As the winter day turns to dusk, White-tailed kites drop into their roosts and Short-eared owls rise to take their place on the local hunting grounds. White-tailed kites in Oregon often roost communally in winter, but they disperse in early spring and are more difficult to find during the breeding season.

By day, they are conspicuous as they hover over rural fields searching for prey, in part because of their pale appearance. The tail is entirely white, as are the head and the underparts. Dark crescents on the underwing can be seen when a bird is flying or hovering. Above, they are light gray with black shoulder patches. Young-of-the-year are easily distinguished by a rusty band across the breast, rusty markings on the head, and a thin gray band near the end of the tail.

It is probably a permanent resident in the Willamette, Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, and Applegate valleys and along the coast. The highest concentration of known nest locations is in the Medford, Jackson County area.

Hear the call of the White-tailed kite

Photo by Len Blumin, Flickr