# Mississippi Kite (*Ictinia mississippiensis*)

The Mississippi Kite is a graceful bird that loves to soar high in the sky. With its long wings and sharp eyes, it hunts for insects and small animals while flying.

- **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 41
- **Habitat:** Urban areas, Forests
- **Also known as:** Kite

![Mississippi Kite](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/MississippiKite.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MississippiKite.JPG)

## Appearance

The Mississippi Kite has a sleek, gray body, darker wingtips, and a pale head. Its striking red eyes and long, narrow, pointed wings set it apart, often ending in a moderately forked tail.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Aves
- **Order:** Accipitriformes
- **Family:** Accipitridae
- **Genus:** Ictinia

## Interesting facts

- Juvenile Mississippi Kites have brown eyes that gradually turn brilliant red as they grow older!
- Mississippi Kites sometimes nest in urban areas, even raising their young in city parks!
- These amazing birds rarely land to eat, often snacking on insects while still flying!
- They are quite social and will often gather in large flocks during their long migrations!

## Special abilities

- **Aerial Acrobatics:** Mississippi Kite can perform amazing aerial stunts to catch fast-moving insects mid-flight because of their incredible agility.
- **Mid-air Snatcher:** Mississippi Kite can snatch insects, and even small reptiles, from trees or the ground without landing, using precise aerial maneuvers.
- **Thermal Glider:** Mississippi Kite can effortlessly glide on rising warm air currents, conserving energy during long migrations and while hunting.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 29-37 cm
- **Wingspan:** 75-84 cm
- **Weight:** 0.214-0.343 kg
- **Lifespan:** 1-12 years
- **Speed:** 65 km/h
- **Clutch Size:** 1-3
- **Incubation:** 29-32 days
- **Migration Distance:** 6000 km

## Diet & Feeding

These agile raptors are expert bug-catchers, snacking mostly on flying insects and small critters.

- **Primary Foods:** Dragonflies, Cicadas, Grasshoppers, Locusts, Small Lizards
- **Foraging Method:** Pursuit

## Ecological connections

- **Hunts:** Green Darner (*Anax junius*) — A major part of its insect diet.
- **Hunts:** Swamp Cicada (*Neotibicen pruinosus*) — A common meal during summer.
- **Hunts:** American Grasshopper (*Schistocerca americana*) — Caught mid-air or from vegetation.
- **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Preys on eggs and nestlings.

## Collections

- [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Watch birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Mississippi Kite?

Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Mississippi Kite?

29-37 cm

### What is Mississippi Kite's wingspan?

75-84 cm

### How much does Mississippi Kite weigh?

0.214-0.343 kg

### How long does Mississippi Kite live?

1-12 years

### How fast can Mississippi Kite move?

65 km/h

### What does Mississippi Kite eat?

These agile raptors are expert bug-catchers, snacking mostly on flying insects and small critters.

### Where is Mississippi Kite usually found?

Urban areas, Forests

## Where to spot

- [Broadmoor](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadmoor) — Louisiana, US · Neighborhood
- [Charleston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charleston-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District
- [Columbia Historic District I](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/columbia-historic-district-i) — South Carolina, US · Historic District
- [Darlington Agency](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/darlington-agency) — Oklahoma, US · Historic District
- [French Quarter](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/french-quarter) — US · Neighborhood
- [Houston Arboretum and Nature Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/houston-arboretum-and-nature-center) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden

[View all places to see Mississippi Kite](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/mississippi-kite)

## More Birds

- [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*)
- [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*)
- [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*)
- [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*)

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Source: [Mississippi Kite: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mississippi-kite)