Click here for data on the Tiger Creek kite! Case History of the Woodruff kite: A mature Swallow-tailed Kite was admitted to Audubon of Florida's National Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, Florida from Volusia County Wildlife Rehabilitator Kathy Paynter. The bird had been rescued at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge on July 24, 2000 with a luxated (dislocated) right shoulder due to strain because the primary feathers of the left wing were entangled in monofilament fishing line. The kite was very thin and dehydrated, probably as a result of its impaired flight ability. It was treated for shock and placed in kennel confinement to rest the shoulder. After several days of rest in the Audubon clinic, the bird was moved to a small outdoor enclosure with another kite to allow it to begin light exercise of the wing. This kite soon began performing aerial loops in the small space, demonstrating a remarkable recovery from its shoulder injury. Arrangements were made to transfer it immediately to a large flight enclosure at the Miami Museum of Science's Falcon Batchelor Bird of Prey Center. The Miami Center's flight cage provided a critical opportunity to rebuild the kite's stamina through exercise as well as a chance to evaluate the bird's potential for release. (Due to "Project Wingspread" renovations of the Center's facilities, Audubon's caging is limited.) Since this species generally leaves Florida by the end of summer to fly southward to Brazil, it was vital to evaluate this kite's flight capabilities prior to considering release. The kite returned to the Audubon Center on August 23, 2000 ready and anxious to be set free, yet was temporarily grounded due to an approaching hurricane whose winds threatened to veer the bird from its migratory course. It was important to release the kite at its original rescue site at the Refuge, since it was a familiar location and would provide a safe foraging haven should the kite remain in the area after being set free. Release: Soon, weather conditions became favorable, and on August 28, 2000, the kite was released to begin its migratory journey just five weeks after being rescued. The kite was transported to the release site in a kennel with a leather falconry hood placed over its head so that it would remain calm. Once at the release site, Dr. Meyer of the Avian Research and Conservation Institute drew blood samples and took body measurements. The kite was then fitted with a solar-powered satellite transmitter and a numbered U.S. Fish & Wildlife leg band. The transmitter weighed only 18 grams and was held in place against the kite's back with a special harness. Refuge volunteer Kathy Barnard removed the hood and, a few moments later, Dr. Meyer tossed the kite into the sky. Free once more, the bird soared gracefully over the tree line and out of sight. Weight and Dimensions: Weight: 485g (17.1 ounces or a little over 1 pound) Wing Chord: 428mm (about 16.85 inches) Note: Chord is a measurement of the length of one wing, not total wingspread. Tail Length: 352mm (about 13.86 inches) Tarsus Diameter: 5.8mm (slightly less than 1/4 of an inch) Note: Tarsus is the straight part of a bird's foot immediately above its toes. Case History of the Tiger Creek kite: This adult Swallow-tailed Kite was captured on May 30, 2000 near a nest on The Nature Conservancy's Tiger Creek Preserve in Polk County, Florida. The nest at which the bird was caught was one of at least three comprising a nest "neighborhood" (a loose group of nesting territories) that is typical of this social species. It was subsequently learned that this kite was associated not with the nest at which it was captured, but rather with one of the other two neighborhood nests, about 700 meters away from which two young kites successfully fledged in mid-June. Based on a genetic analysis of a small blood sample, the Tiger Creek kite is a female. She remained close to the nest until about June 21, then began moving away from the area, generally to the east or northeast. She returned to the nest area on at least two occasions, July 3 and 13. By July 14, the Tiger Creek kite was using the largest known pre-migration communal roost near Lake Okeechobee, Florida. She probably departed Florida late on July 21 and reached the western end of Cuba by late in the day on July 22. It is likely that she crossed the Straits of Florida overnight, as have several previously tagged kites. Three other adult Swallow-tailed Kites were captured at the same trap site as the Tiger Creek kite. All three were fitted with conventional VHF radio transmitters, as were 13 other adult kites trapped throughout Florida in April. In November, a team from Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) will travel to Brazil, as they have done in each of the last four years, to search from the air for the VHF radio signals. This research team will also be looking for Swallow-tailed Kites radio-tagged in Louisiana by Jennifer Coulson, in South Carolina by John Cely and Jim Elliott, and in Georgia by ARCI and Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Aerial search patterns, which cover thousands of miles, are shaped by the results of the satellite-tracking study, which provides a first approximation of where to expect to find marked birds from U.S. study populations. The finer location data derived from aerial and subsequent ground-based searches for the VHF signals enable the researchers to find large aggregations and communal roosts of wintering kites, some of which number in the thousands. The goal is to protect these critical sites, all on private lands, under a Brazilian program that offers incentives to landowners in return for deed restrictions on portions of their property deemed vital to wildlife. The combination of satellite and VHF radio-tracking is ideal for this endeavor.

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