Plumbeous Kite

Ictinia plumbea

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

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)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

2 Verified sightings at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026

10,799 Verified sightings across all 63 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteogallus anthracinus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leucopternis albicollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leucopternis princeps

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spizaetus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
2	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
3	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~20%
4	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
5	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
6	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
7	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	~20%
8	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~20%
9	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
10	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
11	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~20%
12	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
13	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
14	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~20%
15	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
16	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~20%
17	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
18	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
19	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
20	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
21	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
22	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
23	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
24	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
25	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
26	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
27	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
28	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
29	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
30	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	<5%
31	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
32	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
33	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
34	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
35	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
36	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
37	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
38	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
39	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
41	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
42	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
43	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
44	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
45	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
47	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
50	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
51	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
52	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
53	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
54	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
55	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
56	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
57	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
58	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
59	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
60	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
61	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
62	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
63	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

← Back to Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Plumbeous Kite

About the Plumbeous Kite

Recent sightings of Plumbeous Kite in Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Closest Relatives at Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

American Swallow-tailed Kite

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Common Black-Hawk

Broad-winged Hawk

Gray-lined Hawk

Great Black-Hawk

Short-tailed Hawk

White Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Barred Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Black Hawk-Eagle

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found