Swallow-tailed Kite Research and Monitoring Project

by Jennifer Coulson

The Swallow-tailed Kite’s beauty and grace are unrivaled among birds. In spring and summer, birders from across the globe travel to its favorite haunts such as the Atchafalaya Basin and Honey Island Swamp to catch a glimpse of this marvelous raptor. Jennifer Coulson, President of Orleans Audubon Society, has studied the kite since 1993. She describes a particularly charismatic kite moment:

“My friend Rene Henry reported seeing several kites over the Bogue Falaya River. I arrived midday in June when the heat and humidity were insufferable with no hint of a breeze. I launched my kayak on a quiet stretch of the river where an adult soared overhead. As I drifted slowly downstream the kite made wide circles over the bend of the river, flying progressively lower. Now the kite was below the canopy. I held my breath and dared not move, because I knew its intention—it wanted to drink from the river. Suddenly it turned and dropped low, skimming the surface of the water with its bill like a swallow. It parted the water in a straight line for about 2.5 feet before lifting off to circle the river bend again. I could not believe my luck, and then it did it twice more. This happened directly in front of my kayak no more than 15 or 20 feet from the bough. The image of this kite and its reflection in the rippling water are vividly etched upon my mind.”