![]() After completion of the construction of the nest, for which the birds need between one and four weeks, the female usually lays four, occasionally five and rarely three or six eggs. The nest is built by both birds together on a tree at a height of 6 to 15 meters and consists of sticks and twigs that are padded with grass and moss. In courtship, the male circles near the female in flight while screeching loudly and brings her food. The focus of egg-laying is in February and March. The breeding season of the species is extremely long, lasting from December to next September, with nest-building activities taking place from January to August. The rest of the diet is mostly made up of small birds and insects. These include house, harvest and field mice as well as cotton rats. More than 95% of White-tailed Kites feed on small mammals weighing between 20 and 70 g. After a successful hunt, the prey is first carried to a preferred hide, where it is then finally consumed. If the prey is spotted, the kite rushes down on it with its wings outstretched over the body in one swift movement and grab it with their talons. White-tailed Kites hover above open areas while hunting small mammals. During the nonbreeding season, it gathers in communal roosts. In flight, the White-tailed Kite rapidly beats its wings while facing into the wind, with its tail and head angled down. It reaches lengths of 32 up to 41 cm with the mass ranging from 294 to 350 g. It has an almost entirely white body plumage and tail feathers, grey wings with black shoulder patches, red eyes, hooked yellow-black beak typical of many raptors, yellow legs and black talons. The White-tailed Kite is a raptor with narrow, pointed wings and a long, rounded tail.
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