The Story
I photographed this Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) at the Avian Reconditioning Center in Apopka, Florida, United States, in October 2020, with its distinct black and white plumage and deep orange eyes. Males and females look alike, and the flight feathers, tail, feet and bill are all black. Young birds are duller, with a less deeply forked tail. In the United States its range has shrunk to coastal regions of the southeast and southwest, roughly an 80 percent decline, because of habitat loss and changes in wetland water flows. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
I used a Pentax K-1 with the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6 for this one, at 1/500 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400. When usual methods have not fully rehabilitated a bird, the center uses falconry as a rehabilitation tool, and guests can book private Falconry Experiences with select birds.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus) belongs to the family Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2025). Source: IUCN Red List