Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Window to Wildlife

White-Tailed Kite

Category: Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies

Description: White with black shoulders and wingtips; elongated wings and tail. Red eyes and yellow legs.

Size: 14” – 17” long, 35” – 40” wingspan

Weight: 8.8 oz. – 13 oz.

Habitat: Coastal areas, marshes, sparse woodlands, and grasslands

Diet: Rodents and other small mammals

Nesting: Both parents choose the nesting site and may participate in building the nest; sometimes only the female builds the nest. The nest is typically in the top third of a tree and is shallow and made with twigs and grasses or leaves. The female will lay an average of 4 eggs at a time, laying 1 brood per season. The incubation period lasts 30 to 32 days and the young remain in the nest for about 35 days.

Notes: The White-Tailed Kite can hover in midair 80 feet above the ground without flapping its wings by facing into the wind. This behavior is called “kiting,” thus the name White-Tailed Kite. From this stationary position, the White-Tailed Kite will plunge straight down to retrieve its prey.

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Bald Eagles on the Mississippi River in Le Claire IA in February 2012.

Bald Eagle

Binomial name: Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Category: Hawks, Kites, Eagles, and Allies

Description: Brown with a white head and white tail feathers. Yellow eyes, beak, and feet.

Size: 28″ – 40″ long, 5.9′ – 7.5′ wingspan

Weight: 6.6 lbs. – 14 lbs.

Habitat: Forested areas near open bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, wetlands, and coastal shorelines.

Diet: Mostly fish but occasionally small mammals, ducks, and gulls.

Nesting: Both parents gather materials although the female does most of the building. The nests are made out of branches and sticks and then lined with grass, moss, and feathers. They may be rebuilt and reused repeatedly over many years. The typical clutch size is 1 to 3 eggs. Both parents will incubate the eggs with the female incubating more often while the male hunts for food. The young will fledge as early as 8 weeks after hatching, or up to 14 weeks.

Notes: Bald eagles mate for life (if one partner dies, the remaining will choose a new mate). They engage in elaborate courtship rituals which involves a locking of talons followed by a free fall; they separate just before hitting the ground. The Bald Eagle is the national bird and national animal of the United States of America, appearing on many official seals of the government.