Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

Order FALCONIFORMES - Family ACCIPITRIDAE - Subfamily Accipitrinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Reproduction
8. Conservation Status
9. Other Names

A graceful, long-winged raptor, the Mississippi Kite is found in scattered localities across the southern and central United States.

Cool Facts

• The Mississippi Kite often attacks people who venture too close to its nest, especially in urban areas.

• In the Great Plains the Mississippi Kite can be locally abundant, usually nests colonially, and since the mid-1970s has nested abundantly in many urban areas. In the East it is less colonial, less abundant, and still nests primarily in old-growth forest.

Description

• Size: 34-37 cm (13-15 in)
• Weight: 214-388 g (7.55-13.7 ounces)

Medium-sized hawk. Long, narrow, pointed wings. Long black tail. Head pearly gray. Body darker gray. Pale patch on rear edge of wings as seen from above.

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, but head and nape of male paler than of female.

Immature

Juvenile with heavy brown streaks on underparts.

Similar Species

• White-tailed Kite has white tail and black spots on wings.

Sound

Call a high, thin whistled "phee, phew."

Range

Summer Range

Breeds across southern United States from Arizona to northern Florida, northward in localized areas to Nebraska and Virginia.

Winter Range

Winters in South America.

Habitat

Riverine forest, open woodland, and prairies near riparian woodland; regularly in wooded suburbs in some portions of range.

Reproduction

Clutch Size

Usually 2 eggs. Range: 1-3.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless and covered in down.

Conservation Status

Populations declined until mid-1900s, when increases began. Listed as threatened or endangered in some states.

Other Names

Milan du Mississippi (French)
Milano de Mississippi, Gavilan de Mississippi, Gavilan grisillo, Milano migratorio (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Parker, J. W 1999. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis). In The Birds of North America, No. 402 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.