Almost a year after he first appeared in Champaign, a rare bird has returned to the city for another stay.
A Swallow-tailed Kite has been spotted in and around southwest Champaign for weeks, according to various birding bulletin boards. Champaign dad T.J. Blakeman posted photos of the bird, who has taken a liking to several trees in the Devonshire neighborhood.
“He’s a beautiful bird and really caught my eye in the car,” said Blakeman, who pulled over his car to photograph the bird atop an evergreen tree near the corner of Devonshire and O’Donnell in Champaign.
Blakeman sent his photos to a good friend and avid bird watcher who is part of several bird groups in the Chicago area. The friend, who came to Champaign to see the bird last year, confirmed the sighting was indeed a Swallow-tailed Kite. Various posts on bulletin boards and social media appear to indicate the bird has been seen around Champaign since mid-August.
The Swallow-tailed Kite was seen in Champaign in early September 2015 by amateur birder and mom Wendi Lindsay (full story here). It was the area’s first recorded sighting of such a bird in more than 50 years, and sparked a frenzy among birders who descended upon Champaign from far and wide.
The Swallow-tailed Kite appears to be dwelling very close to the last year’s location, however it’s unknown if this is the same bird. Most Swallow-tailed Kites live in Florida, and typically they are confined in the Southeast. They migrate to Brazil for the winter.
We will update this story with more information on how to see the Swallow-tailed Kite as we are notified. Good luck to all our local birding friends.