Mississippi Kite At Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge

This Mississippi Kite was one of many I saw and photographed earlier this month at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.

Perched Mississippi Kite at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge – Canon R7, handheld, f9, 1/800, ISO 800, +1.0 EV, Canon EF 100-400mm II at 400mm, natural light

The kites seemed to prefer perching out in the open on snags in the oak forests at the refuge. The snags were near live trees they use for nesting.

I also noticed that the kites seemed to have favorite perches, something I’ve seen with hummingbirds and other birds out west.

Seeing these graceful raptors on the wing, on the hunt, and even mating at the refuge was terrific.

One thing that caught my attention while photographing the kites at the refuge was their calls. They’re decidedly unraptorish and actually took me by surprise. Listen to a few of their calls here.

I’ve seen Mississippi Kites in Arkansas as flyovers, but I haven’t been able to photograph them or find their nesting areas here.

Mississippi Kites are exceptional aerialists, often seen twisting and swooping through the sky as they catch insects midair, sometimes even eating their prey while flying.

Mississippi Kites are highly social and will often roost and hunt in groups, sometimes forming sizable flocks during migration or while foraging over open fields, including following tractors to snatch up insects stirred from the grass.

These kites are long distance migrants that breed in the southern United States and winter in South America.

I truly enjoyed seeing, hearing, and photographing the Mississippi Kites at Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge. They are strikingly handsome birds of prey and are fascinating to observe whether they are on the wing, perched, or on the hunt.

Life is good.

Mia

Click here to see more of my Mississippi Kite photos plus facts and information about this species.