Another raptor for Costa del Este's collection

The grassy fields of Costa del Este, in Panama City, attract a good number of raptors. But somehow, a common species, even in the city, eluded me from this site until a few days ago when I saw my first White-tailed Kite there. I made a quick visit in the afternoon to check the tidal mudflats. Nothing to report there, so I moved to the fields where I saw this magnificent creature perched atop a sort of pipe or metallic tube.

Considering that this kite has some crepuscular habits, probably my late arrival to Costa del Este was the reason for this first encounter. The bird was a little far, but anyway I took some photos. These do not show its white tail, but the black shoulders are quite evident (remember that it used to be the Black-shouldered Kite). Like this kite, almost all the raptors that I have seen in this site have been perched atop man-made structures, like streetlights, cranes, buildings, etc... except for the migratory ones.

If you want to see more pictures of raptors in Costa del Este, check these posts: Raptors on streetlights , More than shorebirds in Costa del Este , and A peregrine bites the dust.

This post was submitted to Bird Photography Weekly # 132. Check it out!