Lehigh Valley bird sightings for August 8

White-tailed Kite

A White-tailed Kite was seen in Perkasie in Bucks County on August 7. This may be the first recorded sighting of the bird in Pennsylvania, according to Dave DeReamus, of the Eastern PA Birdline, a project of the Lehigh Valley Audubon Society. 

Two experienced observers saw the White-tailed Kite flying southwest over their house. Unfortunately the bird passed by so quickly that it was impossible to photograph it.

A medium-sized raptor, the White-tailed Kite is readily identified by its brilliant plumage and its habit of hovering while hunting for small mammals. While hunting, the White-tailed Kite hovers up to 80 feet off the ground and then drops straight down to capture its prey.

"This ability to hold a stationary position in midair without flapping is accomplished by facing into the wind, and is so characteristic of these birds that it has come to be called kiting," the Cornell Lab of Ornithology said.

White-tailed Kite in flight

The White-taled Kite is commonly found in open woodlands, desert grasslands, savanna, partially cleared lands and cultivated fields. It generally avoids areas with extensive winter freezes.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources says the number of White-tailed Kites is increasing, in part because of its extensive range. It is common from Argentina north to Mexico. In the United States, however, its range is confined to California and the western Gulf of Mexico, from Louisiana to Texas.

That is why a White-tailed Kite's appearance in Bucks County is so unusual. There have been infrequent sightings along New Jersey's inland coast near Barnegat, according to ebird.org. The online reporting service shows no sightings in Pennsylvania.

Elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley and vicinity, the number of bird reports continues to be low, with many observers on vacation. Other sightings reported to the Eastern PA Birdline include:

Green Pond, Northampton County
Semipalmated Sandpiper.

Williams Township, Northampton County
Lawrence's Warbler, 1 on August 3. (Lawrence's Warbler is a natural hybrid which looks like an all-yellow Golden-winged Warbler.)

To report bird sightings to Dave DeReamus, send an e-mail to becard@rcn.com with the word "Birdline" in the subject heading.