It’s that time of year again when we say adios to those feathered beauties that have been gracing our southeastern skies since March. Most Swallow-tailed Kites that breed in the U.S are getting ready to leave and some have already left on their 5,000-mile migration to Brazil and other parts of South America.
Since ARCI started tracking Swallow-tailed Kites in the late 1990’s we have continued to learn more about the kites’ migration, movement patterns, roost sites, breeding sites, and winter destinations.
The first of the ARCI-tracked Kites to head south in 2023 is named Luckey Lox. Luckey Lox was tagged in June in Palm Beach County, Florida with help from our partners at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society as well as the Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management lands. We are currently waiting for DNA results to find out if Luckey Lox is a female or male. Luckey Lox is fitted with a GSM-GPS unit made by CTT that relays locations back to us like sending a text message through the cell tower network.
After the breeding season in late June, Luckey Lox went to South Georgia to prepare for migration. Many kites go north before they leave the U.S to take advantage of agricultural fields with swarms of insects they feed on to put on weight before flying across the Gulf of Mexico.
Once ready to head south, Luckey Lox moved quickly through peninsular Florida, spending the last night near Bonita Springs before soaring across the Florida Keys and landing east of Havana, Cuba on 22 July. After two nights in Cuba, Luckey Lox made a direct crossing from Guanahacabibes Peninsula to south of Cancun, Mexico.
For the last week or so, Luckey Lox has been “stopping over” in Mexico to rest and feed in the tropical broadleaf forests of Quintana Roo.
Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, in conjunction with long-time Zoo sponsor Florida Power & Light Company, have generously provided funding for the solar-powered GSM-GPS transmitters needed to continue this conservation effort.
More migration stories to come!
Thank you Gina & everyone who helps with this incredible kite tracking! They are such amazing & loved raptors! Safe flying Kites!
Oh thank you. It’s the kites that give us these opportunities to learn and report.