Summary

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Results from 1998:

Observations of a total of 277 Swallow-tailed Kite individuals were submitted to this project in 1998. Detailed information appears in Appendix 1998.

• The three earliest dates were: March 4, 14 and 17.
• The three latest dates away from a Fall Hawk Watch were: 26, 28 and 30 of August.
• The three latest dates at a Fall Hawk Watch were: 19, 26 and 27 of September.

Results from 1999:

Observations of a total of 879 Swallow-tailed Kite individuals were submitted to this project in 1999. Detailed information appears in Appendix 1999.

• The three earliest dates were: March 4, 14 and 18.
• The three latest dates away from a Fall Hawk Watch were: September 18, 21, and 30.
• The three latest dates at a Fall Hawk Watch were: September 21, October 4, and 10.

Interesting Statistics

• Only 7% of the birds reported were seen as they were perched, while the remaining 93% were seen in flight.
• Almost 6% of the birds reported were seen carrying items, either food or nest material.
• Observers averaged 2.1 kites per sighting (away from the hawk watches):
  • 57% of sightings involved a single kite
  • 19% of sightings involved two kites
  • 8% of sightings involved three kites
  • 13% of sightings involved four to ten kites
  • 2% of the sightings were of groups of 10-18 individuals (a tight, circling flock of 19 kites was seen at Smith Point Hawk Watch in Chambers County by Dick Benoit)

Nesting Facts on Swallow-tailed Kites in Texas

• Nest building and initiation: starts in mid- to late March
• Egg-laying and incubation: may begin from late March through early May; incubation lasts 28-32 days
• Nestling period: from approximately late April to mid-June; lasts about 35 days from time of hatching to flying
• Fledging period: young leave nest in May or June, depending on date of initiation; no nests are expected to still be active after the first of July

Suggested Locations for Finding Swallow-tailed Kites in Texas

From late March to mid-August, go to the town of Liberty in Liberty County. Simply look up in the sky as you are driving through the city and residential areas. A park in northwestern Liberty called Lake Travis Park is a good place to look. Also, look behind the newspaper's office, The Vindicator. The Walmart parking lot is a good place to look as well since you have a nice peripheral view here. The Trinity River bottom between the towns of Liberty and Dayton on Highway 90 is a good place to go in July, but watch for traffic, as it is difficult to pull over. May through mid-August is probably the best time to visit this site.

From late March to mid-July, drive north on Highway 87 from IH-10 about 5-6 miles. Turn onto FM 3247 and search the skies. If this fails, return to Hwy. 87 and proceed further north. Keep your eyes glued to the skies.