Date: 7/24/25 8:37 pm
From: Mark McShane <00001c91b59d7b85-dmarc-request...>
Subject: Re: [GABO-L] Long County (and Georgia) Annual Mixed Kite Flocks (Season and Sites Information) - 2025 Edition!
Hi All,

Since my last kite post it was suggested that I post the 17 counties where we have never had a publicly or an eBird documented SWALLOW-TAILED KITE (STKI) in Georgia.

Wonderfully James White found mixed kite flocks (Swallow-tailed Kites and Mississippi Kites together) at two locations in Pike County on 7/20/2025. These were the first for Pike County! These have not been confirmed by an eBird reviewer as of yet and are not appearing as of now on the eBird Species Map for STKI.

Here's a checklist with the prime location:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S261478778

That reduces the number of eBird counties where they have not been seen in Georgia from 17 to only 16!

Here are the remaining 16 counties, and their regions, as of 9:45pm today:

Bacon - Southeast - Coastal Plain
Baldwin - Central - Piedmont
Clayton - North Central - Piedmont
Dade - Northwest - Ridge and Valley
Dawson - North Central - Piedmont/Blue Ridge
Douglas - Northwest - Piedmont
Haralson - Northwest - Piedmont
Lumpkin - Northeast - Piedmont/Blue Ridge
Lincoln - Northeast - Piedmont
Paulding - Northwest - Piedmont
Polk - Northwest - Piedmont
Taliaferro - Northeast - Piedmont
Towns - Northeast - Blue Ridge
Union - Northeast - Blue Ridge
Walker - Northwest - Ridge and Valley
Worth - West - Coastal Plain

I'm not sure about the other states, but I know that Florida has them confirmed in all 67 of their eBird counties, which of course makes a lot of sense because they surely breed or have bred in every county in Florida. Georgia could be only the second state to have them confirmed in every county, and we have 159 counties, what an accomplishment that would be!

- - -

So far this season, just in July, Georgia Swallow-tailed Kites have been reported north of the Georgia Fall Line in the following counties:

Clarke
Coweta
Dekalb (7/19, not yet eBird confirmed)
Gilmer (7/24, 2nd record, may not be eBird submitted, but photographed at Carters Lake today)
Jackson
Madison
McDuffie
Meriwether (7/21, not yet eBird confirmed)
Oconee
Pike (7/20, not yet eBird confirmed)
Rockdale
Stephens (7/24, not yet eBird confirmed)

There may be others pending eBird review and confirmation. Also be aware, if a kite sighting gets eBird flagged for high numbers in a location or county where it is not rare at the time, the sighting will not show up in an eBird rare bird alert nor will it show up on the eBird species map until confirmed by a reviewer.

- - -

We are now entering the brief, but peak part of the Georgia summer kite season, and although some years Swallow-tailed KItes may continue into late August and early September somewhere in Georgia in small numbers, the kite finding and watching season usually starts winding down by mid-August. Best of luck to everyone who will be out looking for the birds over the next few weeks, you'll definitely be happy if you find one!

Good Kiting All!

Mark

Mark McShane
Lawrenceville, Gwinnett County, Georgia

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