Copyright ©2018 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
A friend and I went birding Saturday at two Wildlife Refuges. We reversed the order we normally do these two refuges and I’m glad we did. It was pretty birdy at Merced Wildlife National Refuge, but I’m going to share with you the last bird I photographed for the day at San Luis National Wildlife Refuge.
And, what a bird to end the day on! It’s my favorite raptor.
It’s a medium sized raptor and likes open grasslands, and savannas. It hovers while hunting for prey, and have big amber/red eyes. Here’s some information about their hunting behavior from allaboutbirds.com
“While hunting, the White-tailed Kite characteristically hovers up to 80 feet off the ground and then drops straight down onto prey items. This ability to hold a stationary position in midair without flapping is accomplished by facing into the wind, and is so characteristic of these birds that it has come to be called kiting. White-tailed Kites also perform ritualized courtship displays in which a male offers prey to a female prior to egg laying. In an often spectacular aerial exchange, the female flies up to meet the male, turns upside-down, and grasps the prey.“`allaboutbirds.com
I think they’re the prettiest of the raptors. If I could be a bird this is the one I’d be. 🙂
You’ll find them up and down Western to Central California, Oregon, Mexico, Central and South America.
Nikon D810| Nikkor 200-500mm@500mm| 1/640s| ISO 500| cropped| Hoodman Digital Film| PS CC 2018
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
You’re right, this is a beautiful bird!
Breathing description and photo, Deborah. I felt I was there. I never knew kites were so marvelous. Hugs
Deborah, I love the pure white of this gorgeous, soaring free bird! The white-tailed Kite is an amazing capture, I bet this isn’t easy as it took off into flight! Thank you for letting us know you would wish to be a Kite or raptor. I would like to be a beautiful Swan where the waters were cool and the weather was summery year round. I would like to have a lifetime mate to share our baby cygnets with. . .
Thank you so much Robin! A swan they are beautiful and their cygnets are too. A good choice!
Such a majestic creature. Beautiful photo Deborah!
Beautiful creature and capture!
Wow! Great to see this bird in flight!! Amazing photo against that beautiful blue sky! And thank you for sharing the info about why they are called White-tailed kites. Very facinating, Deborah! ❤️
Thank you so much Jill!
it is a lovely bird and I like how you cropped, positioned it. The squirrel from a prior post I adored, so cute and a fabulous photo! I read about the bobcat. 2011 til now. A long time, but it makes it so much more meaningful. Memorable. It made me smile 🙂 cheers, Debi
This bird does seem an appropriate choice for you. He’s pretty and fancy, and well, pretty fancy 🙂 Graceful and artful come to mind as well. Kite is a perfect label.
I’d be a chickadee.
Beautiful shot, Deborah, I have never seen one. And oh, I would love too, what a beauty!
Awesome!
Thank you Cheryl!
Happy Trails Deborah!
Happy Trails to you too Sweet Cheryl! 🙂 xx
Glad you caught your white-tailed kite! Good information about it that I didn’t know, too. Seems we’ve all caught some white-tailed kites in photos (last year I shot one in Las Gallinas and then my latest was in Ft. Bragg and Anna just posted a white-tailed lite hovering on her fb).
Yeah, we’re all in sync! 🙂
🙂
Beautiful capture Deborah! That sure is a pretty bird! We had some type of kite in South Florida. We’d watch them swoop down. It may have been the Swallow-tail kite.
Thank you Amy! I’d love to see that Kite! Maybe one day I’ll actually make to FL for birding. 🙂
Beautiful, Deborah. We also see hawks kite. It has to be an effective method.
It must be! I’ve seen Harriors doing it too.
🙂
A beautiful bird. I haven’t seen one of those around here in Central Oregon.
Looking at the map of their territory it looks like it end just at Central OR. more of a western OR bird.
I love birds! Your photo is just amazing, as is the information you give! Thank you so much!
Thank you so much Cecilia!
I will always think of you when I see a raptor now 🙂
🙂 Thanks…I think? LOL!
Beautiful capture, Deborah. I saw this on Twitter before I saw it in my inbox. I like the information on them as well.
Thank you so much Dan! I haven’t turned off my WP widget so these posts still show up on Twitter, but other than that I’m not tweeting much of anything.
That’s what you had said, but you’re still in my “Daily” list, which is the one I actually follow. I got up to get a coffee and there you were when I returned 🙂
🙂