The Audubon Societies 



475 



NEST AND EGGS OF THE EVERGLADE KITE 



northern recorded breeding-range, for this 

 Vireo is a West Indian species. 



Swallow-tailed Kite 



In Florida one must now go to the region 

 of South Florida called the Big Cypress, 

 to see much of this bird. It was once com- 

 mon all over the state, I believe, and I 

 have seen it in north-central Florida, but 

 only as an isolated pair. These beautiful 

 bird's are called by the natives Forked- 

 tailed Fish Hawks, I suppose because they 

 are often found flying over the water. 

 They will drink while on the wing, just 

 like a Swallow. They catch their food on 

 the wing also, and it is a treat to watch 

 them feeding. I was out with a guide once, 

 and expressed the wish to see the Kites at 

 closer range. He said that was easy, and 

 set fire to a cabbage-palmetto that had on 

 it an abundance of dead vines and many 

 dead fans. It was a quiet day and the 

 smoke rose very high. In less than ten 

 minutes six Kites were circling over the 

 tree, catching wasps that had been routed 



out by the fire; it made one nearly dizzy 

 to watch the antics of the Kites in catch- 

 ing these insects. Unscrupulous hunters 

 set fire to a palm so as to get a chance to 

 shoot the Kites, as then they will swoop 

 to within thirty feet of one after their prey. 

 All the time they keep up a chattering that 

 is very pleasant to hear. 



Where you find one nest or pair of birds, 

 there are likely to be two or three more in 

 the same locality. One only has to climb 

 to a nest to know within a few minutes the 

 Kite-population of that "neck of woods," 

 and the birds will fly in circles over the 

 tree, ceaselessly chattering. They nest in 

 pine trees nearly always, and usually pick 

 out the slenderest one to be found, saddling 

 their nests out near the end of a limb. The 

 nest is built of dry sticks, strands of long 

 moss {Tillandsia) , and of a dry, silky moss 

 from the dead cypresses. The eggs are 

 usually two, rarely three, white or some- 

 times buffy, spotted and blotched with 

 brown and chestnut-brown markings, 

 chiefly around the larger end. From March 

 25 to April 15 is the time in Florida to find 



