SOUTHERN SPECIALTIES

White-tailed Kite  Resident west of the Sierra Nevada in California north to southern Oregon and in Texas. Recent expansions into Arizona and along the Gulf coast into peninsular Florida. Not considered migratory but it may wander widely; recent records from Massachusetts and Minnesota, apparently breeding in the latter.

Snail Kite  Resident in the Florida Everglades.

Mississippi Kite  Breeds in the southeast and on the southern Great Plains, a few in Arizona and New Mexico. All leave the United States for the winter and thus are common migrants through coastal Texas and abundant at Veracruz, Mexico. A few overshoot the breeding range on spring migration, reaching New York, Wisconsin, and Minnesota; occasionally California.

Short-tailed Hawk  Uncommon to rare southeast Florida and the Keys October and November. Best seen at Flamingo, where wintering birds may appear among other migrants. Often appears among kettles of Turkey Vultures, especially the dark morph, which appears to employ the same camouflage hunting strategy as the Zone-tailed Hawk.

Crested Caracara  A resident of central Florida and east Texas prairies, rare in southern Arizona. Not considered migratory but individuals wander; a few reported at south Texas hawk watches.