Before we kick off this season’s Swallow-tailed Kite Northbound Migration blog series, we want to recognize all the members of our Swallow-tailed Kite Tracking Program. We are currently tracking eleven individuals: six new kites, all tagged in the summer of 2017, and five veterans tagged between 2011 and 2016. With each passing year and new addition to the program, we expand our understanding of the complex lives and needs of these fascinating raptors. The 11 Swallow-tailed Kites are listed in chronological order by tagging date.
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| Remembering each tagging experience (clockwise from top left): Panther, Sawgrass, MIA, Apopka, Bogue Falaya, Palmetto. |
Palmetto:Palmetto is a true champion! Tagged in June 2011 in Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, she has been tracked for nearly seven years, the longest we have followed any Swallow-tailed Kite since we began this program in 1996.
MIA: Not far behind for tracking duration is MIA, who was tagged in June 2012 in Miami-Dade County, Florida. This year’s pilgrimage to his nesting grounds in Miami will complete six migratory cycles for MIA – that’s over 60,000 miles. Amazing!
Lacombe: Lacombe was tagged in July 2015 by our project partner Dr. Jennifer Coulson, President and Conservation Chair of Orleans Audubon Society. Previous kites tagged by Dr. Coulson migrated over land along the western coast of the Gulf of Mexico. However, for the past two northbound migrations, Lacombe flew north from Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula directly to Louisiana. Will he do the same this year?
Panther: Panther was tagged at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Collier County, Florida, in June 2016. Last year, she persevered through strong northerly winds in the Gulf of Mexico to return to her nesting grounds. Hopefully the weather will instead facilitate the kites’ return this year.
Sawgrass: This Swallow-tailed Kite is not averse to city life. Sawgrass was tagged in June 2016 at Sawgrass Lake Park in St. Petersburg, Florida, one of the few green spaces peppering this densely-developed island. In the winter months, she trades bustling urban centers for the remote ranchlands of southern Brazil.
Bogue Falaya:Bogue Falaya was tagged in Louisiana last May by Dr. Jennifer Coulson. Dr. Coulson shares with us her experience trapping and tagging Bogue Falaya in this blog.
Refuge: Refuge is the second bird we have tagged at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in Collier County, Florida. Her nest was deep in the heart of the NWR. It was quite an undertaking to get gear and our trusty owl to the site on a 45-minute swamp buggy ride. She received his transmitter in May 2017.
Sarasota:Sarasota was tagged in June 2017 at T. Mabry Carlton Preserve in Sarasota County, Florida. County staff and local birders were instrumental in locating and monitoring the Swallow-tailed Kite nests in the area (special thanks to Debbie Blanco of Sarasota County). We had a successful evening capture and now Sarasota is sporting a new transmitter as well.
Babcock: Babcock was tagged in June 2017 at Babcock Ranch Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Glades County, Florida. We had last minute permission and a one-day-only trapping window to try to capture and tag a bird at this WMA. Luckily, the stars aligned and Babcock flew off with a new radio, the first of our tagged kites to cross the Gulf of Mexico on their southbound migrations.
Wilson: Wilson was tagged in June 2017 at Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina. In the 2017 breeding season, he frequented the same areas as Palmetto. If they both return, will she choose him as a partner this nesting season?
Apopka: Apopka has a unique story. Needing rehabilitation after a car collision, he recovered quickly with the help of the wonderful folks at Avian Reconditioning Center (ARC) in Apopka, Florida. With the amazing fund-raising efforts of ARC’s Paula Ashby and the generous contributions of Audubon chapters, kind individuals and the City of Apopka, ARCI had the means to deploy a transmitter on Apopka in July 2017, who started his southbound migration just ahead of Hurricane Irma. Read his full story here.
We have many people and organizations to thank for their generous monetary and logistical support of the Swallow-tailed Kite tracking program:
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Friends of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Carlton Ward Jr.
Will Randal
Stephanie Green
Mark Danaher
T. M Mabry Carlton Reserve, Sarasota Co.
Deborah Blanco
Erin Myers
Hans Mooyman
Gabe Vargo
Judi Hopkins
St. Petersburg Audubon Society
Dr. Jennifer Coulson
Friends of the Conservancy
Palmetto Bluff Conservancy
Peace River Audubon Society
Sarasota Audubon Society
Friends of the Carlton Reserve
The City of Apopka
Avian Reconditioning Center (Carol and Scott McCorkle)
Audubon Center for Birds of Prey (Diana Flynt)
Halifax Audubon Society
Halifax Audubon Society
Oklawaha Audubon Society
Seminole County Audubon Society
Tampa Bay Raptor Rescue
Clearwater Audubon Society
West Volusia Audubon Society
Deborah Green
Janet Marks
Eileen Tramontana
Sandie Selman
Disney Volunteers from ARC, Rebecca Grimm and Alyssa Karnitz
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