#mississippi kite

[scottpartridge]

Day 13 of #feathruary2024 is #BirdofPrey or #BOP and I selected the #MississippiKite .

@feathruary is a #birdartchallenge hosted by Missy @projectparlor and Michell @mischievousredfox and features a different bird-related art prompt each day which is open to interpretation. 

[na-bird-of-the-day]

BOTD: Mississippi Kite

Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

"One of our most graceful fliers, this kite glides, circles, and swoops in pursuit of large flying insects. Despite the name, it is most common on the southern Great Plains. During recent decades, the planting of trees in shelterbelts and towns has made it possible for this bird to nest in many areas where it was formerly scarce; many towns on the southern plains now have their own nesting colonies of Mississippi Kites."

- Audubon Field Guide

[todaysbird]

the mississippi kite is a bird of prey found in range throughout the southeastern united states & south america. these birds are recognizable by their dove-gray plumage; the sexes are similar, but males have a paler head and neck. interestingly, despite their formidable appearance, these small raptors primarily feed on insects and grasshoppers, making them important to support around farmland; they do also take larger prey like mice and voles. these birds are actually fairly social, and are often found in pairs and small groups; they also raise their young in colonies.

[marsmarl]

FIRST MISSISSIPPI KITE OF THE SEASON

(They only nest here in the summer, so by my count we're officially there)

[swede1952]

Flying kites.

There we were, hunkered down at my patio table in the backyard watching the sky. When two mystery birds appeared high up riding the thermals. They were Mississippi Kites (Ictinia mississippiensis). This is a new bird for me, I'd not heard of it until today.

"The Mississippi Kite makes a streamlined silhouette as it careens through the sky on the hunt for small prey, or dive-bombs intruders that come too close to its nest tree. These sleek, pearly gray raptors often hunt together and nest colonially in stands of trees, from windbreaks on southern prairies to old-growth bottomlands in the Southeast (and even on city parks and golf courses). After rearing their chicks they fly all the way to central South America for the winter." - allaboutbirds.org

[sleepy-sluggo]

Mississippi kite <3 an absolute cutie

[let-our-bones-lay-together]

OKAY after not doing it for a while I'm gonna bring back my bird of the day posts. should the next one be about

A. Mississippi Kite

B. Ferruginous Hawk

C. Burrowing Owl

[rjalker]

Birds of prey I've gotten pictures of this month

Red tailed hawk, sitting on the railing of a water tower.

[ID: A photograph of a red-tailed hawk, sitting on the railing of a white watertower. It is a large bird of prey with a brown head and wings, and a white chest dappled with brown. End ID.]

Swallow tailed kite x2 First time ever seeing this species!

[ID: A photo of a swallow tailed kite flying against a cloudless blue sky. It has mostly white wings and body, with a black tail split into two sharp points, and black on the back edges of its wings. End ID.]

Mississippi kite x2. They were fighting the swallow tailed kites!

[ID: A photo of a mississippi kite flying against a cloudless blue sky, with the sun turning it mostly into a sillowet. It has a large triangle shaped tail, mostly straight wings with a lighter small wedge on the back, and a short round head, with its white body turned mostly black by the shadows it is casting. Some stripes are visible on its tail. End ID.]

Cooper's hawk! Was getting chased around by mockingbirds

[ID: A photo of a cooper's hawk sitting on top of a chain-link fence, turned slightly to the side of the camera. It has a light tan belly flecked with white, grey wings, bright yellow feet, a tan face with dark grey on the top of its head, a very short beak, and large red eyes. End ID.]

:)

I have videos of most of them, though in the video I was calling them scissor tailed kites, but they live in Africa.

[inthecityofgoodabode]

May 2023: Tiny Bees & Transformers

Seen while walking: 

It was a seven mile walk so you’d think I’d have more than two photos but it is like that some days: 

A transformer blew in the neighborhood so I had to fire up the generator: 

Mississippi kite. The cicadas haven’t emerged yet but this bird remembers where the good stuff was last year: 

Grilling is my performance & this is my stage: 

These solar lights that my queen ordered arrived at the perfect time: 

Our electric stove has special prongs that don’t fit any of our standard electrical cables so we had to cook dinner on the grill tonight: 

[bucephaly]

Oh how handsome...

[squawkoverflow]

A new variant has been added!

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) © Barry Kent MacKay

It hatches from black, graceful, long, narrow, overall, suburban, top, white, and whitish eggs.

squawkoverflow - the ultimate bird collecting game          🥚 hatch    ❤️ collect     🤝 connect

[antiqueanimals]

Eagles, Hawks and Falcons of the World. Volume 1. Illustration by Don Eckelberry (1921-2001)

[idafloreak]

I had fun with this antigravity cover feat. my current favorite bird the Mississippi Kite. Saw first two of the year this past weekend, just in time for the cover to come out. They look like beautiful evil sorcerers.

.

Don't ask me about the 46 previous discarded drafts!!!

[swede1952]

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)

Today must be imperfect photo day. Here is a Mississippi that flew directly over me this morning, catching me off guard. But flying birds usually catch me that way. Some times I get lucky some times not. This photo is kind of in the middle, it's not great, but I it'll do.

"The Mississippi Kite makes a streamlined silhouette as it careens through the sky on the hunt for small prey or dive-bombs intruders that come too close to its nest tree. These sleek, pearly gray raptors often hunt together and nest colonially in stands of trees, from windbreaks on southern prairies to old-growth bottomlands in the Southeast (and even on city parks and golf courses). After rearing their chicks, they fly all the way to central South America for the winter." allaboutbirds.org

[iamselfmade]

(23/42 drafts ready to be thrown in the queue. Writing them all before queuing up so that I don’t get so overwhelmed when getting replies haha)