The Mississippi kite is a medium-sized raptor found primarily in the southern United States. Measuring 14-15 inches in length with a wingspan of 33-37 inches, these slender birds of prey have a predominantly grey plumage with lighter underparts. Mississippi kites are opportunistic feeders and will consume a variety of prey. Their diet consists mainly of insects, small vertebrates like lizards and frogs, and occasionally small mammals and birds.
Insects
Insects make up the bulk of the Mississippi kite’s diet. They are particularly fond of cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and caterpillars. During the summer months when insects are abundant, they can comprise over 90% of the Mississippi kite’s food intake. Some key insects that Mississippi kites prey on include:
- Cicadas
- Grasshoppers
- Crickets
- Beetles
- Caterpillars
- Ants
- Wasps
- Flies
- Dragonflies
- Moths
Mississippi kites have excellent eyesight and are adept at spotting insects while soaring high in the air. Using their maneuverability, they will swoop down to snatch unsuspecting insects from tree branches, grass, or directly out of the air. Cicadas are a particular favorite during the late summer months when they emerge en masse. Mississippi kites will gorge on these large insects, often consuming them mid-flight.
Small Vertebrates
When insect numbers decline, Mississippi kites supplement their diet with small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, snakes, turtles, rodents, and small birds. Key vertebrate prey includes:
- Lizards
- Frogs
- Snakes
- Turtles
- Small rodents like mice, voles, shrews
- Nestling songbirds
Mississippi kites sneak up on their vertebrate prey from a perch or while flying overhead. Using their sharp talons, they snatch up unsuspecting lizards basking on branches or mice scurrying along the ground. Frogs and snakes are also snatched up opportunistically. While not quick enough to catch healthy adult songbirds, Mississippi kites will snag nestlings and fledglings still in the nest or just learning to fly.
Mammal and Bird Prey
While not a primary food source, Mississippi kites have been known to prey on small mammals and birds on occasion. Voles, shrews, bats, and small rabbits may get snatched up if the opportunity presents itself. Nestlings and fledglings of larger bird species like robins, jays, blackbirds, and doves also occasionally get taken. These larger prey items diversify the Mississippi kite’s diet when their preferred insects and small vertebrates are scarce.
Hunting and Foraging
Mississippi kites have a varied hunting strategy to capture their prey. Their excellent eyesight allows them to spot prey while soaring several hundred feet in the air. They will swoop down or perform a shallow stoop to grab unsuspecting prey on the ground or vegetation. Short chasing flights are used to capture insects and birds in mid-air. Perch hunting is another common technique, where Mississippi kites sit on an exposed perch and swoop down on prey that wanders into their vicinity.
Foraging occurs in open habitats like meadows, grasslands, fields, pastures, and wetlands. Tree-lined rivers and lake edges are also prime foraging areas. Mississippi kites occasionally hunt in sparse woodlands if there are adequate openings and edges. They avoid dense forest interiors and urban areas. In the wintering grounds of South America, granaries and grass fires attract insects and provide excellent foraging habitat.
Mississippi kites are diurnal hunters, active from dawn until dusk. They will consume prey immediately after capture, or carry insects and smaller vertebrates to a perch where they are torn apart and eaten. Larger prey may be brought to the nest to feed nestlings.
Adaptations for Hunting and Foraging
Mississippi kites possess several key adaptations that aid their hunting and foraging strategy:
- Swift flight: Long, pointed wings enable fast and agile flight needed to chase down prey.
- Keen eyesight: Excellent vision allows them to spot tiny prey hundreds of feet below.
- Maneuverability: A streamlined body and long tail provide great aerial control for swooping down on prey.
- Grasping feet: Strong feet and sharp talons enable them to snatch up and securely hold prey while in flight.
- Hooked beak: A thin, hooked bill is ideal for tearing prey once grasped.
Breeding Season Diet
During the breeding season which coincides with peak insect and vertebrate numbers, Mississippi kites feed voraciously to meet the high energy demands of reproduction. They consume large quantities of insects like grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and cicadas. Small vertebrates like lizards, frogs, and mice are also readily taken. Bouts of intensive foraging provide the nutrients needed to produce eggs and feed hungry nestlings once the eggs hatch.
Male kites do most of the hunting during incubation and the early nestling stage, provisioning the female and then the chicks with frequent prey items. The female begins supplementing with her own hunting once the chicks are older. Up to 6-12 feedings may occur at the nest each day as both parents work to satisfy the nestlings’ hearty appetites.
Non-Breeding Season Diet
During the non-breeding season, Mississippi kites are not constrained to the nest site. They wander more widely across the southern landscape to take advantage of localized concentrations of insect and vertebrate prey. Cicadas, grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles remain dietary staples when available.
As insect numbers decline in the fall, small vertebrates become more important prey. Mississippi kites altering their hunting strategy, spending more time perch hunting along forest edges to target lizards, frogs, snakes, rodents, and turtles.
In the wintering grounds of South America, termites and ants displaced by grass fires provide an abundant food source. Mississippi kites will also roost communally near granaries, feasting on insects drawn to the stores of grain.
Role as Predator and Prey
As predators that feed on a wide array of insects and small vertebrates, Mississippi kites play an important role in regulating local food webs and ecosystems. Their consumption of agricultural pests like grasshoppers and crickets benefits farmers. As secondary consumers, they transfer energy up the food chain to larger predators like hawks and falcons that may prey on kites.
Young, eggs, and even adult Mississippi kites fall prey to a number of larger predators. Common predators include:
- Hawks
- Falcons
- Owls
- Crows
- Snakes
- Raccoons
- Opossums
- Foxes
- Domestic cats
To avoid predation, Mississippi kites rely on their speed and aerial agility, and nest high up in trees. However, eggs and nestlings remain vulnerable in nests, especially once leaves drop in fall. Predation rates are estimated at 67% for eggs and 50% for nestlings, playing a large role in regulating kite populations.
Unique Hunting Techniques
Mississippi kites utilize some unique hunting techniques and behaviors compared to other raptors:
- Communal roosting: Hundreds congregate together in massive roosts during winter and migration. This may facilitate cooperative hunting.
- Group foraging: Loose flocks will congregate and forage together, likely improving hunting success.
- Grassfire foraging: Uses grassfires to hunt insects and vertebrates flushed by the flames in South American wintering grounds.
- Granary roosting: Roosts near granaries, feeding on insects drawn to the grain stores.
- Flock migration: Migrate in loose flocks rather than solo, possibly aiding in prey location.
These communal techniques contrast with the typically territorial, solitary hunting behaviors of most other raptors. The reasons for the Mississippi kite’s social tendencies are not fully understood but may relate to locating adequate food in their wide-ranging seasonal movements.
Factors Influencing Diet
Several factors influence the diet and foraging behaviors of Mississippi kites throughout the year:
- Prey availability: Shift between insect and vertebrate prey depending on seasonal abundance and location.
- Breeding status: Increase foraging during breeding season to provide for mates and offspring.
- Weather: Rain and high winds make hunting more difficult.
- Habitat: Hunt mostly over open habitats like fields, marshes, and savannas with plentiful perches.
- Agriculture: Benefit from pest insects in agricultural areas.
- Competition: Likely alters prey choice and foraging areas relative to other insectivorous raptors.
- Disturbance: Avoid developed areas disruptive to hunting.
- Geography: Climate influences prey availability across breeding, migration, and wintering range.
By shifting their diet and foraging strategy in response to these factors, Mississippi kites are able to adapt and thrive across an extensive range and variety of habitats.
Comparison to Other Raptors
The Mississippi kite’s diet and foraging behaviors differ in some key ways from other raptors:
Red-Tailed Hawk
- Primarily a rodent hunter versus strong preference for insects by kites.
- Hunts mostly from perches rather than on the wing.
- Larger size allows it to take wider range of prey.
- More likely to consume prey immediately rather than return it to nest.
American Kestrel
- Similar insect diet, but also takes more small birds than kites.
- Better adapted to hunting in woodlands than the more open-country kite.
- Hovers more frequently to spot prey versus soaring by kites.
Barn Owl
- Much greater reliance on auditory cues rather than visual hunting by kites.
- Takes more small mammal prey than insect-loving kites.
- Hunts almost exclusively at night rather than daytime for kites.
These comparisons illustrate the unique dietary specializations of Mississippi kites that separate them from other predatory birds sharing their habitat.
Conclusion
In summary, the Mississippi kite is an accomplished aerial hunter with a varied diet centered around insects and small vertebrates. Cicadas, grasshoppers, lizards, and frogs make up the bulk of their prey, supplemented by beetles, caterpillars, mice, snakes, and nestling birds. Excellent eyesight, maneuverability, and graceful flight allow them to opportunistically snatch up unsuspecting prey. While adept predators, Mississippi kites are also vulnerable to larger raptors, snakes, and mammals that may raid their nests. By shifting their dietary preferences and hunting techniques in response to seasonal prey availability, habitat, competition, disturbance, and other factors, Mississippi kites thrive across an extensive range spanning much of North and South America.