Pearl Kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii)
About the Pearl Kite
The pearl kite (Gampsonyx swainsonii) is a very small raptor found in open savanna habitat adjacent to deciduous woodland in Central and South America. It is the only member of the genus Gampsonyx. The scientific name commemorates the English naturalist William Swainson. The type specimen was collected from Brazil by English naturalist William Swainson, and described by Nicholas Aylward Vigors in 1825. Vigors noted the similarity to both hawks and falcons, but placed Gampsonyx within the "Accipitrine subfamily" because it lacks the notched beak of the falcons. He also noted its striking resemblance to the coloration of the falconets.
No audio on this page yet
We only publish recordings we may use commercially, because this site is supported by ads. xeno-canto lists 40 recordings for this species: 2 CC BY-NC-ND. None of them permits commercial use, so there is no player here — the page is kept as a profile so the bird is not missing from the guide.
As soon as someone uploads a freely licensed recording, we mirror it and the player appears here.
Listed as recorded in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica in the xeno-canto catalogue.
Other birds you can hear here
- American Barn OwlTyto furcatarecording
- American KestrelFalco sparveriusrecording
- BananaquitCoereba flaveolarecording
- Barred AntshrikeThamnophilus doliatusrecording
- Barred Forest FalconMicrastur ruficollisrecording
- Bay-headed TanagerTangara gyrolarecording
These are the birds recorded alongside it, not close relatives — the site holds no other member of its genus or family yet.