In the late 1960s, after extending the western edge of its range from west Texas and the Oklahoma panhandle into the southeastern corner of New Mexico, it apparently skipped past central and western New Mexico to settle on the San Pedro River deep inside Arizona. Where the next pair will show up seems to be anyone’s guess. where it apparently touches down in new nesting areas hundreds of miles distant from all previously known sites. How many hopeful, knowing birders all across the United States scan the skies each spring trying to be the first to find it in their home counties?Įncouraging their attitude is the species’ hopscotching M.O. Mississippi Kites have been pushing west toward the Pacific and north toward Canada for at least the last 60 or 70 years. If you live west or north of the kite’s known range, even far beyond its current borders, you should probably have the species on your list of “birds to watch for,” because it strays regularly and can appear almost anywhere, especially from late spring through early summer. The prey is most often grasshoppers, cicadas, dragonflies, and other large insects, which the bird will capture and happily consume on the wing as you follow with your binoculars. So frequently does the kite hang in air as if suspended, or soar as if there were nothing in the world to do but soar, that we are surprised when we see it stoop at a White-necked Raven, or descend with a roar of its wings upon its prey.” “On the wing is graceful, buoyant, usually deliberate,” ornithologist and painter George Miksch Sutton observed, “The square-tipped tail tilts this way and that as the bird directs its course with caution. Is there a bird watcher anywhere in the Lower 48 who does not feel affection for the Mississippi Kite? If you live within its ever-expanding breeding range and have been lucky enough to study a kite or two (or five) circling overhead, you know that odd mix of hesitancy and dash that makes its flight so delightful. In rural areas, these acrobatic birds have even been known to hunt in recently mowed hay fields, taking advantage of the disturbance.What do I do if I find a sick, injured, or dead bird? Foraging areas include open meadows and nearby streams where insects are abundant. Insects are caught in mid-air and are often eaten while on the wing, or in flight. Mississippi kites are insectivorous - feeding primarily on insects - but will also capture reptiles and amphibians. These long, narrow wings are often held in a weak or stretched "M" while flying. Mississippi kites are medium sized birds with a long tail and a three foot wingspan. If coloration can't be determined due to lighting or distance, many bird watchers look at the overall shape and flight pattern of the bird to help with identifications. Juveniles have a streaked body and breast and a barred tail with a shallow notch. An acrobatic flyer, this hawk-like bird feeds primarily on insects, is common in suburban areas, and is well known for its nest defense tactics. These birds, among them the Mississippi kite, winter south of the Equator, but spend spring and summer in the United States and Canada. It's then that birders look forward to seeing a select group of visitors to Oklahoma known as neo-tropical birds. The Mississippi Kite ( Ictinia mississippiensis), are seen in the spring.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |