Gray-headed kite facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gray-headed kite |
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| Adult at Restinga de Bertioga State Park in São Paulo state, Brazil | |
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| Genus: |
Leptodon
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| Species: |
cayanensis
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The gray-headed kite (Leptodon cayanensis) is a cool bird of prey. It's a type of raptor. You can find it in open forests and swampy areas. This bird lives in many places. Its home ranges from eastern Mexico and Trinidad. It flies south to Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and northern Argentina. It belongs to the same bird family as the very rare white-collared kite.
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What Does the Gray-Headed Kite Look Like?
The gray-headed kite is a medium-sized bird. It is about 46 to 53 centimeters (18 to 21 inches) long. It weighs between 410 and 605 grams (about 14 to 21 ounces).
Adult Birds
Adult gray-headed kites have a grey head. Their upper body is black. Their belly and chest are white. Their tail is black with two or three white stripes. Their beak is blue, and their legs are grey. When they fly, they often use a slow flap-flap-glide motion.
Young Birds: Amazing Disguises
Young gray-headed kites look very different from adults. They can have three main color patterns. This helps them look like other, more dangerous birds. This trick helps keep them safe from predators.
Light-Colored Young Birds
Some young birds are light-colored. They look a lot like the adult gray-headed kite. But they have a white head and neck. They also have a black cap on their head and a black stripe near their eye. Their beak is black, and their legs are yellow. They look very similar to the Black-and-white hawk-eagle.
Reddish-Brown Young Birds
Other young birds have a reddish-brown color. Their neck is reddish, and their throat is white. They have black stripes on their cheeks. They also have a long, black crest on their head. These birds look a lot like the adult Ornate hawk-eagle.
Dark-Colored Young Birds
The third type of young bird is dark. Their head, neck, and upper body are blackish. Their belly is buff-colored with dark stripes. These dark young birds look very much like the Black hawk-eagle. It's amazing how well these young birds can copy the look of other birds!
What Do Gray-Headed Kites Eat and How Do They Live?
Gray-headed kites are skilled hunters. They mostly eat reptiles. This includes lizards, like geckos that live in trees, and snakes. They also hunt frogs and snails. Sometimes, they eat large insects. This can include hornets, wasps, and bees, even their larvae or honeycombs. They might also eat eggs or young birds. Injured birds can also become their prey.
Hunting Style
These kites usually sit on a high branch. They wait there quietly. When they spot their prey, they swoop down quickly to catch it.
Sounds and Nesting
The call of a gray-headed kite sounds like a soft, crying keow. They build their nests high up in trees. Their nests are made of sticks. They line the inside with soft grass. A female kite usually lays one or two white eggs. The eggs might have a purplish color at one end. They also have brown spots.
