Feel free to capture or screenshot any image for personal use (Shift + Command + 4 on Mac) or (Windows + Shift + 4 on PC) : drag a box over your desired image, then drag or save to your desktop.. In lieu of payment, please consider making a donation to the SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, Monterey Audubon Society, or an animal rescue group of your choosing. All photographs by JH Kilbuck

White-tailed Kite

The White-tailed Kite is a study in pure elegance as it hovers, or "kites," completely stationary above its next meal. They are specialized vole-eating machines—both hyper-efficient and deadly. I was fortunate enough to encounter a visiting troupe of these clamoring, angelic birds of prey; they stayed for just two days before vanishing, a fleeting glimpse into their social world. Within these groups, the complex process of sharing, catching, and stealing prey from one another is essential to survival. Hunger provides a powerful incentive for the fledglings to learn quickly, and the adults ensure the young have every opportunity to master the wind before they must do their hunting alone. Having nearly faced extinction last century, legal protections, a ban on egg collecting, and the elimination of DDT have thankfully given these resilient hunters a solid second chance.