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White-tailed kite

Elanus leucurus

Photo by Desmond.E.S.O
Published on Project Noah
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34.0966, -117.72

Field Notes

Description:

White bird of prey, with black wing patches, and pale yellow feet.

Habitat:

Soaring over our backyard

Notes:

Lifer! This was a very cool bird to see, but unfortunately this was the only picture I was able to get. A good place to go to see them is ether a lake, or wetlands, and also are seen in grasslands.

Reference Links:

White-tailed Kite, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (6)
Desmond.E.S.O
Ok. I'll wait for some more input until I change the "spotting name".
Desmond.E.S.O
It a solid pale colored tail with no markings, it didn't have a brown back, and also definitely seemed bigger than a kestrel.
Desmond.E.S.O
A prairie falcon seems to fit best. It's just that it was sooo white looking that's what first came to mind.
JoshuaGSmith
I believe this is an American Kestrel. The two stripes are quite separate unlike that of a Prairie Falcon whose rear stripe is like a black patch. American Kestrels do hover on occasion like White-tailed Kites do.
JoshuaGSmith
This bird looks more like a falcon than a kite because of the stripes on the head. White-tailed Kites have a black patch over the eyes. Sorry Des!

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Birds of the World
Mission
Just Amazing - California
Mission
Animals in the area of LA
Mission
Mission WILD
Mission
Birds of California/Arizona
Photographed
PublishedNovember 8, 2015

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