Two swallow-tailed kite chicks fledge on islands
It was a challenging breeding season for swallow-tailed kites on Sanibel this year due to less available nesting habitat as a result of Hurricane Ian. However, two chicks from two different pairs successfully fledged on the island this year.
A species of raptor, the kites arrived from South America in early March and immediately got to work looking for suitable nesting habitat. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation monitored the kites in partnership with the Avian Research Conservation Institute, city of Sanibel’s Natural Resources Department and a team of dedicated volunteers.
One of the chicks born this year was fledged by a swallow-tailed kite named Bailey’s Homestead, who the ARCI satellite tagged in 2021 along with one other kite, Sanibel Botanical.
HURRICANE IMPACTS
Unfortunately, many of the tall pine trees that kites prefer nesting in had been destroyed or heavily damaged by Ian. Of the few remaining suitable nest trees on the island, some had already been claimed by bald eagles.
“The lack of vegetation made it difficult for the several pairs that did attempt nesting to successfully camouflage their nests, and the lack of fresh water altered the availability of preferred prey items,” shorebird biologist Audrey Albrecht said.
She said the kites were observed eating fewer frogs and more invasive species, such as green iguanas and brown anoles, adding that the lack of cover also left some nests exposed to predators and extreme heat.
“SCCF and its partners remain hopeful swallow-tailed kites will return in 2024 to find more available nesting and foraging habitat,” Albrecht said.
TAGGED KITES
Two of Sanibel’s swallow-tailed kites were tagged by the ARCI in 2021. Sanibel Botanical departed the island after two failed nesting attempts and was recently tracked in Quintana Roo, Mexico, on the way to its wintering grounds in Brazil. The second tagged kite, Bailey’s Homestead, remains in the area, but will likely head south soon.
For more information about the ARCI’s studies, visit www.arcinst.org.