A graceful gray-and-white falcon-like raptor that catches insects in flight. Increasingly common in suburban parks across Texas and Oklahoma.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The Mississippi kite is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air. It is common to see several circling in the same area.
Source: Wikipedia — Mississippi kite Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Slim, falcon-shaped raptor with long pointed wings; adults pale gray with a paler head and a black tail; juveniles streaky brown.
Similar species. Other kites differ in shape and pattern; the all-gray adult with a black tail and buoyant insect-hawking flight is distinctive.
Voice. A thin, high, two-note whistle 'phee-phew' descending at the end.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Small mammals, birds, reptiles, insects depending on species.
Behavior. A graceful, social raptor of southern woodlands and prairie shelterbelts that catches large insects (and small vertebrates) on the wing; gathers in flocks on migration.
§ Range
South-central US in summer; winters South America
§ Habitat
Riparian forests, suburban areas with mature trees
§ Threats
Habitat loss in southwestern range, vehicle strikes during migration.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the mississippi kite is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Don't harass nesting birds. Support riparian forest protection.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Mississippi kite
- www.allaboutbirds.org — authoritative profile of Ictinia mississippiensis
- IUCN Red List — search for Ictinia mississippiensis
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Ictinia mississippiensis
§ Sources cited
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology — All About Birds
- National Audubon Society
- iNaturalist
- IUCN Red List
