Mississippi kites (Ictinia mississippiensis) are small birds of prey graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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Soaring birdsSoaring birds can maintain flight without wing flapping, using rising air currents. Many gliding birds are able to "lock" their extended wings by m...
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Ambush predatorAmbush predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey by stealth, luring, or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an elemen...
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Pursuit predatorPursuit predation is a form of predation in which predators actively give chase to their prey, either solitarily or as a group. Pursuit predators r...
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MonogamyMonogamy is a form of relationship in which both the male and the female has only one partner. This pair may cohabitate in an area or territory for...
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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ColonialColonial animals live in large aggregations composed of two or more conspecific individuals in close association with or connected to, one another....
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withAdult birds are gray with darker gray on their tail feathers and outer wings and lighter gray on their heads and inner wings. Kites of all ages have red eyes and red to yellow legs. Males and females look alike, but the males are slightly paler on the head and neck. Young kites have banded tails and streaked bodies. The Mississippi kite is 12 to 15 inches (30–37 cm) from beak to tail and has a wingspan averaging 3 feet (91 cm). Weight is from 214 to 388 grams (7.6–13.7 oz).
Mississippi kites breed in the central and southern United States; the southern Great Plains is considered a stronghold for the species. In recent years Mississippi kites regularly breed in the southern New England states; a pair has successfully raised young as far north as Newmarket, New Hampshire. Another pair was observed breeding in Ohio in 2007. Mississippi kites are migratory and travel to southern subtropical South America in the winter, mostly to Argentina and Brazil. These birds use various habitats, including open woodland, riparian forest, prairies, shelterbelts planted in grassland habitats, pastures, croplands, and areas inhabited by humans.
Mississippi kites are social birds, gathering in roosts in late summer. They do not maintain territories and prefer to migrate in groups of 20 to 30 birds. During migration, they may also gather in mixed flocks containing up to 10,000 birds. Mississippi kites are active during the day and are most often seen on the wing. They will usually hunt from a low perch before chasing after prey, eating it in flight. They also often fly around cattle and horses catching insects stirred up from the grass. The call of these birds is a high-pitched squeak, sounding similar to the noise made by a squeaky toy.
Mississippi kites are carnivores (insectivores) and their diet consists mostly of insects. They eat cicadas, grasshoppers, and other crop-damaging insects, making them economically important. They may also eat small vertebrates, including birds, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals.
Mississippi kites are monogamous and form breeding pairs before or soon after arriving at breeding sites. They rarely perform courtship displays but individuals may guard their mate from competitors. Mississippi kites nest in colonies between May and July. Females usually lay 2 white eggs (rarely 1 or 3) in twig nests that rest in various deciduous trees. Most nests are located fewer than 20 feet (6 m) above the ground and are usually near water. Eggs are white to pale-bluish in color and are generally about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the young. They have one clutch a year, which takes 30 to 32 days to hatch. The chicks leave the nest another 30 to 34 days after hatching and start to breed when they are 1-2 years old.
Mississippi kites were in decline in the mid-1900s, but now have an increasing population and expanding range. While these birds are not endangered at present they still suffer from habitat loss and disturbances on their nesting sites.
According to the All About Birds resource, the global breeding population size of the Mississippi kite is 700,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red Lis and its numbers today are increasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...