Swallow-tailed Kite roost sites, migration, and conservation opportunities
A project of Avian Research and Conservation Inst in conjunction with the partners and sponsors detailed below.
Subscribe to receive daily project updates
| Name | Species | Life Stage | Release Date | Last Location | Days Transmitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayou Vincent | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2018-06-10 | 2019-10-27 | 504 |
| Bluff | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2014-05-28 | 2015-05-08 | 345 |
| Bogue Falaya | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2017-05-28 | 2018-03-16 | 292 |
| Bullfrog | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2015-06-17 | 2017-03-16 | 638 |
| Croom | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-05-31 | 2013-07-06 | 767 |
| Day | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-05-27 | 2015-11-23 | 1641 |
| Gulf Hammock | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-05-24 | 2016-02-10 | 1723 |
| Holobochitto Creek | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2018-06-11 | 2020-02-01 | 600 |
| Lacombe | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2015-07-06 | 2020-03-07 | 1706 |
| Mia | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2012-06-04 | 2018-03-04 | 2099 |
| Pace | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2012-06-09 | 2016-03-18 | 1378 |
| Palmetto | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-06-24 | 2018-09-14 | 2639 |
| Pasc | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-06-13 | 2013-06-15 | 733 |
| Pearl MS | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-06-03 | 2015-10-13 | 1593 |
| Slidell | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-06-02 | 2014-02-25 | 999 |
| St. Marks | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2012-06-18 | 2013-03-26 | 281 |
| Strong River | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2015-06-20 | 2016-04-13 | 298 |
| Suwannee | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-05-28 | 2014-04-02 | 1040 |
| Winyah | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-06-26 | 2013-03-24 | 637 |
| Withla | Swallow-tailed Kite | Adult | 2011-05-23 | 2013-04-07 | 685 |
Click on an animal's name for maps and more information.
Introduction
ARCI began tagging Swallow-tailed Kites in 1996 with the smallest satellite transmitters yet produced and soon discovered that the U. S. population�??�?�â??s migration pathway was much different and ended much farther away - over 8,000 kilometers - than had been imagined. By 2005, we had combined this dramatic new remote-sensing technology with direct VHF radio tracking in South America to confirm consistent annual movements over Gulf and Caribbean waters, Mexico�??�?�â??s Yucatan Peninsula, eastern Central America, and around South America�??�?�â??s Amazon Basin to wintering sites in the heterogeneous landscape of southern Brazil and nearby Bolivia. In 2011, to identify year-round habitat needs and range areas, determine critical breeding areas, estimate annual survival, and investigate migration and wintering threats, we began deploying the smallest ever GPS-equipped satellite transmitters. These devices provide up to eight locations each day, accurate to within 15 meters, for several years. This collaborative project with Dr. Jennifer Coulson was made possible by funding from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and by Microwave Telemetry�??�?�â??s unscheduled development of a satellite/GPS unit small enough to be carried by a Swallow-tailed Kite. Such data will enable us to refine management recommendations and intensify conservation efforts where most needed throughout the Swallow-tailed Kites year-round range. More recently we have used Cellular Tracking Technologies (CTT) GSM-GPS units.
Project Partners
Jennifer Coulson, Orleans Audubon Society
Project Sponsors
Palm Beach Zoo and Conservation Society
Florida Power and Light
International Paper
Friends of the Florida Panther NWR
Friends of Lower Suwannee NWR
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Felburn Foundation
Southern Company
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Sanibel-Captiva Audubon Society
International Osprey Foundation
Microwave Telemetry, Inc.
