I live in Pueblo, Colorado and these little dudes come every summer to our over 100yr old neighborhood to nest and terrorize the cicadas, locusts, and small birds. They are awesome!! Love listening to their calls while on walks as they canvass the entire neighborhood with their juveniles. I was surprised they came into Pueblo, but I assume the large trees in our very old neighborhood combined with being in the Arkansas River Valley in an irrigated area makes for a good home which they figured out. Now that I know what they are, I need to pay closer attention this coming year to when I first begin to hear them back in town again for the season, and when they leave for the season.
We have colonies of the Mississippi kites here in Wichita falls Texas where I live. I love the sound they make. They come out in the mornings and the evenings.
I saw my first two Mississippi Kites in Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas south of Amarillo back in August. I live in the north, so I didn't know what they were. I got some good pictures so others could ID them.
I live in Central Texas. I noticed these birds a couple of summers ago. They nested in trees down by our pond about 200 yds from the house. This summer I saw six sitting in a tree with dead limbs. I have been trying to identify them. The ones I have are not as white more grey. But they have a distinctive call. I was not happy because I saw them swoop down on some baby chicks my hen had hatched out. Pretty sure they got one. Caused quit a stir among the chickens. Have really been worried because of the chicks. They sit in the big dead tree in the yard. Like they are watching the chicks. But I see them swooping around the tree tops. Not hearing or seeing as many cicadas this year. Chicks are getting bigger. None have been missing. So they seem to prefer bugs. 😅 like to watch them fly and swoop. I had blue barn swallows at old house they always nested on the porch would come back every spring. I miss them. 😢
They are great birds and do prefer insects but like all bird of prey, if an opportunity arises, they will take advantage of it. The eat lots of lizards and snakes in much of their range.
A few days ago my neighbor was in her front yard and a bird was dive and hitting her in the head, this happened several times, she thought it was a falcon maybe it was a kite.
