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gambolin man
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While hiking around a back canyon in Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, I spotted a pair of White-tailed Kites hunting, eating, roosting, preening, and surveying their relatively vast domain from twin snags of an old tree.
In all my gambolin' days, I've never seen a White-tailed Kite, yet today, like omens of wisdom and self-sufficiency, they appeared and put on their show for an uninterrupted half hour. (What show? -- they were, in a rare moment for a human being to witness, living their beautiful and somehow regal avian lives!)
Luckily, I had my binoculars, for they were a good 75 ft. away from my own perch on a rise of ground above a hidden labyrinth. Looking out east to big views of Mt. Diablo, northeastward to Brionesland, west across the bay to Mt. Tamalpais, I didn't see them for a few seconds. . .but then, there they were. . .gorgeous hawk-sized birds, whose stark white chests, black shoulder streaks through grayish-white plumage, sharp yellow talons, and slanty black eyes. lend them an air of kingly superiority and calm detachment -- clearly, these birds have adapted as specialized hunters, masters of their domain, and I'm lucky enough to be watching one of them tear apart a mouse atop this snag, pecking at it, drop a stringy gut and then slurp it up like a noodle, picking it apart in delicate jabs, eating while looking around, seemingly totally enjoying himself (him? her? couldn't tell, and don't know - they were identical in appearance, so perhaps they were not a nesting pair?).
Meanwhile, the parter went off searching for something because there was no sharing here. I watched her hunting in the canyon's low open country, saw her hover and glint sun off spreading wings long fan-shaped tail, then swoop down, disappearing for several moments before finally swooping back up and heading to the tree snag in amazingly short time to join the other bird still licking his chops and ruling the snaggy roost.
Watching the just-perched Kite, wondering where his meal was, since there was nothing warm, furry and dead in his clutches, I was suddenly amazed to see him stretch up and open his plumy breast with flapping histrionics to reveal, like a magician, his tasty provender secured below on a meadowy hillside. It was a moment of awe and reflection to sit there and be treated to such an intimate moment among an avian species I have never seen before.
My natural question is: how common is a sighting of a White-tailed Kite? Anyone spot them and with any regularity? Also, does anyone know if the carrying of the prey inside the breast plumage is a specialized adaptation of the Kite or do other accipiter-like birds do this?
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Gambolin' Man
http://gambolinman.blogspot.com
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Total Posts: 129 | Joined Feb. 2006 | Posted on: 10:48 am on Dec. 24, 2007 | IP
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Tom C
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On the peninsula, there are a few areas I know of where they can usually be seen. I've always seen them hunting in Grassland areas. At Arastradero preserve, I've seen about a dozen in one day. They can been regularly seen there. Also have seen them at Rancho San Antonio OSP, Windy hill OSP, and Stanford hills.
I've noticed that they can be very territorial with each other, and have seen them chasing away and attacking Red-shouldered and Redtail hawks. But, I have read and have seen that they roost communally.
Years ago, I think there was concern that they were becoming endangered due to DDT. But I think I've heard that they have come back well like the Perigrine falcon has.
The sexes appear similar.
The scientific name comes from the Greek words elano, referring to a kite, and means to press forward, dive onto, or harass; leuko, meaning white; and oura, indicating a tail.
I have not heard of them hiding their prey in their breast plumage.
I agree about their look and their appearing to be "masters of their domain" and having an "air of kingly superiority".
I've thought that they have a Siamise cat look when I've seen them zoomed in.
I have 3 pictures of them here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/15425407@N04/1733419624/in/set-72157602515700337/
(Edited by Tom C at 9:45 pm on Dec. 24, 2007)
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Total Posts: 152 | Joined July 2001 | Posted on: 9:25 pm on Dec. 24, 2007 | IP
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gambolin man
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Good shot of that beautiful bird, Tom! Thanks for your comments. Another friend (who knows his birds) and used to live down on the San Mateo coast, said he's spotted them there a lot (but never up in the Sierra foothills where he now lives around Dutch Flat). . and also questioned - or marveled at? - the mouse-in-the-breast-plumage trick!
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Gambolin' Man
http://gambolinman.blogspot.com
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Total Posts: 129 | Joined Feb. 2006 | Posted on: 10:28 am on Dec. 25, 2007 | IP
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Randy
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I spotted a kite once from the summit of Black Mountain. Sitting amongst the rocks enjoying a snack with my wife to be, it was gliding into the wind, using the current to float and hover. It almost appeared to be playing a kind of game, but maybe it was hunting.
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Total Posts: 147 | Joined Sep. 2004 | Posted on: 7:31 am on Dec. 26, 2007 | IP
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Gomboo
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Hi,
Beautiful writing as always Gambolin Man. We have a population that lives in Lime Ridge, about 2 blocks from my house. They like to spend time in my neighbor's redwood tree. Here are some pictures I've taken over the last year or so.
http://www.oeiland.net/Kites/1.html
When I get back to the bay area, will look in my Raptor book and see if it says anything about breasty food storage. 
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Total Posts: 59 | Joined July 2001 | Posted on: 1:48 pm on Dec. 28, 2007 | IP
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Elanus leucurus
