Abstract
The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is a raptor that has been less studied in the Neotropics than in the Nearctic region, especially in relation to its reproductive behavior. In this study, we report information about the phenology and activity patterns of this raptor at the Pampas of Argentina. We found that White-tailed Kites have a prolonged breeding season, from October to May. Time-activity budgets of mating pairs indicated a pronounced division of roles in parental care between sexes. Females devoted most of their time to nest construction, incubation and chick care (80% of total time) and males to food provisioning and vigilance (70% of total time). We registered 11 cases of prey transfer from the male to the female. In four cases the transfer occurred in flight and in the remaining seven cases while individuals were perched. Our results agree with general patterns on breeding behavior of White-tailed Kites from North America, suggesting a consistent behavioral pattern throughout the species’ distribution.
Highlights
The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is a mediumsized raptor widely distributed across the Americas (43oN–46oS), from the southeastern United States to the Patagonia in Argentina and Chile (Figueroa et al 2006, Thiollay 2019)
In the framework of a broader study on foraging ecology of the White-tailed Kite in the Pampas of Argentina, we registered different activities of kites related to reproductive behavior
Double-brooding is rare in accipitrids, when the abundance of rodents is high and prolonged it is known that the White-tailed Kite, the Common Black-shouldered Kite (E. axillaris), and the Black-winged Kite (E. caeruleus) may raise two broods in the same breeding season (Mendelsohn 1983, Johnsgard 2009, Thiollay 2019)
Summary
The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is a mediumsized raptor widely distributed across the Americas (43oN–46oS), from the southeastern United States to the Patagonia in Argentina and Chile (Figueroa et al 2006, Thiollay 2019). The information available about reproductive behavior of the White-tailed Kite is scarce and mostly comes from North America (e.g., Hawbecker 1940 & 1942, Watson 1940).
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