Ictinia mississippiensis
The Mississippi Kite, *Ictinia mississippiensis*, is an elegant and uniquely insectivorous raptor renowned for its graceful, buoyant flight. Adults are sleek, medium-sized birds of prey, measuring 30-38 cm (12-15 inches) in length with a wingspan of 91-102 cm (36-40 inches) and weighing 210-388 grams (7.4-13.7 ounces). Their plumage is a striking uniform gray, darkening to black on the primary flight feathers and tail, with a paler head and a distinctive, often reddish, iris. Juveniles presen...
These adaptable raptors prefer open woodlands, savanna-like environments, riparian forests, and increasingly, urban and suburban areas with tall trees. They are typically found at low to moderate elevations across their range.
Primarily insectivorous, their diet consists mainly of large flying insects like dragonflies, cicadas, grasshoppers, and beetles, caught on the wing. Occasionally, they consume small amphibians, reptiles, or mammals, especially when insect prey is scarce.
Mississippi Kites are diurnal hunters, often observed soaring high on thermal currents with remarkable agility, especially during the warmer parts of the day. Their primary foraging strategy involves acrobatic aerial pursuit, snatching large insects directly from the air with their talons, which ...
The Mississippi Kite's breeding range spans widely across the central and southeastern United States, extending from South Carolina west to Arizona and north into states like Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois, with recent expansions further north and west into states like Colorado and Nebraska. They are...
Least Concern
- The Mississippi Kite is one of North America's most aerial raptors, spending a significant portion of its day soaring and hunting on the wing. - Unlike most raptors, their primary diet consists almost exclusively of large flying insects, which they expertly catch with their feet mid-flight and ...