The rufous-thighed kite is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Accipitrinae, the "true" hawks, of family Accipitridae. It is found regularly in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Guyana, Paraguay, and Suriname and as a vagrant in Colombia, French Guiana, and Venezuela.
Region
Eastern and central South America
Typical Environment
Occurs regularly in Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, Guyana, and Suriname, with vagrants to Colombia, French Guiana, and Venezuela. Prefers lowland and foothill evergreen forest, riverine and gallery forest, and forest edges and clearings with tall trees. Frequently uses secondary growth and wooded savannas near forest margins. In the austral winter some individuals move north into Amazonian and Guianan forests. It is generally scarce to uncommon but can be locally more regular where continuous canopy is present.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This small forest raptor is named for its distinctive rufous thighs, which stand out when it perches or banks in flight. It often hunts by sitting quietly within the canopy and sallying after large insects, but it will also take small vertebrates. In southern South America it shows austral seasonal movements, shifting northward in the non-breeding season. Its short, hooked bill bears subtle 'teeth' along the upper mandible, a hallmark of the Harpagus kites.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief glides; agile forest flier; occasional soaring
Social Behavior
Usually encountered singly or in pairs, especially during the breeding season. Nests high in trees within forest, where the pair defends a small territory. Clutch is small and both sexes participate in nest defense and provisioning.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Gives thin, high-pitched whistles, often a drawn-out seeee note repeated at intervals. During display or territorial encounters it may deliver a faster series of sharp, whistled calls.
Plumage
Slaty-gray upperparts with a paler gray breast and fine rufous-and-white barring below; tail dark with narrow pale bands and a thin pale tip. Thighs and lower belly rich rufous, most conspicuous when perched or in flight. Underwings show pale barring and rufous coverts; juveniles are browner with heavier streaking.
Diet
Feeds mainly on large insects such as cicadas, orthopterans, and large beetles, which it takes by sallying from perches or by snatching in short pursuits. Also captures small lizards, frogs, and occasionally small birds or nestlings. Prey is usually seized from foliage or caught on the wing and eaten on a perch.
Preferred Environment
Forages in mid- to upper-canopy of forest, along edges, and above rivers or clearings where insects are abundant. Often hunts from a shaded perch with good views, making short sorties into the canopy.
