American Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusElanoides (Swallow-tailed Kites)
SpeciesElanoides forficatus (American Swallow-tailed Kite)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

5 Verified sightings at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026

20,015 Verified sightings across all 80 parks From 2019 to 2026

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

About the American Swallow-tailed Kite

The swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus) is a pernine raptor which breeds from the southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. It is the only species in the genus Elanoides. Most North and Central American breeders winter in South America where the species is resident year round.

The swallow-tailed kite was first described as the "swallow-tail hawk" and "accipiter cauda furcata" (forked-tail hawk) by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in 1731. It was given the binomial scientific name Falco forficatus by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, published in 1758; he changed this to Falco furcatus in the 12th edition of 1766. The latter spelling was used widely during the 18th and 19th centuries, but the original spelling has precedence. The genus Elanoides was introduced by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1818. The name is from Ancient Greek elanos for "kite" and -oides for "resembling".

The species is 50 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in length, with a wingspan of approximately 1.12–1.36 m (3.7–4.5 ft). Male and female individuals appear similar. The body weight is 310–600 g (11–21... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Buteogallus anthracinus

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Buteo albonotatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Geranospiza caerulescens

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteo albicaudatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Circus cyaneus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	~60%
2	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
3	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
4	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
5	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
6	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
7	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
8	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	~20%
9	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
10	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
11	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
12	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
13	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
14	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
15	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
16	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
17	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
18	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
19	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~10%
20	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
21	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
22	Los Quetzales National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
23	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
24	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
25	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
26	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
27	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
28	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
29	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
30	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~10%
31	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
32	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
33	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
34	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
35	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
36	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	<5%
37	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
38	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
39	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
40	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
41	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
42	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	<5%
43	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	<5%
44	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
45	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
46	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
47	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
48	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
49	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
52	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
53	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
54	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
55	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	<5%
56	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
57	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
58	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
59	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
60	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
61	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
62	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
63	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
64	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
65	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
66	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
67	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
68	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
69	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Insufficient data
70	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
71	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	Insufficient data
72	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
73	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
74	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
75	Cajas National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	Insufficient data
76	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
77	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
78	Congaree National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
79	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
80	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data

← Back to Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

American Swallow-tailed Kite

About the American Swallow-tailed Kite

Recent sightings of American Swallow-tailed Kite in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Closest Relatives at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve

Common Black-Hawk

Zone-tailed Hawk

Crane Hawk

Gray-lined Hawk

Roadside Hawk

White-tailed Hawk

Great Black-Hawk

Snail Kite

Short-tailed Hawk

Hen Harrier

Red-tailed Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found