Plumbeous Kite
Ictinia plumbea
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusIctinia (Mississippi and Plumbeous Kites)
- SpeciesIctinia plumbea (Plumbeous Kite)
About the Plumbeous Kite
The plumbeous kite (Ictinia plumbea) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is resident in much of northern South America. It is migratory in the northern part of its range which extends north to Mexico. It feeds on insects which it catches either from a perch or while in flight.
The plumbeous kite was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the eagles, hawks and relatives in the genus Falco and coined the binomial name Falco plumbeus. Gmelin based his description on the "spotted-tailed hawk" that had been described in 1781 by the English ornithologist John Latham from a specimen from Cayenne in a private collection in London. It is now placed with the Mississippi kite in the genus Ictinia that was introduced in 1816 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot. The genus name is from the Ancient Greek iktinos for a kite. The specific epithet plumbea is from Latin plumbeus meaning "leaded", "plumbeous" or "lead-coloured". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
The plumbeous kite is 34–37.5 cm... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Plumbeous Kite in Cahuita National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Cahuita National Park
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
Common Black-Hawk
Buteogallus anthracinus
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
Black-collared Hawk
Busarellus nigricollis
Swainson's Hawk
Buteo swainsoni
Double-toothed Kite
Harpagus bidentatus
Semiplumbeous Hawk
Leucopternis semiplumbeus
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Gray-lined Hawk
Buteo nitidus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Plumbeous Kite in Cahuita National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Plumbeous Kite sighting in Cahuita National Park, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Plumbeous Kite in Cahuita National Park?
February has the highest sighting rate for Plumbeous Kite in Cahuita National Park in our monthly data.