ARCI and Orleans Audubon Society (OAS) are tracking Swallow-tailed Kites not only to monitor the roosts, foraging areas, nest success, stopover sites, and winter destinations, but also to see how they use public and private lands throughout the Southeastern States. We are grateful to our funders and project partners for making this research possible.
Currently, the Swallow-tailed Kites are gathering in preparation for their migration to South America. You can help ARCI with the Population Monitoring Survey by recording your kite observations here:
Below is an update on the nest success of our adult GPS-tagged Swallow-tailed Kites during the 2026 breeding season.
Abita Flatwoods: Female, tagged in 2023 from St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Nested but the nest failed early and she left the area.
Cinco: Female, tagged in 2023 from Collier County, Florida. Returned to Florida in early May after a long over-water crossing and displacement to Texas after strong headwinds pushed here there. She did not attempt to nest.
Cypress: Male, tagged in 2022, from Palm Beach County, Florida. Nested and most likely fledged chicks. Although the nest was not seen, based on GPS-tacking we assume that the nest attempt was successful
Peter’s Creek: Male, tagged in 2021, from Georgetown County, South Carolina. Nested and fledged at least one chick.
Simmon’s Creek: Male, tagged in 2023, in Georgetown County, South Carolina. Unsure if he nested this year, but he did have a concentrated summer activity range.
Snuffbox Canal: Male, tagged in 2023, from McIntosh County, Georgia. Nested and fledged one chick.
Barrington: Male, tagged in 2023, from McIntosh County, Georgia. Nested and fledged one chick.
Suwannee Scout: Male, tagged in 2025, from Levy, County, Florida. Did not attempt to nest but had a concentrated summer activity range on the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge.
Astor: Female, tagged in 2025, from Lake County, Florida. Nested and fledged at least one chick.
Martin Male, tagged in 2025, from Palm Beach County, Florida. Did not attempt to nest but had a concentrated summer activity range.
Sweet Water: Female, tagged in 2024, from Burke County, Georgia. Nested but the nest failed early. She remained in a concentrated area for the remainder of the summer.
*All captures, banding, and tagging of Swallow-tailed Kites are done safely under current federal, state, and local permits.
This work would not be possible without our dedicated supporters and collaborators. For our current GPS-tracked Swallow-tailed Kites we thank:
American Bird Conservancy (ABC)
The Avian Reconditioning Center for Birds of Prey
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
Cellular Tracking Technologies CTT GSM-GPS transmitters
Florida Ornithological Society
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Friends of the Lower Suwannee & Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges
Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge
McDaniel Charitable Foundation
Merrit Island Wildlife Association
Microwave Telemetry, Inc. Satellite transmitters
National Fish and Wildlife Federation
Ornitela GSM-GPS transmitters
Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society
Parkside Elementary School, Collier Co. Florida
Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society
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