks for your interest!
Thank you Gina for sharing this. I have been looking up & Can’t wait to see them again.