Are Mississippi kites rare?

Where can I find Mississippi kites?

To find Mississippi Kites, head to the Southeast or the southern prairies of Texas and Oklahoma during the summer. Keep your eyes raised, as these birds spend a lot of their time in the air.

How much does a Mississippi kite weigh?

Weight is from 214 to 388 grams (7.6-13.7 oz). Their call is a high-pitched squeak, sounding similar to that of a squeaky toy . The summer breeding territory of the Mississippi kite is in the central and southern United States; the southern Great Plains is considered a stronghold for the species.

What are the characteristics of a Mississippi kite?

They spend much of their time in the air, where they gracefully zero in on insects and devour them. Some of their distinctive features include: Mississippi Kites are 12-15 inches long, with a wingspan of 3 feet. They are mostly gray in color, feathers. They are slender birds with narrow wings and long tails.

Where do Mississippi kites nest?

Mississippi kites nest in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, southeastern Colorado, southern Kansas, and the eastern states from southern Missouri to South Carolina. The southern Great Plains is considered a stronghold for the species.

Are there Mississippi kites in Oklahoma?

kite-lg11The Mississippi Kite is a nesting bird in Oklahoma, one of the late returners from its wintering grounds to the south. May is the month I associate with this kite becoming a common sight in the western two-thirds of Oklahoma.

What do Mississippi kites eat?

They will usually hunt from a low perch before chasing after prey, eating it in flight. They have been known to fly around cattle and horsemen to catch insects stirred up from the grass. Mississippi kites are monogamous, forming breeding pairs before or soon after arriving at breeding sites.

How much does a kite weigh?

Young kites have banded tails and streaked bodies. It is 12 to 15 inches (30–37 cm) beak to tail and has a wingspan averaging 3 feet (91 cm). Weight is from 214 to 388 grams (7.6-13.7 oz). Their call is a high-pitched squeak, sounding similar to that of a squeaky toy .

Do Mississippi kites maintain territory?

They do not maintain territories. The diet of the Mississippi kite consists mostly of insects which they capture in flight. They eat cicada, grasshoppers, and other crop-damaging insects, making them economically important. They have also been known to eat small vertebrates, including birds, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals.

How long do kites live in Mississippi?

Clutches fall victim to storms and predators such as raccoons and great horned owls. Because of the reduced amount of predators in urban areas, Mississippi kites produce more offspring in urban areas than rural areas. They have an average lifespan of 8 years.

Where do Mississippi kites lay eggs?

Mississippi kites usually lay two white eggs (rarely one or three) in twig nests that rest in a variety of deciduous trees, most commonly in elm, eastern cottonwood, hackberry, oak, and mesquite. Except in elm and cottonwood, most nests are fewer than 20 feet (6 m) above the ground, and are usually near water.

Should the Mississippi kite be Oklahoma’s state bird?

We have the best state bird—the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher—of any state, but I also think of the Mississippi Kite as one of Oklahoma’s special birds. The thought crossed my mind that this kite might make a good state bird, if we didn’t have the Scissor-tail. My wife pointed out a major problem: the MISSISSIPPI Kite as the state bird of OKLAHOMA?

Are there kites in Oklahoma in May?

The Mississippi Kite is a nesting bird in Oklahoma, one of the late returners from its wintering grounds to the south. May is the month I associate with this kite becoming a common sight in the western two-thirds of Oklahoma.

What do kites eat in Mississippi?

Diet: What Do Mississippi Kite Birds Eat. These kites are primarily insectivorous, but would also consume small vertebrates. Their diet list includes cicada, grasshoppers, dragonflies, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals. Mating and Reproduction. These birds are monogamous in nature and breed only once in a year.

What is the average size of a red kite?

The females are usually larger and heavier than the males but the gender can only be determined by a blood test. Red Kites can weigh between 800 and 1.3kg and are between 24 – 26 inches long with a wingspan of approximately 5 feet.

How much does a swallow tailed kite weigh?

They weigh around 11-21 oz (310-600 g) and have a forked tail that measures 10.8-14.6 in (27.5-37 cm) long, with the wing chord estimates to be about 15-18 in (39-45 cm). How fast can a Swallow-Tailed Kite fly?

How much does a whistling kite weigh?

The average weight for a whistling kite varies considerably between 380 – 1050g (13 – 37 oz) as there is a considerable gap usually between males and females. The average weight for a male is 600 – 750g (21 – 26 oz) and for females 750 – 1000g (26 – 35 oz).

How long does it take for a Mississippi kite to hatch?

#3 – It takes about 30 days for a young Mississippi kite to hatch from the egg. The young birds may be able to fly from the nest as early as 30 days afterward. #4 – Most Mississippi kites have a wingspan of about three feet – or about the length of your arm.

When do Mississippi kites breed?

Breeding / Nesting Mississippi Kites usually pair up at the wintering range or during migration. Breeding activities commence as soon as they arrive in their breeding range, which is usually in late May or early June. They often return to their previously used, simple stick nests, or they may construct new ones.

Where do Mississippi kites migrate to?

Mississippi kite. Mississippi kites nest in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, southeastern Colorado, southern Kansas, and the eastern states from southern Missouri to South Carolina. The southern Great Plains is considered a stronghold for the species. Kites migrate in the fall to their wintering grounds in central South America.

Is the Mississippi kite Oklahoma’s special bird?

May is the month I associate with this kite becoming a common sight in the western two-thirds of Oklahoma. We have the best state bird—the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher—of any state, but I also think of the Mississippi Kite as one of Oklahoma’s special birds.

What is the state bird of Oklahoma?

The scissor-tailed flycatcher is the state bird of Oklahoma. This list of birds of Oklahoma includes species documented in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and accepted by the Oklahoma Ornithological Society’s Bird Records Committee (OBRC).

What do Mississippi kite hawks eat?

Mississippi Kite Hawk Diet: What Do Mississippi Kite Birds Eat These kites are primarily insectivorous, but would also consume small vertebrates. Their diet list includes cicada, grasshoppers, dragonflies, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and small mammals.

Where can I see a red kite in the UK?

Once a very rare bird that could only be found in Central Wales, the Red Kite has been successfully reintroduced to several areas of the UK and can now be seen in Wales, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the Chilterns.

What does a red kite look like?

The Red kite is a large bird of prey with angled, red wings that are tipped with black and have white patches underneath in the ‘hand’. It has a long, reddish-brown, forked tail.

What is the size of a swallow tailed kite?

Swallow-tailed kite. The species is 50 to 68 cm (20 to 27 in) in length, with a wingspan of approximately 1.12–1.36 m (3.7–4.5 ft). Male and female individuals appear similar. The body weight is 310–600 g (11–21 oz). The body is a contrasting deep black and white. The flight feathers, tail, feet, bill are all black.

What is another name for an African swallow-tailed kite?

For the African swallow-tailed kite, see Scissor-tailed kite. The swallow-tailed kite ( Elanoides forficatus) is a pernine raptor which breeds from the southeastern United States to eastern Peru and northern Argentina. It is the only species in the genus Elanoides.