The Swallow-tailed Kite (STKI) Alliance met in mid-September to discuss priorities for management and conservation of STKIs and the tentative results of a recent range-wide survey in the United States. Topics discussed included: habitat modeling; predation; best management practices; conservation partnerships and the importance of private lands to the conservation efforts for STKI; managing kites on public lands; and the role of Joint Ventures in conservation planning and delivery. A main focus of the meeting was evaluating results of a recent range-wide population survey. The effort that went into this survey was remarkable: for three survey dates in late July, over three consecutive years, aerial surveys of pre-migration roosts were conducted between sunrise and 9:00 a.m. in seven states: South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas! These roost surveys were within watersheds that are core breeding areas, so by doing simultaneous counts in consecutive years, biologists might be able to get a “snapshot” picture of what they feel are the majority of STKIs that occur and breed in the United States. Data are still being analyzed and a final estimate of the number of kites counted over the northern subspecies’ entire summer/breeding range will be available in the final report. Project funding was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with matching support from the cooperating partners (Avian Research and Conservation Institute (Florida), South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Orleans Audubon Society (Louisiana), Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks) and several other individuals and organizations. The STKI is often used as a focal species in conservation planning, and with our increased knowledge of the species’ numbers and distribution, partners can begin to paint a conservation picture for the needs of STKIs in the U.S. by protecting and managing forested wetlands for the future of STKIs and many other species that rely on that habitat.
