Gliding high overhead the swallowtail kite used to be a rare sight over Solivita. This year a pair of these large, graceful birds stayed much longer than the usual three days to a week. After seeing them now and then over several months this spring, I’m convinced we have a breeding pair that have nested locally. They can have a clutch of two to four eggs. Wouldn’t it be great to see these as permanent wild residents of Solivita!
It’s a tribute to the conservation areas maintained throughout Solivita that a somewhat rare bird like this chooses to make a home here.
I’ve read that they eat snakes, lizards and frogs, as well as large insects. It drinks water by skimming low over the surface of a lake.
Swallowtailed Kite Soaring over Solivita's Golf Course
You are a veritable encycopedia of wildlife!