Gray-headed Kite

Gray-headed Kite

Leptodon cayanensis

Silhouette: PhyloPic · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park
72 Verified sightings at Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park From 2019 to 2026
3,879 Verified sightings across all 60 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Gray-headed Kite

The gray-headed kite (Leptodon cayanensis) is a raptor found in open woodland and swamp forests. It shares the genus Leptodon with the extremely rare white-collared kite. It breeds from eastern Mexico and Trinidad south to Peru, Bolivia, Brazil and northern Argentina.

The gray-headed kite is 46–53 cm in length and weighs 410–605 grams (.9–1.3 lb) The adult has a grey head, black upperparts, white underparts, and a black tail with two or three white bars. The bill is blue and the legs grey. The flight is a deliberate flap-flap-glide. Immature birds have three colour morphs; the light phase is similar to the adult, but has a white head and neck, with a black crown and eyestripe, black bill and yellow legs, closely resembling the Black-and-white hawk-eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus). The rufous phase has a reddish neck with a white throat, black malar stripes and a black, long crest closely resembling the adult Ornate hawk-eagle (Spizaetus ornatus). The dark phase has a blackish head, neck and upper parts, and dark-streaked buff underparts closely resembling the Black hawk-eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus). The sophistication in the mimicry of these juveniles is remarkable and... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park

American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Red-tailed Hawk
LC

Red-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo jamaicensis

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

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Black-Hawk
LC

Common Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus anthracinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Harris' Hawk
LC

Harris' Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Parabuteo unicinctus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
NT

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Barred Hawk
LC

Barred Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis princeps

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-collared Hawk
LC

Black-collared Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Busarellus nigricollis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Snail Kite
LC

Snail Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Semiplumbeous Hawk
LC

Semiplumbeous Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis semiplumbeus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Gray-headed Kite in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Gray-headed Kite sighting in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park, based on 72 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Gray-headed Kite in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park?

October has the highest sighting rate for Gray-headed Kite in Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park in our monthly data.

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