American Swallow-tailed Kite
American Swallow-tailed KiteAmerican Swallow-tailed KiteAmerican Swallow-tailed KiteAmerican Swallow-tailed Kite

American Swallow-tailed Kite

Elanoides forficatus

Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Shenandoah National Park
41 Verified sightings at Shenandoah National Park From 2019 to 2026
20,015 Verified sightings across all 80 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ 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 Shenandoah National Park

Red-shouldered Hawk
LC

Red-shouldered Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo lineatus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Red-tailed Hawk
LC

Red-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Bald Eagle
LC

Bald Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Broad-winged Hawk
LC

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Sharp-shinned Hawk
LC

Sharp-shinned Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hen Harrier
LC

Hen Harrier

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circus cyaneus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Golden Eagle
LC

Golden Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila chrysaetos

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Mississippi Kite
LC

Mississippi Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ictinia mississippiensis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Swallow-tailed Kite in Shenandoah National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a American Swallow-tailed Kite sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 41 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Swallow-tailed Kite in Shenandoah National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for American Swallow-tailed Kite in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.

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