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Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips
Overview
Hook-billed Kite: Unusual tropical kite with long paddle-shaped wings. Sluggish, retiring kite that generally remains concealed within foliage of trees. Occurs in two morphs, gray and black, which is very rare to Texas. Underparts and underwings are heavily barred. Tail is banded. Yellow legs, feet.
Range and Habitat
Hook-billed Kite: Prefers dense brushy woods on the riparian corridor along the Rio Grande and the woodlands of extreme southern Texas.
Topo Map:
Hawk-like Body
Listen to Call
Voice Text
"ke-ke-ke-ke"
Interesting Facts
The Hook-billed Kite has a very musical whistle, resembling notes of an American Oriole. When defending territory, the kite utters harsh chattering and screaming notes.
This bird often has a favorite feeding perch, marked by a pile of empty snail shells on the ground below.
There is only one species, but within that species there is probably more individual variation in colour and in size of bill than in any other species of diurnal raptor.
A group of kites has many collective nouns, including a "brood", "kettle", "roost", "stooping", and "string" of kites.
Bird Term Glossary
Author
Crystal
Adams
Artist
Yury Lisyak
.