![]() They are extremely graceful fliers, capable of acrobatic maneuvers in the air but also able to soar to very high altitudes. They specialize in capturing large insects - dragonflies, grasshoppers, and cicadas, for example - on the wing. These falcon-like little raptors are insectivores. Southeastern Arizona is the westernmost reach of Mississippi Kites in the United States. Beyond that there are only a few scattered communities in which the species resides. Their range extends throughout southern Texas. As their name implies they are native primarily to the southeastern United States. Mississippi Kites are small, graceful, and very beautiful raptors, barely larger than pigeons. Recently, I returned to the locale in which I’d photographed this bird and was able to take some more - and in my opinion, superior - pictures. Click again for a full screen image.Ī few weeks ago I posted some images I’d made of a Mississippi Kite, a raptor that summers and breeds in only a couple of very small communities in southeastern Arizona. It is also worth mentioning that beautiful raptors are not the only unique wildlife that were found in and around this metroplex park.You may enlarge any image in this blog by clicking on it. Kites in flight are easy to recognize from their sharply pointed wings and large, fan-shaped tails… Just a little something to keep a look out for as we get closer to autumn over the coming weeks. ![]() ![]() They have an average lifespan of 8 years.Īs summer in North Texas comes to a close, it is not uncommon-in certain places around Dallas/Fort Worth-to find large kettles of adult and first season juvenile kites marshaling in preparation for their long migration back to South America. Because of the reduced amount of predators in urban areas, Mississippi kites produce more offspring in urban areas than rural areas. Clutches fall victim to storms and predators such as raccoons and great horned owls. Only about half of kites successfully raise their young. The young birds leave the nest another 30 to 34 days after hatching. Mississippi kites nest in colonies and both parents (paired up before arriving at the nesting site) incubate the eggs and care for the young. They have one clutch a year which takes 30 to 32 days to hatch. In the past 75 years, they have undergone changes in nesting habitat from use of forest and savanna to include shelter-belts and are now very common nesters in urban area that are highly populated in the western south-central states. Except in elm and cottonwood, most nests are fewer than 20 feet (6 m) above the ground, and are usually near water. Eggs are white to pale-bluish in color, and are usually about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long. 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. Courtship displays are rare, however individuals have been seen guarding their nests from competitors. Mississippi kites are monogamous, forming breeding pairs before or soon after arriving at breeding sites. Wikipedia elaborates on the breeding habits of the Mississippi Kite in this way… They migrate back to North Texas each year in order to nest and raise their young. They overwinter deep in the interior of South America. Mississippi Kites are in North Texas during our summer months.
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