Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...

Grey-headed Kite

Leptodon cayanensis

The Gray-headed Kite, known scientifically as Leptodon cayanensis, is a medium-sized raptor with a length ranging from 46 to 53 centimeters and a weight between 410 and 605 grams. Adults are characterized by a distinguished grey head, contrasting black upperparts, and stark white underparts. Their tail is black, adorned with two or three white bars, while their bill is a striking blue and legs a muted grey. In flight, they exhibit a methodical pattern of flap-flap-glide, which is quite deliberate in its execution.

Identification Tips

When identifying the Gray-headed Kite, look for the adult's grey head and the unique pattern of the black tail with white bars. The blue bill and grey legs are also key features. Juveniles can be more challenging to identify due to their mimicry of other raptor species and the existence of three distinct color morphs: light, rufous, and dark. Each morph resembles a different species of hawk-eagle, with variations in head, neck, and underpart coloration, as well as the presence of malar stripes and crests in some.

Habitat

This kite favors open woodlands and swamp forests, where it can be seen perched high, surveying the area for potential prey.

Distribution

The species breeds across a wide range, from eastern Mexico and Trinidad down through South America to Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, and northern Argentina.

Behaviour

The Gray-headed Kite is known for its preference for high perches, from which it swoops down on its prey with precision. It is a solitary nester, constructing its nest high in a tree, lined with grass, and laying one or two white eggs that are purplish at one end and spotted brown.

Song & Calls

Its vocalization is a distinctive mewling 'keow', which can be heard echoing through its habitat.

Breeding

The breeding behavior involves creating a nest made of sticks and lined with grass, placed high in a tree. The clutch typically consists of one or two eggs, which are white with purplish and brown markings.

Similar Species

Juvenile Gray-headed Kites can be confused with several hawk-eagle species due to their remarkable mimicry. The light morph resembles the Black-and-white hawk-eagle, the rufous morph the Ornate hawk-eagle, and the dark morph the Black hawk-eagle.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Gray-headed Kite is predominantly reptilian, with a preference for arboreal geckos, other lizards, and snakes. It also consumes frogs, molluscs, large insects, including larvae and combs of hornets, wasps, and bees, as well as eggs, young, or injured birds.

Conservation status

The Gray-headed Kite is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that, at present, there are no immediate threats to its population numbers on a global scale.

Grey-headed Kite Sounds



Recorded by: © 
App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Grey-headed Kites on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Kites, Hawks, Eagles

A photo of a Shikra (Accipiter badius)

Shikra

Accipiter badius
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Sacha0508
Simply fantastic
I love this app, it puts so much fun into recording the birds I’ve seen and heard while I’m out and about. The interface is user-friendly and suitable for all ages. It’s great to collect badges and to review my “lists”.
Erna M
I really like Birda
I really like Birda. I also use other birding apps and have Birda with E-bird going at the same time.
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Dan R
Great app for bird fanatics
Great app for bird fanatics - very user friendly and a perfect place to share sightings.
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Robred 2
Fun way to add to your birdwatching experience
I enjoy watching birds in my backyard, but this app helped me really pay attention while on vacation this summer. It was fun to add new birds to my bird watching app.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.