Alternative name: Cayenne Kite
- Leptodon cayanensis
Identification
43–54 cm (17-21¼ in)
- Light grey head
- Grey upperparts
- White underparts
Similar Species
Subspecies cayanensis
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Dulce, Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica, February 2015
Photo © by Stanley Jones
Dulce, Osa Peninsula, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica, February 2015
Similar to White-collared Kite.
Distribution
Central and South America.
Breeds in Mexico from southern Tamaulipas to Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula and south to Panama. In South America breeds from Colombia, Venezuela and Trinidad south to Bolivia and northern Argentina.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
Two subspecies are recognized[1]:
- L. c. cayanensis:
- L. c. monachus;
Habitat
Tropical forest, particularly along rivers and streams, savannas and swamps.
Behaviour
Perches high in trees and can be difficult to see.
Diet
A very varied diet, consisting of insects, hornets, wasps, eggs, birds and lizards etc.
Movements
Resident. Uncommon in north of range.
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Photo © by Lucas Leuzinger
banks of the Rio Negro, Pantanal, Brazil
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2014)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Gray-headed Kite. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 March 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gray-headed_Kite
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
