Plumbeous kite

Plumbeous Kite
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Family	Accipitridae
Sub-family	Milvinae
Genus Information
Genus	Ictinia
Species Information
Species	I. plumbea
Population statistics
Population	Unknown (2018 est.)
Conservation status	Least concern

The plumbeous kite (Ictinia plumbea) is a small species of bird of prey of the family of Accipitridae, and is found throughout much of tropical North and South America.

Description

The plumbeous kite is 13 to 15 inches long, a wingspan of 29.5 to 33.5 inches, and weighs 6.7 to 9.9 ounces. Females are slightly larger than males. Head and underside are a light slate gray with whitish throat. The upperpart of the body is a dark slate gray. The underside of the primary flight feathers, though tipped in dark gray, bear a bold, rufus color, giving the bird a striking appearance in flight. The dark tail feathers carry two white transverse bands, which are conspicuous from below. Legs and feet are yellow-orange to reddish-orange.

Within the breeding season a two or three-syllable, mournful whistling call is heard, which at the end falls in pitch; the call is described as "swi-siii" or "fi-diii".

Range and habitat

The plumbeous kite is found in east-central Mexico southwards to southern Brazil and northern Argentina, where it is considered a migrant. It inhabits forest edges, open and semi-open forest landscapes of various types, which are located mainly in the lowlands of the tropical and subtropical zone. These include gallery forests, secondary vegetation, palm-filled grasslands, the semi-open transitional landscapes of the Gran Chaco, and tidal mangrove forests. The species is often found in wetlands and near the water. It also populates mosaics from cultivated landscape and primary forests, to an elevation of 5,200 feet.

Diet

The plumbeous kite feeds mainly on large insects such as cicadas, dragonflies, beetles, butterflies or grasshoppers, but also swarming species such as termites, ants or bees. They are mostly captured in flight. The percentage of insects as prey can be over 90%; in addition it will take small lizards, frogs, snakes, small birds or bats, rarely snails. These birds will take advantage of fires or other animals which have flushed their prey out; this includes an association with a species of marmoset.

Reproduction

The breeding season is between March and August within Mexico and Central America; on the island of Trinidad between February and June; at the equator between January and May and between July and October; and further south between September and February.

The nest is placed within the thick forks of trees between 40 and 120 feet high. It is usually flat, but voluminous and consists of branches of very different sizes and thicknesses, and lined with Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides). The clutch usually consists of one, more rarely of two eggs, which are incubated for 32 to 33 days. The nestling time is 38 to 41 days. Both partners participate equally in brood and rearing.

Threats

This species is regularly observed, and is mostly common in South America. There are no reliable figures on its population, yet an assumption has been made for a five-figure number for southeastern Mexico. Overall, the population is believed to be up to 5 million birds.

The species has been classified by the ICUN as least concern. Locally, the increasing destruction of forest habitat for human settlement and farming can pose a threat, such as those of the coastal Atlantic rainforests in Brazil and Panama; at the same time, it is also believed it can handle human-caused changes rather well.