Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensisOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)

Codes: Common Name: MIKI Scientific Name: ICTMIS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 554268

Breeding Location:

Forests, coniferous, Forest edge

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Common to fairly common

Egg Color:

White to pale blue, nest stained and spotted

Number of Eggs:

1 - 3

Incubation Days:

31 - 32

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Lined with green leaves and Spanish moss.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Mississippi Kite: Small kite with dark gray upperparts and pale gray underparts and head. Upperwings are dark gray with pale gray patches. Tail is long and black. Sexes are similar, but female is noticeably larger. Juvenile has brown upperparts, brown streaked underparts, and dark tail with thin, white bands.

Range and Habitat

Mississippi Kite: Nests locally in the U.S. from Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee and South Carolina south to north-western Florida, and the Gulf coast to eastern Texas. Some occasionally winter in Florida. Prefers open country that supports flying insects; also found in forests.

Breeding and Nesting

Mississippi Kite: One to three lightly spotted, white to pale blue eggs are laid in a minimally refurbished abandoned crow's or other nest. Eggs are incubated by both parents for about 30 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Mississippi Kite: Feeds extensively on large insects including grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, and dragonflies; also takes lizards, frogs, and fish; catches insects on the wing.

Vocalization

Mississippi Kite: Emits a two-syllable "phee phew"; first syllable is short, accented, and has a rising tone; second is longer and slurred downwards. Fledgling makes a lisping version of the same call, a common hunger cry; when an adult approaches with food, calls are given rapidly and run together into a high-pitched squealing. Adults at the nest occasionally make chipping calls.

Similar Species

Mississippi Kite: White-tailed Kite has a paler tail, black shoulder patches, and a black "thumb" mark underwing. Northern Harrier has dark secondary feathers, white rump patch, and a facial disk.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Mississippi Kite

Mississippi Kite: Small kite, dark gray upperparts, pale gray underparts and head. Eyes are red. Upperwings are dark gray with pale gray patches. Tail is long and black. Feeds on large flying insects. Bouyant flight with steady wing beats, alternates several wing strokes with short to long glides.

● Song: "phee-phew"

● Foraging & Feeding: Mississippi Kite: Feeds extensively on large insects including grasshoppers, cicadas, beetles, and dragonflies; also takes lizards, frogs, and fish; catches insects on the wing.

● Breeding & nesting: Mississippi Kite: One to three lightly spotted, white to pale blue eggs are laid in a minimally refurbished abandoned crow's or other nest. Eggs are incubated by both parents for about 30 days.

● Similar species: Mississippi Kite: White-tailed Kite has a paler tail, black shoulder patches, and a black "thumb" mark underwing. Northern Harrier has dark secondary feathers, white rump patch, and a facial disk.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant flight with steady wingbeats., Sometimes alternates several wing strokes with short to long glides.

● Range & Habitat: Mississippi Kite: Nests locally in the U.S. from Kansas, Iowa, Tennessee and South Carolina south to north-western Florida, and the Gulf coast to eastern Texas. Some occasionally winter in Florida. Prefers open country that supports flying insects; also found in forests.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight12.6 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America