The Mississippi Kite, a summer visitor to North America, is a slim, graceful hawk which is quite gregarious in its habits. The adult is easily recognizable with long, narrow, falcon-like wings, a long black slightly flared tail, gray underparts and a pale gray to white head. The immature has brown streaked under parts and a barred tail. Although not exclusively an insectivore, this kite specializes in the aerial capture of large insects such as dragonflies and cicadas. It glides much more than it flaps, and commonly forages in flocks above its nesting site. It also hunts from a perch. Mississippi Kites nest as solitary pairs and in small colonies of up to 25 to 40 pairs. Nests are located at the edge of riparian flood plain forest in the Southeast, in prairie shelter-belt trees on the southern Great Plains, and increasingly, in urban parks and golf courses in the south-central United States.
SIZE
The Mississippi Kite is a small raptor. Females are slightly larger than males. Lengths of females average 14 inches (36 centimeters) and males 13.7 inches (35 centimeters). Wingspans are up to 38 inches (96 centimeters) for both sexes. Weights average about 11.3 ounces (324 grams) for females and 9.3 ounces (266 grams) for males.
MORPHS
This species has no morphs.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
Adult - Perched
- a slim, sleek gray hawk with a whitish to light gray head (paler on males than females)
- red eye; black feathers between eye and very small beak
- medium gray underparts
- darker gray back and upper wings
- very pale gray patch on midsection of folded upperwing (secondary feathers)
- blackish flight feathers extend past tip of tail
- longish flared black tail
- feet gray with orangish under toes
Subadult - Perched
- like adult but lacks the light gray patch on the upperwing surface
- blackish-gray tail banded with two to four narrow white bands on undersurface (retained immature tail)
- often has small white spots on gray underparts and some may retain immature streaks
- red eye; black feathers between eye and very small beak
Immature - Perched
- brown streaked crown and cheek; creamy eyebrow; dark eye; small beak with yellow cere and black feathers in front of eye
- unstreaked buffy throat
- underparts buffy, and heavily streaked with rufous-brown
- brown upperparts with very narrow rusty edges to feathers
- blackish-brown flight feathers show pale tips
- blackish tail crossed by three to four narrow white bands on undersurface
SIMILAR SPECIES
The Mississippi Kite has a very distinctive appearance and is not likely confused with many other species. Of all raptors, the White-tailed Kite most closely resembles the Mississippi Kite, but there are major differences between the two species. The White-tailed Kite has white, not gray underparts, a white, not black tail and black shoulders on gray upperwings, not white secondaries on gray upperwings. The immature White-tailed has a whitish tail, not banded like the immature Mississippi Kite. An immature Broad-winged Hawk superficially resembles an immature Mississippi Kite but has broad soaring wings and a generally whitish tail crossed by several narrow gray bars and whitish underwings. The Peregrine Falcon has a similar silhouette in flight but does not have an all black tail and whitish secondaries on its upper wing surface. The Merlin has a banded tail similar to the tail of a subadult or immature but is a much smaller, faster flying bird with a patterned face and barred flight feathers (undersurface). The immature Mississippi Kite is like an immature Peregrine Falcon but it has a different tail and no mustache.
OTHER NAMES
The Mississippi Kite has also been known as the Blue Kite, Gray Kite, Louisiana Kite, and Mosquito Kite.
ETYMOLOGY
The scientific name Ictinia mississippiensis translates to "kite" (iktinos - Greek) "of Mississippi" (mississippiensis - Latin form).
MYTHOLOGY
No mythology could be found for this species in North America.
VOICE
The most common call is a two-noted whistle described as "phee-phew", which is often repeated, with the first syllable very short and the second syllable downward inflected, and about two to four times as long (at one half to one second in duration). The "phee-phew" call is given by adults and between adults and young. It is also uttered emphatically by kites when they are harassed by predators. A second call "phee-ti-ti-ti" is called by excited birds, in courtship feeding. The young make a quieter "Phee-phew" call by 14 days of age and "chipper" loudly. Hungry young just out of the nest call a high-pitched squealing when a parent approaches.
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