Last year, the storms brought flamingos to the area. This time, a migrating swallow-tailed kite was swept up in Hurricane Debby’s strong winds and was surprisingly returned to North Florida.

The kite, named Suwannee 22, was equipped with a GPS tracker that revealed the dramatic tale of how she encountered the fierce winds of Debby as the storm moved across Cuba and headed north over the Gulf of Mexico. The Avian Research and Conservation Institute tracked her movements, showing how the hurricane altered her flight path:

Tracking the Flight of Suwannee 22

Suwannee 22 began her journey south on July 31. On August 2, she rested overnight in Picayune Strand State Forest in South Florida, likely preparing for the lengthy 3,000-mile trip ahead, according to Gina Kent, a senior conservation scientist. Her organization monitors swallow-tailed kites migrating from Florida to South America.

The next morning, she would have nicely used the tailwinds to fly over the Gulf of Mexico to the Yucatan Peninsula—her usual stopover. However, Debby proved to be a significant barrier.

Suwannee 22 encountered Debby’s strong winds just about 60 miles from Cuba. Unable to push through, she changed direction. Her tracking pattern suggested she attempted to maneuver near St. Petersburg hours before Debby developed into a hurricane. At this point, Kent believes Suwannee 22 was taken into the developing storm’s eye.

In a twist of luck, when Debby hit land near Steinhatchee, the kite emerged from the storm near the Big Bend Wildlife Management Area, only 35 miles away from where she was tagged back in 2019, stated Ken Meyer, the executive director of the institute.

The Recovery of Kite Populations

Swallow-tailed kites are among Florida’s most stunning birds, recognizable by their distinctive forked tails and striking plumage, along with their impressive aerial displays.

For over twenty years, the Institute, founded by Meyer in Gainesville, Florida, has outfitted raptors with lightweight trackers to study their movements and aid in their conservation. This summer, through various collaborations, the Institute is tracking more than a dozen swallow-tailed kites across three Southeastern states. The Friends of the Lower Suwannee and Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuges supported the tracking of Suwannee 22 with her solar-powered device.

In the late 1990s, it was estimated that only about 2,000 swallow-tailed kites existed. Now, their numbers could reach 15,000 to 20,000, Meyer reported. They breed in seven Southeastern states but are known to venture further north in the summer. Her tracker indicates that Suwannee 22 spent part of her summer in Georgia and Alabama before returning to her original nesting site.

Following Another Kite’s Migration

This illustration from the National Audubon Society’s Bird Migration Explorer depicts the migratory path of another kite tagged by Meyer and Kent. The green areas represent the kites’ summer breeding zones, blue indicates their winter habitats, and yellow marks regions where some of the kites year-round.

Kites gather in large groups before migrating, feeding on insects, anoles, frogs, and even small mammals to stock up on energy. Florida’s biggest roosting areas can host up to 4,000 birds.

Meyer expresses concern regarding the disturbances caused by spectators and photographers trying to observe these grand spectacles when the kites take flight each morning. His studies indicate that some kites fail to return if a site experiences excessive human activity. When officials were unable to limit early morning access during the two months the kites reside in a particular Central Florida national wildlife refuge, he noted the colony has moved to a less desirable location that is more isolated.

As they leave Florida, kites often take advantage of favorable winds to cross the unpredictable Gulf. Kent pointed out that they have a limited timeframe to do so; if they go without fresh water for more than 3.5 days, they risk kidney failure.

Flamingo-palooza

The kites aren’t the only feathered creatures impacted by a hurricane. Last summer, numerous flamingos found themselves swept up in the winds of Hurricane Idalia over the Yucatan and were later spotted all along the East Coast after the storm made landfall less than 10 miles from where Debby touched down near Steinhatchee.

In the end, the beloved pink birds were sighted in 15 states, exciting birdwatchers and flamingo fans alike. Some of the flamingos returned to the Yucatan, where they were observed throughout the winter. Many spent the winter in Florida, while a few were seen in other Southeastern states this summer. One remarkable flamingo made its way as far north as Cape Cod and the Hamptons.

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