#1397 · 🐦 birds

Mississippi Kite

🇳🇱 Mississippiwouw ·Ictinia mississippiensis

LCleast concern 🐦 Birds 📍 outside Europe

9 photos from iNaturalist (Creative Commons) · credits & licences

what is it?

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 not uncommon to see several circling in the same area.

base stats

NL sightings 0iNaturalist, research grade
worldwide 25,370iNaturalist observations
weight 311 gadult, up to
threat LCleast concern

Bars compare against all animals on log scales: up to 300,000 Dutch and 600,000 worldwide sightings (the most-seen species), 150 t (blue whale), 30 m and 400 years (Greenland shark).

fun facts

No confirmed wild sightings in the Netherlands on iNaturalist: you'd have to travel for this one.
25,370 observations worldwide on iNaturalist.
Weighs only about 311 g.
Scientifically named by Alexander Wilson in 1811 (215 years ago).