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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Accipitridae
  4. ›
  5. Lophoictinia
  6. ›
  7. Square-tailed Kite
Square-tailed Kite
Photo · (c) Ged Tranter, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Square-tailed Kite

Lophoictinia isura(Gould, 1838)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Native
Order
ACCIPITRIFORMES
Family
Accipitridae
Genus
Lophoictinia

At a glance

The Square-tailed Kite is a large bird, about 50–55 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
50–55 cm
Origin
Native
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Square-tailed Kite look like?

The Square-tailed Kite is a large bird, about 50–55 cm long and weighing 660–680 g.

The square-tailed kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
50–55 cm
Weight
660–680 g
Wingspan
130 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Square-tailed Kite?

The Square-tailed Kite is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Square-tailed Kite eat?

The Square-tailed Kite feeds on terrestrial invertebrates and terrestrial vertebrates, usually foraging alone.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Square-tailed Kite live in Australia?

The Square-tailed Kite is native to Australia, recorded across 77 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingAustralia (except south-central, Tasmania)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Breeding

7 regions recorded