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The Great Florida Outdoors (continued)
year — if there is enough food, more chicks survive.
The Swallow-tailed Kite was once found all along the Missis- sippi River, as far north as Minnesota. Decades of widespread forest clearance and shooting took a heavy toll. The species once nested in 16 states but now breeds in only seven, with much of the population in Florida. Today, habitat loss remains the main threat to this species. In its U.S. range, large areas of humid bot- tomland forest have fallen to unsustainable logging and develop- ment. Although the U.S. population seems to be increasing due to reforestation in riparian areas, the trend may not last long, as these habitats are threatened anew by development.
Remember that the Swallow-tailed Kite leaves the U.S. after the breeding season, so summer is the time to look for them.
Located six miles north of Brooksville, the Chinsegut Conser- vation Center Tract covers 408 of the 850-acre Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area (WEA).
Where can you find an acrobatic marvel of the sky—the Swal- low-tailed Kite? Get out into the Great Florida Outdoors!
Range map by American Bird Conservancy Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus yetapa)
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HCMA BULLETIN, Vol 67, No. 2 – Fall 2021