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The White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) is an elanid kite found in western North America and parts of South America. It was formerly known as the Black-shouldered Kite.

The earliest name for this bird was the White-tailed Kite, and it was given the systematic name Elanus leucurus. However, it was argued that it was a subspecies of a European and African species, Elanus caeruleus, at the time known as the Black-shouldered Kite (see, for example, Parkes, 1958), and the recognised name was changed.

More recently, Clark and Banks (1992) argued that the White-tailed Kite differed from the Old World species in size, shape, plumage and behaviour, and that these differences were sufficient to warrant specific status. This argument was accepted by the American Ornithologists' Union, so the White-tailed Kite has its original name back. Meanwhile E. caeruleus has been renamed as the Black-winged KiteBlack-winged Kite : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Falconiformes : Accipitridae Elanus caeruleus Binomial name Elanus caeruleus Desfontaines, 1789 The Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes, and the name Black-shouldered KiteBlack-shouldered Kite : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Falconiformes : Accipitridae Elanus axillaris Binomial name Elanus axillaris Latham, 1802) The Black-shouldered Kite Elanus axillaris is a small raptor found in open habitat throughout Australia. Like a is now reserved for an AustraliaAustralia is the sixth-largest country in the world (geographically), the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia. Australia includes the island of Tasmania, which is an Australian State. Its neighbouring countn species, Elanus axillaris, which had also been merged into E. caeruleus but is also now regarded as separate.

The White-tailed Kite was rendered almost extinct in the 1930sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Years: 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented Link Trainer invented Sc and 1940sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s Years: 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Events and trends Technology First nuclear bomb First cruise missile, the by shooting and egg-collecting , but they are now again common in CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh. Their distribution is sporadic, however; they can be seen in the Central Valley and southern coastal areas, and also around the San Francisco BayThe San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary in which water draining approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean. Technically, the Sacrame. They are also found in Baja California, southern Texas and eastern Mexico.

White-tailed Kites feed principally on rodents, and they are readily seen patrolling or hovering over lowland scrub or grassland. Their coloration is gull-like, but their shape and flight falcon-like, with a markedly forked tail. Mainly white underneath, they have black wingtips and shoulders. Outside the breeding season they roost communally in groups of up to 100.