Lophoictinia isura
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The square-tailed kite (Lophoictinia isura) is a medium-sized bird of prey native to Australia. It is in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup described the square-tailed kite in 1847.
The square-tailed kite is monomorphic with no recorded geographic variations. As an adult the square-tailed kite is a medium-sized raptor, with the following features: Length: 50–56 cm (tail is about half the length of bird)
Wingspan: 130–145 cm Weight: Male-501g, Female-650g As an adult, the squared-tailed kite has a white face, with pale eyes and black streaks across the crown. The breast is also heavily streaked. The ventral surface of the wings has a rufous-brown lining, a dark carpal crescent, and a boldly barred finger. There is also a pale white patch on the ventral surface of the wings, at the base of the primary feathers; the saddle, rump and central upper tail-coverts are blackish, while the upper tail-coverts are grey-brown and fade into a small pale patch above the tail. The tail itself is square with dark sub-terminal band. Square... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Square-tailed Kite sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 159 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 169th most-seen of the 237 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Square-tailed Kite in Brisbane on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Square-tailed Kite sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Square-tailed Kite sightings, Brisbane has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Sydney (Australia, under 5%) and Perth (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Square-tailed Kite that you can see in Brisbane (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are White-Bellied Sea-Eagle (about 10%) and Black-shouldered Kite (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Square-tailed Kite is recorded against all the birds logged in Brisbane (159 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
