Scissor-tailed kite
| Scissor-tailed kite | |
|---|---|
| Flying in Far North Region, Cameroon | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Chelictinia Lesson, 1843 |
| Species: | C. riocourii |
| Binomial name | |
| Chelictinia riocourii (Temminck, 1821) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The scissor-tailed kite (Chelictinia riocourii), also known commonly as the African swallow-tailed kite and the fork-tailed kite, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is the only species placed in the genus Chelictinia. It is widespread in the northern tropics of Africa.