Where the Kites Are – Georgia Wildlife Blog

In a sun-scoured watermelon field near Glennville last month, workers moved slowly through a maze of plants, sand and heat, trailing sounds of talk and the bass throb of music on a radio as they stacked melons the size of soccer balls onto trailers and trucks.

But just above the men, a quieter harvest was taking place.

More than 100 swallow-tailed kites swirled through the glaring blue-white sky. Heads down, eyes searching, the slim white-and-black birds hunted insects below. Most they caught in flight. All were eaten on the wing.

In this aerial ballet of predator and prey, the raptors swiveled their deep-forked tails to spur head-snapping turns. Tweaking the arc of long wings, they made quick grabs at insects or plunged into swoops, some that almost brushed tall weeds in the field.

From late July to mid-August, swallow-tailed kites often gather in groups to feed over south Georgia fields and other open areas before migrating to South America. Although the birds can show up farther north before flying south for winter, Georgia’s largest foraging aggregations are usually found in Tattnall and surrounding counties.

To learn where the kites are, check Georgia Birders Online and eBird for sightings or consult Birds Georgia and local Audubon Society chapters. Foraging usually peaks in late morning. But hotspots can change and kite numbers fluctuate day by day.

If you go, view wildlife responsibly. Stay off private land and clear of farming operations. Park safely. And be respectful to others.

For more: Tracking swallow-tailed kites with Avian Research and Conservation Institute