Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis (Wilson, A, 1811)

276 gWeight

The Mississippi kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Mexico, Panama

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: United States, Mexico, Panama

Mississippi Kite has been recorded at 557 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 21 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Hotel BienvenidoMexico2,758 records
  2. Chichicaxtle – Observatorio de Aves Rapaces Dr. Mario A. RamosMexico2,672 records
  3. Caw Caw Interpretive CenterUnited States2,653 records
More places
  1. Village Creek Drying Beds (PPW-W 083) – ACCESS CLOSED July 2025United States2,394 records
  2. Hagerman NWRUnited States1,849 records
  3. Cattle Landing – waterfrontBelize1,670 records
  4. City Park – Couturie ForestUnited States1,617 records
  5. Bentsen-Rio Grande Val. SP WBC (Mission)United States1,159 records
  6. Sweetwater Wetlands ParkUnited States1,149 records
  7. Ensley Bottoms – Maxson Wastewater Lagoons/Earth ComplexUnited States1,125 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United StatesMexicoPanamaBelizeCosta RicaCanadaColombiaBrazil

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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. It is common to see several circling in the same area.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Mississippi Kite?

The Mississippi Kite weighs around 276 g.

Where does the Mississippi Kite live?

Its breeding range: North America: south-central, southeastern USA. It is most often recorded in United States, Mexico and Panama.

When is the best time to see the Mississippi Kite?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Mississippi Kite endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Mississippi Kite as Least Concern.

What does the Mississippi Kite eat?

Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.

What family is the Mississippi Kite in?

It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.

At a glance

Weight
276 g
Habitat
Woodland
Diet
Insects & other invertebrates
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Migratory
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
292 mm
Tail
150 mm
Bill
23 mm
Tarsus
37 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: south-central, southeastern USA

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
Genus
Ictinia

Other birds in the genus Ictinia

Plumbeous KitePlumbeous KiteIctinia plumbeaPearl KitePearl KiteGampsonyx swainsoniiScissor-tailed KiteScissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocouriiWhite-tailed KiteWhite-tailed KiteElanus leucurusBlack-winged KiteBlack-winged KiteElanus caeruleusBlack-shouldered KiteBlack-shouldered KiteElanus axillarisLetter-winged KiteLetter-winged KiteElanus scriptusAfrican Harrier-HawkAfrican Harrier-HawkPolyboroides typusMadagascar Harrier-HawkMadagascar Harrier-HawkPolyboroides radiatusPalm-nut VulturePalm-nut VultureGypohierax angolensis
Mississippi Kite

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ad Konings. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages