Dozens of kites were in the air at any given time. This kite has what appears to be a dragonfly in its talons. That’s the Swallow-tailed Kite in the top right. Adults and recently fledged juveniles were present. The Mississippi Kites were to be the indicator that I was in the right place for the swallowtail, but I was unprepared for the sheer number of kites I would encounter on that morning.Īt any given time the sky was full of up to 4 or 5 kettles of Mississippi Kites each containing a dozen or more birds. And, as it turned out, that was the case. Reportedly, the swallowtail was coming out around midmorning and flying with kettles of Mississippi Kites. I took these pictures earlier in the summer when I was in far southeast Dallas County to photograph a rare Swallow-tailed Kite. With prey in hand (talon) the kites could often be seen feeding while on the wing. On several occasions I witnessed a kite dive out of the sky and skim over the grass in order to nab a hapless grasshopper or dragonfly. Mississippi Kites are birds of prey, but they hunt mostly insects. Their acrobatic flying skills hone the analogy. The uniform slate gray coloration and sleek form of the adult reminds me of a jet fighter plane. louis county, missouri, morris finkelstein, st.Mississippi Kites are some of my favorite birds. KEYWORDS: juvenile mississippi kite #2, mississippi kite, ictinia mississippiensis, mississippi kites, kite, kites, bird of prey, birds of prey, accipitridae family, hunter, predator, bird, birds, avian, nature, natural, wild, wildlife, outdoors, migratory, migration, wings, feathers, plumage, gray, black, juvenile, striped tail, yellow legs, red eyes, flying, hovering, flight, fly, foraging, hunting, summer, midwest, midwestern, columbia bottom conservation area, st. I am honored that my photograph was featured in the Fine Art America groups: It is an important birding area (IBA) as it is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and is on a major migratory flyway. Columbia Bottom Conservation Area was established in 1997 and includes 4318 acres with 6.5 miles of river frontage. I used a Nikon D850 camera body and a Nikon 500mm f/5.6 VR PF lens to capture this image. Their migration South is part of the fall migration in our region. This juvenile Mississippi Kite (juvenile, 1st summer plumage) hovering with three other juvenile Mississippi Kites overhead was photographed at the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, in St. Globally, the Mississippi Kite is designated by the IUCN Red List as a species of “Least Concern” The conservation status of this Kite varies from state to state In Missouri, the Mississippi Kite is rare but stable. They breed in the southern Great Plains, and migrate south to winter in south Texas, south Florida, and South America. Builds a stick nest in the top of a tree. Prefers riparian woodlands occasionally occurs close to humans in suburban areas. Graceful in flight with fluid wingbeats and long glides. Gray overall with whitish head, white secondaries on upperside of wing, and black tail. The juvenile has a white or buff head and neck, dark streaked underparts, and three stripes on the tail. Long-winged raptor with narrow, pointed wings that help it maneuver to catch insects in flight. The adult is mostly gray in color with black tail feathers and outer wing feathers, red eyes, and yellow feet. This Kite is sociable and migrates, forages, and roosts in small flocks. It forages high in the sky for large insects occasionally it forages for grasshoppers, reptiles, and amphibians. It is uncommon and found where large trees are present in open areas (farm fields, pastures, and woodlands). It measures about 14 inches in length and about 10 ounces in weight. The Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is known for its agility and gracefulness in flight.
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