Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law.
Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay.
Material on this page was provided by Paul Smith and Monica Montiel and is used with permission.
WHITE-TAILED KITE Elanus leucurus
The snow white plumage of the White-tailed Kite might, you may think, make him rather conspicuous for a bird that has to hunt to survive. However when you take into account his mode of hunting, hovering in the air, you will find that he is actually perfectly camouflaged - his whiteness fading into obscurity against the bright, sunlit sky. This beautiful kite remains common in open, grassy areas where it feeds mainly on small rodents.
Click on the images to enlarge them.
FIGURE 1 - (FPAVE2510PH) Adult with rodent prey, Ruta Trans-Chaco km 350 (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 2 - (FPAVE2704PH) Adult dorsal view, Departamento Misiones (Monica Montiel May 2011).
VIDEO - (FPAVE2511VI) Same individual as (FPAVE2510PH) (Paul Smith October 2007).
FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2