ARCI has been involved with the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge on Swallow-tailed Kite projects since the 1990’s. More recently ARCI has put GSM/GPS transmitters (made by Cellular Tracking Technologies CTT) on kites that nest on the Refuge.
So why are we tracking Swallow-tailed Kites? Based on ARCI experience since 1996 with remote tracking technologies (using satellites or cell-phone networks to relay location information), we know that each tagged Swallow-tailed Kite will produce an enormous amount of highly accurate, unbiased location data that can be used to address important questions about the species’ conservation biology, including nesting locations, home-range and core activity areas within the refuges and pre-migration communal roost sites, and seasonal movements.
Currently we are tracking two adult Swallow-tailed Kites; “Cinco,” a returning kite and introducing “Paurotis”!
Cinco was tagged on the refuge in 2023. Upon arrival across the Gulf of Mexico, she immediately returned near her nest site and settled in to nesting once again. She was most likely successful raising another chick or two this season.
Paurotis was captured in May after an evening tromp into the depths of the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge with USFWS biologists and the ARCI crew. Named after the native Paurotis Palm trees special to the region, this is the sixth female we have tagged on the Refuge!
Funds for these GPS tracking units were generously provided by the Friends of Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. ARCI thanks you!
Can’t wait to see where in the world these kites will take us!
You can report your sightings of Swallow-tailed Kites during our annual population monitoring window July 15 to August 10: Here.
Swallow-tailed Kites were captured, banded, and tagged under the appropriate Federal and State permits.
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