Dragon, the white-tailed kite who spent years greeting visitors from behind the raptor viewing window at Lindsay Wildlife Experience, has died.
Staff at the Walnut Creek wildlife museum euthanized Dragon after she developed balance problems, difficulty perching and nasal discharge, Lindsay Wildlife Experience said on Facebook. The museum said treatment had not helped enough, and staff considered her previous health problems and prospects for a comfortable life before proceeding.
Dragon first arrived at the museum at 1931 First Ave. in 2017 as a nestling patient. She was released after a short stay but returned two months later following a collision with a building window.
The museum said neurological damage and her unusual comfort around people led to her becoming its first white-tailed kite animal ambassador.
Visitors often saw Dragon through the exhibit hall’s raptor viewing window. She also spent time in an aviary away from public view. The museum said both visitors and the staff who cared for her would miss her.
White-tailed kites have white feathers and red eyes and hover while hunting, according to Lindsay Wildlife Experience’s website.
The museum says shooting and egg collecting once threatened the species with extinction in California. Federal protection helped its recovery beginning in the 1940s, and California now supports one of North America’s largest populations.
The museum’s website also identifies another white-tailed kite ambassador, Phoenix. He arrived in August 2025 with lasting vision loss on one side, which the museum attributes to probable neurological damage following a head injury.
Lindsay Wildlife Experience is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to its visiting information.
