Helicolestes hamatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The slender-billed kite (Helicolestes hamatus) is a South American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found along a scattered range in forested parts of tropical northern and central South America, and far eastern Panama. The species was recategorized into and has once again been removed from the genus Rostrhamus.
The slender-billed kite is a slaty gray kite with broad, rounded wings and a short, square tail. The species ranges from 36 to 41 centimeters in length and possesses a wingspan of 80–90 centimeters. There is no sexual plumage dimorphism within the species; however, females tend to be larger than the males, weighing between 367 and 485 grams while males weigh between 377 and 448 grams. Their characteristically sharp black beak is hooked, matched by sharp, black talons. Their eyes are yellowish, and their face and legs are orange-red. Juveniles resemble adults, but have brownish eyes and three narrow white bands in the tail.
Both sexes resemble the male snail kite, and the slender-billed kite has often been included in the same genus, Rostrhamus. Adults are distinguished by their yellow, rather than red, eyes and a noticeably shorter tail. Other... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yasuní National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 2 | Anavilhanas National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Tambopata National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Manu National Park | 🇵🇪 Peru |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belém | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Slender-billed Kite sighting in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 438th most-seen of the 550 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 Slender-billed Kite in Tambopata National Reserve on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Slender-billed Kite sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 6
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Slender-billed Kite sightings, Tambopata National Reserve ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Yasuní National Park (Ecuador, about 10%), Anavilhanas National Park (Brazil, under 5%) and Darién National Park (Panama, under 5%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Slender-billed Kite that you can see in Tambopata National Reserve (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Roadside Hawk (about 30%), Plumbeous Kite (about 20%) and Great Black-Hawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Slender-billed Kite is recorded against all the birds logged in Tambopata National Reserve (27 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
