Seen for the first time on Curaçao in March 2018 by visitors of the island and later by Curacao Backyard Birding in the area of Lagun, for a few weeks the Swallow-tailed kite played around the hills of Jeremi and Lagun. The animal was spotted several times and recorded as such on ebird.org.
On Saturday October 2nd we had the 2nd sighting of this magnificent bird on Curaçao in the area of Jan Thiel, very close to the neighborhood of Bottelier.
The Swallow-tailed kite is a bird of prey which looks very particular with its deeply forked tail and black and white pattern. It eats insects which it catches on the wings. A splendid finding for the month of October on Curaçao. If you hike in the mentioned area, do not forget to look up often and look for a bird of prey which at first might give the impression of an Osprey or a Merlin, but will be brilliantly white underneath with sharp lines of black along wings and tail. The deeply forked tail is indicative as well as the gliding style of flight.
Swallow-tailed kite – Zwaluwstaartwouw
October 2021Curaçao
Bird Watching Curaçao 