kite

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Swallow-tailed kite (Elanoides forficatus). (credit: James A. Kern)

Any of numerous lightly built birds of prey that have a small head, partly bare face, short beak, and long, narrow wings and tail. They are found worldwide in warm regions. Some live on insects; others are primarily scavengers but also eat rodents and reptiles; a few eat only snails. In flight, kites slowly flap and then glide with wings angled back. Kites belong to three subfamilies of the family Accipitridae: Milvinae (true kites and snail kites), Elaninae (including the white-tailed kite, one of the few North American raptors increasing in number), and Perninae (including the swallow-tailed kite of the New World). See also hawk.

For more information on kite, visit Britannica.com.

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