Distribution / Range It breeds in the Southeastern United States and as far west as the Southern High Plains of Texas. Eastern birds are less abundant, breed in old-growth forest, and are less likely to nest in colonies. Nesting / Breeding It lays 2 to 3 eggs in a stick nest. )-shrub prairies, and savannas in the western United States (Parker 1988). Ornitologia Neotropical 16 (suppl.):109-115.
The Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) breeds in bottomland and riparian areas throughout the Mississippi River Valley and southeastern North America (e.g., Kalla 1979, Evans 1981, Whitmar 1987, Barber 1995, St. Pierre 2006).This raptor also inhabits riparian areas, shelterbelts, oak (Quercus spp. Olivo, C. 2001. Mississippi Kite This small, pointed-winged kite looks more like a falcon than any other of our kites. These sleek, pearly gray raptors often hunt together and nest colonially in stands of trees, from windbreaks on southern prairies to old-growth bottomlands in the Southeast (and even on city parks and golf courses). Native to the Americas, this bird prefers temperate forest and grassland ecosystems, though it has been known to live on arable land and in urban areas. The breeding biology of the Mississippi Kite …
Parker, J.W. Partners in Flight estimates a global breeding population at 300,000 individuals, all of which breed in the United States and migrate through Mexico to their South American wintering grounds. The Mississippi Kite will also forage on the ground in low vegetation and in shallow water (Parker 1999). The Mississippi Kite Ictinia mississippiensis is a raptor in family Accipitridae. The Mississippi Kite makes a streamlined silhouette as it careens through the sky on the hunt for small prey, or dive-bombs intruders that come too close to its nest tree. Mississippi Kites are fairly common in their range, and populations was stable between 1966 and 2014, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Despite the name, it is most common on the southern Great Plains. The Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) are raptors that breed in scattered localities across the southern and central United States. Western birds usually nest colonially in small woodlands on the prairie, where they can be locally abundant. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) #1 - Mississippi kites are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which means the birds, their eggs and offspring cannot be moved, captured, hunted or killed. 1974. This includes the nest as well. It nests in loose flocks, its very gregarious. Migration patterns of Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) in the eastern lowlands of Bolivia. These long-distance migrants travel in flocks south to winter in South America. The outlined areas represent approximate current range for each season. Ictinia mississippiensis One of our most graceful fliers, this kite glides, circles, and swoops in pursuit of large flying insects. Mississippi Kites in the Southeast lead a different life from kites in prairie states to the west. Condor 85:200-207. The Mississippi Kite has a large range, estimated globally at 830,000 square kilometers. Mississippi Kite The darker the color, the more favorable the climate conditions are for survival. The Mississippi Kite makes a streamlined silhouette as it careens through the sky on the hunt for small prey, or dive-bombs intruders that come too close to its nest tree.
NATURE SERVE GLOBAL HABITAT COMMENTS: Tall forest, open woodland, prairie, semiarid rangeland, shelterbelts, wooded areas bordering lakes and streams in … Breeding ecology of the Mississippi Kite in Arizona. These sleek, pearly gray raptors often hunt together and nest colonially in stands of trees, from windbreaks on southern prairies to old-growth bottomlands in the Southeast (and even on city parks and golf courses).
The Mississippi kite, with its white head and black body, resembles a miniature bald eagle.