Bonaire’s first White-tailed Kite.

It was with a mixture of disbelief, delight, and awe, with a huge smile crossing my face, that I first set eyes on (the first observation of) a White-tailed Kite, here on Bonaire.

I had almost stopped birding for the day, but with an hour of sunlight left before sunset, I told myself, “I’ll just make one more stop.”  I never got there!

As I was driving to my final location for the afternoon, I saw, from the rear, what looked to be a small raptor.   All I could see was black and white, and my first thought was, “A very small Osprey?” 

But as I pulled up beside this elegant-looking bird of prey, it turned its face to me–and, as we stared into each other’s eyes, I saw the soulful, pure white face and petite, hooked bill, and I immediately knew this was a special bird!

The raptor was perched on top of the area’s tallest tree, and at first glance, I could only make out the black on the side and the white face, throat, chest, and belly, as it sat above me.  It was stunning in its beauty and seemed to exude a calm, mellow demeanor, not at all alarmed by my presence just 30 feet (10 meters) away.

At first, I thought I had found a Swallow-tailed Kite, which is, indeed, black and white.  It was only after a few minutes that the bird re-positioned itself, and I could see the gray on the upper parts above the wing.  No!  It wasn’t a Swallow-tailed Kite, but instead a White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus)!

How to identify the White-tailed Kite.

The White-tailed Kite is a small hawk, which, in adult plumage (as illustrated here), displays a white head and underparts, a gray back, and wings with a large black bar, starting at the shoulder.

The white tail is squared off, and a black patch surrounds the red eye.  The underwings are white, but with black primaries and a large black splotch at the bend of the wings.

When observed from a distance, its hovering hunting behavior could be helpful with identification.

White-tailed Kites generally will begin foraging just after sunrise, so this is when you’ll likely find them hovering over fields facing into the wind. 

The White-tailed Kite’s distinctive hunting behavior is to hover over fields and grasslands with its wings continuously beating to keep it as steady as a hovering helicopter, with its head tipped downward to search for small mammals (its favorite food) moving in the grasses below.  This behavior is so indicative of the kite, that the behavior itself is known as “kiting.”  Watch for the White-tailed Kite above fields or grasslands, as the hovering behavior can be easily discerned, even at a distance.

Most likely the White-tailed Kite observed here on Bonaire comes from South America, and this continues an ABC Island trend that has been noted over the past year or two.  Some unusual birds have been popping up on Bonaire (as well as on Curacao and Aruba), including the Blue-and-white Swallow and Wattled Jacana in 2021 here on Bonaire.  Increased sightings of Striated Herons have been recorded during this timeframe as well.

Birders in both Curacao and Aruba have enjoyed the visits of other unusual South American species as well, including a recent extended visit of a Double-striped Thick-knee in Curacao.