These photographs are free to download for educational or personal digital sharing, provided clear credit is given to the photographer (JH Kilbuck). In lieu of payment, please consider making a donation to the local SPCA Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Monterey Audubon, or an animal rescue group of your choosing.

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.