But for Arlington, this is a rare, perhaps even unique event.įor folks looking from the ground, a flying Mississippi kite is a beautiful and graceful bird. They nest there in the thousands, and tens of thousands of kites are counted migrating through Mexico to South America each fall. S., the Carolinas, Georgia, Louisiana, etc., Mississippi kites (Incinta mississippiensis) are not an uncommon bird. So for birders and avian raptor enthusiasts, the nesting at 17th and Utah in Arlington is a big deal, even in the oppressive August heat. But this is the first pair to be confirmed as nesting in Arlington. Since that time the number of nesting Mississippi kites in Prince William in Fairfax counties has increased slowly, but steadily. In that year an unprecedented nesting took place in Woodbridge in Prince William County. Until 1995, nesting Mississippi kites were unknown in Northern Virginia. Although Mississippi kites were seen flying around this area of Arlington last summer, 2016 was the first year in which a kite nest with a chick in it was actually located. Everyone knew that there must be a nest nearby, but no one had been able to find it.įor North Arlington, a nesting Mississippi kite is a very unusual and rare event. Kites had been observed flying at several locations (19th and Upton, 18th and Utah, 18th and Taylor, 17th and Taylor, 17th Utah and elsewhere) for several weeks. Various birders had been in the area for a week or more trying to figure out exactly where the kite nest was. Standing in the street nearly opposite the oak trees, several enthusiastic and animated birders were exclaiming "Here it comes, it's landing in the tree." Mostly they eat insects such as dragonflies and cicadas. Although kites do take small birds as prey, it is an unusual occurrence. Notice the red flesh in the bird’s beak, and the songbird’s legs sticking out to the left. to northern Michigan, New Foundland.Juvenile Mississippi kite eating the songbird that the parent had just brought to it. in New Jersey (May) and southern New England (June). Migration: most migrate August–early September, stragglers into October, often in large groups through coastal Texas. A stick nest built in a tall tree may be part of a loose colony of up to 20 pairs. Isolated colonies in New Mexico and Arizona. Facial moustache mark and more powerful flight are diagnostic.īreeding: Central Great Plains states, Gulf Coast, and up the Atlantic coast into the Carolinas. Adult peregrine falcon is larger, but shows similar silhouette in flight. Underwing coverts are gray in adults, mottled in juvenile. Tail is square-tipped, usually flared in flight. The pointed wings are notable in that the outer primary is much shorter than the next one. Subadult: body plumage similar to adult’s, but with a blend of juvenal and adult feathers, especially on tail and flight feathers in late summer/first spring. Underparts are heavily streaked, and the dark tail has multiple thin white bands. Back and wings are dark brown with buffy edges, scapulars have white spots. Juvenile: dark brown eyes in a gray-brown head, with wide, creamy superciliary line and gray cheeks. Adult female: Like male, but darker head, whitish barring on undertail coverts. Seen from above, light secondaries form a bar across the wings. IdentificationĪdult male: dark gray overall, lighter head with red eyes, dark primaries and tail. A buoyant flier, it soars on flat wings, often high up in the air on thermals, catching and eating insects on the wing. This small, pointed-winged kite looks more like a falcon than any other of our kites.
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