Chelictinia riocourii
The Scissor-tailed Kite (*Chelictinia riocourii*) is an exquisite and diminutive raptor of Africa's arid and semi-arid savannas, instantly recognizable by its deeply forked, white tail that acts as a superb aerial rudder. Measuring a mere 28-31 cm in length with a wingspan of 70-75 cm, this slender bird boasts delicate pale grey upperparts, pristine white underparts, and striking black primary flight feathers. A distinctive black patch encircles its bright red eyes, contrasting with a yellow ...
Dry savannas, Sahelian steppe, and open grasslands with scattered trees across sub-Saharan Africa, generally at low to moderate elevations.
Primarily large insects such as grasshoppers, locusts, mantids, and termites, caught almost exclusively in flight. Occasionally takes small lizards or nestlings.
This highly aerial raptor is diurnal, spending much of its day gracefully soaring and hovering with buoyant wingbeats, often high in the sky. Scissor-tailed Kites are expert insectivorous hunters, primarily employing an agile hawking strategy to snatch insects mid-air, sometimes making swift swoo...
The Scissor-tailed Kite is an inhabitant of sub-Saharan Africa, primarily distributed across the vast Sahel belt and extending south into more humid savannas. Its breeding range largely encompasses the northern part of its distribution, from Senegal and Mauritania eastward through Mali, Niger, Ch...
Least Concern
- The Scissor-tailed Kite is named for its distinctive, deeply forked tail, which it uses with remarkable precision as a rudder during its agile aerial maneuvers. - Despite being a raptor, its diet consists almost entirely of insects, making it a highly specialized aerial insectivore. - These kit...