Gray-headed Kite - BirdForum Opus

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Alternative name: Cayenne Kite

Photo by Lucas Leuzinger
banks of the Rio Negro, Pantanal, Brazil

Leptodon cayanensis

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.

Resident. Uncommon in north of range.

Photo by alexandre vinot
Kourou, French Guiana, February 2007

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• L. c. cayanensis:

• South-eastern Mexico to western Ecuador, the Guianas and Amazonia; Trinidad

• L. c. monachus;

• Central Brazil to eastern Bolivia, northern Argentina and Paraguay

Habitat

Tropical forest, particularly along rivers and streams, savannas and swamps.

Behaviour

Perches high in trees and can be difficult to see.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Gray-headed Kite. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Gray-headed_Kite

External Links

Search for photos of Gray-headed Kite in the gallery