Tracking Swallow-Tailed Kites
The Avian Institute for Research of the University of Florida has been studying swallow-tailed kites, a threatened species in the state of Florida. These medium-sized birds of prey spend their summers in the state of Florida and migrate to South America. Scientists knew that the birds migrated to various countries in South America, but it wasn't until satellite transmitters were attached to the birds that they understood where the kites went. Researchers have documented that kites can fly more than 5,000 miles and take months to reach their final destination in South America. Until recently it was thought that these birds always traveled to Brazil and established nesting colonies. However, we now have evidence that they have nesting sites in Paraguay and Colombia.

Although swallow-tailed kites are a protected species in the state of Florida, they are not protected by any wildlife laws in South America. By tracking these birds we can learn more about their migration patterns and nesting sites so that efforts can be made to establish protected areas for them in South America.