The swallow-tailed kite is a raptor whose range has diminished with increased logging. It is now confined to Florida, the gulf coast, and up the east coast to South Carolina. The entire population heads to South America for the winter, but in early fall some will drift around to the west and north. One of these drifters has found his way to Wayne County, West Virginia.

According to Matt, this is only the fourth recorded sighting of the species in West Virginia. The other three were:

 Mill Hill, Greenbrier County - 1908
 Elkins, Randolph County - 1988
 East River Mountain, Mercer County - 1997