Birds diurnal

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

Master of the summer breeze, the Mississippi Kite is a portrait of aerial elegance. Watch these social raptors perform gravity-defying acrobatics as they hunt high above your backyard.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Length: 12-14 in (31-37 cm) | Wingspan: 29-33 in (75-83 cm) | Weight: 7.5-12 oz (214-350 g)

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Colors

Lead-gray body with a lighter pearl-gray head; black tail and wingtips; juveniles are heavily streaked with brown and white

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Key Features

Narrow, pointed falcon-like wings
Solid black, squared-off tail
Deep red eyes in adults
Graceful, buoyant flight pattern

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern diurnal

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Peak hours 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM (when thermal updrafts are strongest)

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Season May-August

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Diet Primarily insectivorous, focusing on large flying insects like dragonflies, cicadas, grasshoppers, and beetles. They occasionally take small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, or small birds.

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Habitat Open woodlands, river bottoms, and increasingly, suburban neighborhoods with mature shade trees and expansive lawns.

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Behavior

Mississippi Kites are among the most graceful aerialists in the raptor world. Unlike many hawks that perch and wait, these kites spend much of their day on the wing, effortlessly catching thermals and performing acrobatic twists to snatch insects out of mid-air. They are remarkably social for birds of prey, often nesting in loose colonies and foraging in small groups where food is plentiful.

While they are generally peaceful neighbors, they are famously protective of their nesting sites. During the breeding season, they may dive-bomb humans or pets that get too close to their high-canopy nests. However, this is mostly a bluff to scare away perceived threats. In suburban environments, they have become well-adapted to life in parks and golf courses, where tall trees and open spaces provide the perfect hunting grounds.

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Camera Tips

Capturing a Mississippi Kite on a backyard camera requires a different strategy than ground-dwelling wildlife. Since these birds are almost exclusively arboreal or aerial, your best bet is to aim your camera upward toward a 'snag'—a dead branch at the top of a tall tree. Kites love to use these unobstructed perches to survey for insects or to consume larger prey they've caught. Mounting a camera on a high balcony or using a specialized pole mount to get closer to the canopy level will significantly increase your success rate.

Water is the best lure for bringing kites down from the clouds. They are frequent bathers, especially during the sweltering heat of mid-summer. A large, elevated bird bath (minimum 18 inches across) placed in a relatively open part of the yard can be a magnet for them. Position your camera about 5 to 10 feet from the water source, ideally with the sun at your back to highlight the subtle gray gradients of their plumage.

Because kites are fast and their movements are fluid, trigger speed is critical. Set your AI camera to its highest sensitivity and use 'Burst Mode' or 'Photo + Video' settings. This ensures you catch the dramatic moment of landing or the spectacular wing-spread as they take off. If your camera allows for shutter speed adjustments, aim for 1/1000s or faster to freeze the motion of their narrow wings.

Finally, consider the seasonal timing. In the southern United States, they arrive in late April and depart by early September. Don't waste battery life during the winter months. Instead, focus your efforts during the 'cicada season' in July and August, when the birds are most active in suburban yards, feeding their fledglings and preparing for the long migration to South America.

Similar Species

Species that look similar or are commonly confused with Mississippi Kite.

Swallow-tailed Kite

Much larger with a striking white underbody and a deeply forked 'swallow' tail.

Peregrine Falcon

Heavier build with a dark 'mustache' mark on the face and much faster, more direct flight.

Northern Harrier

Distinguished by a prominent white rump patch and a habit of flying low over fields rather than high in the sky.

Frequently Asked Questions

Mississippi Kites are most active during the warmest parts of the day, typically from late morning through late afternoon. They rely on thermal updrafts to help them soar and hunt for large flying insects like dragonflies.

The best way to attract Mississippi Kites is to provide a large, elevated bird bath and maintain a 'bug-friendly' yard. Avoiding pesticides ensures a healthy population of large insects, which are their primary food source.

They are primarily insectivores. Their diet consists almost entirely of large flying insects like cicadas, grasshoppers, dragonflies, and beetles, which they often catch and eat while still in flight.

Yes, they have become very well-adapted to suburban life. They favor neighborhoods with large, mature trees for nesting and open areas like parks or golf courses for hunting.

Unlike the rounded wings of a Cooper's Hawk, Mississippi Kites have long, pointed wings like a falcon. They also have a solid black, squared tail, whereas Cooper's Hawks have rounded tails with horizontal bands.

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