Hook-billed Kite Identification

The Four Keys to ID

• Size & Shape

  A medium-sized raptor with a large head and a very large, hooked bill. It has a long tail and very rounded wings often described as paddle shaped.

  Relative Size

  Larger than a Broad-winged, smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk.

  between crow and goose

  Measurements

  • Both Sexes
  • • Length: 15.3-20.1 in (39-51 cm)
    • Weight: 7.6-9.8 oz (215-277 g)
    • Wingspan: 30.7-38.6 in (78-98 cm)

  © Marvin Pfeiffer / Macaulay Library

• Color Pattern

  Adult males are dark gray above, barred white and gray below, with banded tail and flight feathers. Adult females are dark brown above, barred chestnut and white below. Rare dark morphs are black overall with white banding in flight feathers and wide, white tail band. Juveniles are paler brown above, mostly white below, with some dark barring in breast and sides.

• Behavior

  Forages in tree canopies, looking for tree snails, which the kites break open with the bill, holding the snail firmly to a perch with the left foot. Also captures caterpillars, lizards, and amphibians, sometimes while flying. Courting adults fly in tight circles and chase each other while calling.

• Habitat

  Wooded streams and rivers (such as along the Rio Grande), adjacent thorn forest, and lowland rainforest into lower zones of tropical mountains, to over 10,000 feet in the northern Andes.