The eggs are a brown mottled color and are incubated as they are laid, about two days apart. The chicks hatch in order of when the eggs were laid, so a significant size difference can be observed for the nestlings. However, there are no reports of sibling rivalry and cannibalism, common among some raptors. Note in the photo below the much smaller chick. All four of these birds survived and fledged.
Raptors regurgitate non-digestible food, bones and fur, in the form of pellets.
The pellets can be collected and the bones can be analyzed to determine prey consumed by the kites. White-tailed kites use optimal forage theory strategies in at least two respects, optimal choice of diet and strategies to exploit patchy habitat and prey. Kites are also a species of landscape, much like bears in that they utilize a wide range of habitats to obtain their food and meet their needs. This is a strategy that allows for predators to locate and exploit temporary or unevenly distributed prey. The mechanism, local enhancement, involves the chance finding by one bird of an abundant food source to which others of the species are attracted and benefit.