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Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensisOrder: FALCONIFORMESFamily: Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)
Mississippi Kite Head Illustration_2

Head

  • Bill Shape: Hooked
  • Eye Color: Juvenile altering gradually to orange-brown and then bright red. Adult bright carmen or scarlet red, with white irises seen.
  • Head Pattern: Plain, Eyering
  • Crown Color: White
  • Forehead Color: White
  • Nape Color: White
  • Throat Color: White
  • Cere color: Buff
Mississippi Kite Body Illustration_2

Body

  • Length Range: 33-43 cm (13-17 in)
  • Weight: 357 g (12.6 oz)
  • Size: Medium (9 - 16 in)
  • Color Primary: Gray
  • Underparts: Gray
  • Upperparts: Gray
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Mississippi Kite Flight Illustration_2

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Buoyant flight with steady wingbeats., Sometimes alternates several wing strokes with short to long glides.
  • Wingspan Range: 86-94 cm (34-37 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Notched Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Solid Black.
  • Upper Tail: Black
  • Under Tail: Black
  • Leg Color: Orange-yellow
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Family
Species Ictinia mississippiensis
Length13 - 17 Inches
Wingspan35.5 Inches

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.
Mississippi Kite Body Illustration_2
● 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