Supporting the Swallow-Tailed Kite – an Important Indicator of Healthy Forests

The swallow-tailed kite is more than a bird—it’s an indicator of healthy forests. Because of our Forestland Stewards partnership with National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), working forward landowners have bolstered the return of these iconic southeastern birds.

Through our partnership, we awarded a grant to the American Bird Conservancy and Avian Research and Conservation Institute that supports their effort to equip kites in the southeastern U.S. with GPS transmitters, unlocking insights into their migratory patterns and habitat needs. This helps our foresters, conservation partners, and local landowners sustainably manage forests to provide habitats that support these birds and other wildlife.

While the southeastern U.S. doesn’t appear to have much in common with the rainforests of northern Brazil, migrating birds like the swallow-tailed kite call both regions of the globe home. The swallow-tailed kites in particular prefer recently harvested areas of working forests, since they provide favorable conditions to feed. The kites build large nests in the high tree canopies at the edge of the stand, and they feed on frogs, snakes and even other birds, preferring to forage over large open areas. The open swaths of young forest growing where a recent harvest took place are perfect feeding grounds for the kites.

Organizations and families both manage working forests as long term investments. International Paper actively supports the responsible management of these working forests both by purchasing trees to convert into pulp for our products, and also by collaborating with both forest landowners and nonprofits such as the NFWF and the American Bird Conservancy to assist in conservation efforts.

See how the American Bird Conservancy is tracking this important species by watching this program produced by South Carolina ETV. Read more about our award-winning work with NFWF and our approach to working with landowners.