Timber, talons and the return of the swallow-tailed kite

There is a moment, if you are lucky enough to see it, when a swallow-tailed kite turns above the treeline and everything else falls away.

With its striking black-and-white wings and deeply forked tail that seems to steer like a ribbon in the wind, the bird seems almost unreal in flight. But for conservationists, foresters and landowners across the Southeast, the swallow-tailed kite is not only a beautiful sight, but a sign of a healthy, diverse forest landscape.

Swallow-tailed kites are among the most striking raptors in North America. Prior to the 1900s, they nested in at least 21 states. But as forests disappeared, so did the kites. These birds have very specific habitat needs, including tall trees for nesting, often near wetlands, and open spaces to forage. The kinds of places where sunlight reaches low vegetation, making insects and small prey easier to find. In the Southeast, those ingredients often come together in sustainably managed working forests. Today, swallow-tailed kites can be seen nesting in eight states when conditions are right, and partners are working to increase the numbers of this beautiful bird in North American skies. 

That is what makes the partnership among the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), International Paper, American Bird Conservancy, Orleans Audubon Society, and the Avian Research and Conservation Institute (ARCI) so significant. Together, we’re showing that sustainably managed working forests can support wildlife while continuing to provide economic value for landowners and communities.

International Paper has worked with American Bird Conservancy since 2020 to advance bird-focused management recommendations for private forest landowners, including practices that help maintain habitat for at-risk species such as the swallow-tailed kite. This work builds on decades of earlier research and habitat management recommendations developed by ARCI, whose swallow-tailed kite work began on Florida public lands and later expanded to commercial timber lands across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, with long-standing support from NFWF. Together, these efforts reflect a broader commitment through NFWF and International Paper’s Forestland Stewards Partnership to promote forest management that benefits both people and wildlife.

Ken Meyer, ARCI senior research ecologist and executive director, emphasized the critical role of thoughtfully managing working forests for kite recovery. “Sustainable forests are a really good thing for wildlife,” Meyer said. “If growing timber wasn’t such a productive industry in the Southeast, we wouldn’t have forests, we’d have houses, commercial development or other land uses. We’d have all kinds of things out here that don’t support the wildlife that these forests do.”  

When a swallow-tailed kite flies over a working forest, it is proof that the choices that keep forests healthy also help keep wildlife here.

In the Southeast, about 90 percent of forestland is privately owned. Working forests are constantly changing landscapes, with some stands in early growth, others in mature phases and still others recently harvested. That mix can create exactly the conditions swallow-tailed kites need: tall trees for nesting and open areas for foraging. The birds often hunt along forest edges and over young stands, feeding on large insects, frogs, snakes and other small prey.