General Description: Swallow-tailed Kites (Elanoides forficatus) are small hawks with long, thin, pointed wings and a long, deeply forked tail. The body and wing linings are white, and the flight feathers, including the tail feathers, are black.

Taxonomy: Accipitriformes, Accipitridae, Elaninae.

Favored Habitat: Forested bottomland, riverine forest, and open pine woodland where they can feed on most anything they can catch (e.g., small snakes and lizards, frogs, large insects, small birds, and small mammals).

Where to Find: Don't look for Swallow-tailed Kites around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them during summer in the southeastern US or in South America during winter.