Friday, April 26, 2024
The Mississippi kite is a unique small raptor whose presence in the area has increased in the past years. Oftentimes the kite is mistaken for hawks, but the kite is easily recognized by its graceful acrobatic flight pattern used to catch insects out of the air, along with their unique coloring. The kite migrates to this area from Mexico/South America in the spring and summer to breed and raise their young. While nesting the kite is widely known to be aggressive towards human intruders, by dive bombing those that come close to their nesting area. These photos show the signifi cant diff erence between the fledging juvenile kite (on left, heavily streaked underparts) and the adult (mix of gray and black). The photo of the juvenile was taken as it just left the nest, and is very close to making its fi rst fl ight.
