swallow-tailed kite

American  

noun

1. an American kite, Elanoides forficatus, having black upper parts, white head and underparts, and a long, deeply forked tail.

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Etymology

Origin of swallow-tailed kite

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

If you’re lucky, you might catch a rare sighting of a swallow-tailed kite, zone-tailed hawk or gyrfalcon.

From Washington Post • Sep. 15, 2022

At 575 W. 155th St., my jaw dropped when I saw the gigantic mural of a swallow-tailed kite by artist Lunar New Year covering the side of a five-story apartment building.

From Washington Post • Jul. 7, 2022

The white ibis, swallow-tailed kite and wood stork also get mentioned.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 5, 2021

The painting of a swallow-tailed kite, completed in early October in Upper Manhattan, includes 12 other species embedded in its plumage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2015

The length of the beak would probably exclude from consideration, the swallow-tailed kite that also occurs in the region.

From Animal Figures in the Maya Codices by Tozzer, Alfred M. (Alfred Marston)