Dean,

There is still no confirmed King County record of the kite, though there
have been a few odd sightings. One problem that often arises is the
distinction between male Northern Harrier and the kite. White-tailed
Kites should be nowhere near as large as a Red-tail and have a notably
falcon-like wing shape.

Gene Hunn.

On Mon, 21 Aug 1995, Dean Wampler wrote:

> My wife and I saw a raptor twice last week that may have been a white-tailed
> (black-shouldered) kite. We would like some help confirming or refutting this
> identification.
>
> Our identification is based on what the bird DIDN'T look like and the guide-
> book descriptions of white-tailed kites; neither of us has ever seen one
> before.
>
> First, the bird was seen around 12:00 on Wednesday, 8/16 and again around 6:00
> PM on Friday 8/18, near the 51st St. Bridge over 520 (which is north of
> Microsoft's headquarters).
>
> The bird had an almost white tail with a gray cast in the central tail
> feathers. We understand that this is typical of juvenals, and perhaps of
> adults, to a lesser degree. The belly and bib were almost complete white,
> with perhaps some spotting, which would be consistent with juvenal plumage.
>
> When I saw the bird on Wednesday, the carpal "bull's eye" was not obvious.
> However, the bird was backlight, so the wings appeared mostly dark, especially
> toward the leading edge and outer primaries. However, my wife believes that
> she saw the bull's eye markings more clearly Friday evening.
>
> Neither of us got a good look at the head.
>
> The bird's size was comparable to a male red-tail, although not as bulky.
>
> It's wing set was consistent with a kite, with a slight bend at the wrist, but
> not as pronounced as an osprey. It did not have the smooth soaring style of
> a red tail, perhaps because it was close to the ground (100+ meters off the
> deck). We did not see it do the hovering that is characteristic of hunting.
>
> In summary, the tail and body plumage seem to rule out almost everything else:
> Red Tails, including Harlans, Rough Legs, Eagles, Accipiters, and Osprey's.
> Have there been any other sightings recently of white-tailed kites in the
> area?
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> thanks,
>
> Dean and Ann Wampler
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> | Applied Microsystems Corp. office: (206) 882-5394 |
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