The Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air.

Mississippi Kites are an inky mix of gray and black, lightening to pale gray-white on the head and in the secondaries of the wings. The wingtips and tail are black. Juveniles are streaky, with brownish chests and underwings, and banded tails.

One of our most graceful fliers, this kite glides, circles, and swoops in pursuit of large flying insects. Despite the name, it is most common on the southern Great Plains.

The Mississippi Kite makes a streamlined silhouette as it careens through the sky on the hunt for small prey, or dive-bombs intruders that come too close to its nest tree. These sleek, pearly gray raptors often hunt together and nest colonially in stands of trees, from windbreaks on southern prairies to old-growth bottomlands in the Southeast ...

The Mississippi Kite is a fairly small raptor species native to the United States. Known for their elegant looks, especially on the flight, they are often seen gliding in a small group through the air in a particular area.

Long-winged raptor with narrow, pointed wings that help it maneuver to catch insects in flight. Gray overall with whitish head, white secondaries on upperside of wing, and black tail. Graceful in flight with fluid wingbeats and long glides. Prefers riparian woodlands; occasionally occurs close to humans in suburban areas.

The Mississippi Kite makes a streamlined silhouette as it careens through the sky on the hunt for small prey, or dive-bombs intruders that come too close to its nest tree. These sleek, pearly gray raptors often hunt together and nest colonially in stands of trees, from windbreaks on southern prairies to old-growth bottomlands in the Southeast ...

This small, pointed-winged kite looks more like a falcon than any other of our kites. A buoyant flier, it soars on flat wings, often high up in the air on thermals, catching and eating insects on...

Mississippi Kites are distinctive in plumage, flight style, and foraging behavior. They are amazing aerialists, floating on the air similar to Swallow-tailed Kite twisting, turning, and swooping up and down as they catch flying insects.

Mis­sis­sippi kites are small fal­con-shaped birds of prey. Fe­males are larger than males, rang­ing from 34.5 to 37 cm in total length and 270 to 388 g. Males range from 34 to 36 cm in length and weigh 214 to 304 g. The wingspan of adult Mis­sis­sippi kites ranges from …