![]() In rural areas, these acrobatic birds have even been known to hunt in recently mowed hay fields, taking advantage of the disturbance. 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. The species is a long- distance migrant, wintering in Argentina. 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. It is most abundant in areas of the Gulf Coast, and in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles. Most common in central and western Oklahoma, Mississippi Kites are becoming more widespread in eastern Oklahoma, including the Tulsa area, according to Dan. 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. migrans )found over much of the Old World. They are typified by the red kite ( Milvus milvus )of Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle Eastand the black, or black-eared, kite ( M. It's then that birders look forward to seeing a select group of visitors to Oklahoma known as neo-tropical birds. True kites, Milvinae, have rather narrow beaks, the upper mandible being wavy-edged. ![]() The Mississippi Kite ( Ictinia mississippiensis), are seen in the spring.
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