Swallow-tailed Kites 
195 
Three specimens provide some insight into extreme and 
normal masses. One female found live with a broken wing on 14 
May 1981 in Monroe County, Florida, died in captivity the same 
day and weighed only 331.5 g (MSB 9080). An adult female found 
dead in Bermuda on 17 March 1957 weighed 354 g (AMNH 788956). 
In our survey one adult female collected while it was feeding late 
in the afternoon weighed 485.5 g and had no accumulation of sub- 
cutaneous fat. With the exceptions of the one female mentioned 
above, all of the birds we collected in 1982 had heavy to very 
heavy subcutaneous deposits of fat. The fat buildup is probably 
related to fall migration. Perhaps fall migratory fat reserves were 
just starting to develop when we surveyed the population. 
Molt — Based on his examination of five birds collected in 
August, Bent (1937) believed that swallow-tailed kites do not molt 
flight feathers until after the birds leave for their wintering areas. 
Robertson (1988) had no additional information but noted that 
individuals had been seen in south Florida and Costa Rica lack- 
ing remiges and rectrices as early as late May. 
We found all adults along the St. Johns River to be in active 
flight feather molt in July. The birds all had new flight-feathers or 
feathers in sheath on the inner-most primaries, and the outer-most 
six to ten were old. At the time we collected the birds, feathers 
one to five were replaced or were being replaced (Table 2). Fe- 
males appear to be slightly more advanced than males in feather 
replacement. In addition to the series collected, flight feather re- 
placement is also apparent from photographs taken of birds in flight 
during the same period. Molt of tail feathers was also obvious on 
specimens obtained and from analysis of photographs. The new tail 
feathers were quite advanced in development, but replacement or 
feather growth was not symmetrical, and right and left forks of the 
tails were different lengths. Young-of-the-year birds exhibited no 
molt. 
Only a few specimens of adult swallow-tailed kite skins that 
were examined from other places and dates showed any indi- 
cation of molt. Thus, the total replacement of flight feathers is 
likely completed very rapidly after the nesting and fledgling season. 
Probably the entire process is typically completed between late June 
and the end of July. However, some Florida birds might still be in 
wing molt in mid-August. One adult female specimen collected on 
18 July 1899 (AMNH 352035, Marco Island, Florida) had com- 
pleted molt and had all new flight feathers. A 17 July 1988 adult 
female (AMNH 469954, Chatham Bend River, Florida) had com- 
pleted its primary molt and had replaced all but the outer two tail 
