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diff --git a/33412.txt b/33412.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..deaddda --- /dev/null +++ b/33412.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1156 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Observations on the Mississippi Kite in +Southwestern Kansas, by Henry S. Fitch + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Observations on the Mississippi Kite in Southwestern Kansas + +Author: Henry S. Fitch + +Release Date: August 12, 2010 [EBook #33412] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OBSERVATIONS ON THE *** + + + + +Produced by Chris Curnow, Tom Cosmas, Joseph Cooper and +the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at +http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + +====================================================================== + + UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS + + MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY + ----------- + + Volume 12, No. 11, pp. 503-519 + +------------------------- October 25, 1963 ------------------------- + + + + Observations on the Mississippi Kite + in Southwestern Kansas + + + + BY + + HENRY S. FITCH + + + + + UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS + LAWRENCE + 1963 + + + + + UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PUBLICATIONS, MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY + + Editors: E. Raymond Hall, Chairman, Henry S. Fitch, + Theodore H. Eaton, Jr. + + + Volume 12, No. 11, pp. 503-519 + Published October 25, 1963 + + + + UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS + Lawrence, Kansas + + + + PRINTED BY + JEAN M. NEIBARGER, STATE PRINTER + TOPEKA. KANSAS + 1963 + [Union Logo] + 29-7863 + + + + + Observations on the Mississippi Kite + in Southwestern Kansas + + BY + + HENRY S. FITCH + + +The Mississippi kite (_Ictinia mississippiensis_) is one of the common +raptors of Kansas, occurring regularly and abundantly in summer in +that part of the state south of the Arkansas River. In 1961, in an +attempt to find out more about the ecology of the species in Kansas, I +made several trips to parts of the state where kites could be found in +numbers, notably to Meade County State Park in the southwestern part +of the state, 71/2 miles south and five miles west of Meade. Little has +been written regarding the species in this extreme northwestern part +of its breeding range, where it thrives under ecological conditions +much different from those that prevail elsewhere in its range. Also, +the social behavior and food habits have been given relatively little +attention. + +In my field study I was helped by my son, John H. Fitch, who climbed +to many kite nests and spent many hours observing in the field. My +daughter, Alice V. Fitch, likewise aided me by keeping nests under +surveillance. Dr. Claude W. Hibbard of the University of Michigan and +Mr. Harry Smith, superintendent of Meade State Park, also kindly +provided much useful information concerning the history of the colony +of Mississippi kites at the Park. Mr. William N. Berg analyzed +pellets, and Dr. George W. Byers kindly checked many of the +identifications, and provided generic and specific determinations for +some of the insects. + +In general, the range, habits and ecology of the Mississippi kite are +already well known through the publications of Audubon (1840), Chapman +(1891), Bendire (1892), Ganier (1902), Wayne (1910), Nice (1931), Bent +(1936), Sutton (1939) and Eisenmann (1963). The breeding range is the +southeastern United States, chiefly within the Austroriparian +Life-zone, but extending northwest through much of Oklahoma and into +southern Kansas. The species is highly migratory. Wintering +Mississippi kites are known from Argentina and Paraguay (Eisenmann, +_op. cit._:74), and most of the population probably winters in +southern South America, but records outside the breeding range are +few. + +The Mississippi kite is perhaps one of the most social raptors. It is +highly gregarious, not only in its migrations but in breeding +colonies. All breeding pairs seen were closely associated with other +individuals, with no territorial hostility; signs of intraspecific +intolerance are rare, even where the kites are abundant. In the +nesting season many of both sexes perch together in the same tree, and +groups tend to keep together as they forage. + +Secondary sexual differences are slight. Seven males in the University +of Kansas Museum of Natural History collection average 351 (342 to +360) millimeters in length, and six females average 361 (348 to 370) +millimeters. Sutton (_op. cit._:44) collected 16 breeding kites near +Arnett, Oklahoma in 1936 and 1937 and recorded that eleven males +averaged 245 (216 to 269) grams and five females averaged 311 (278 to +339) grams. As indicated by Sutton, the head is paler in the adult +male than in the female, and at close range this difference will serve +for identification of the sexes. The difference in size is scarcely +noticeable in the field. + + + Habitat + +In Kansas this kite seems to prefer open and even barren terrain, in +contrast with its habitat in forests of the southeastern states. +Typical habitat of Kansas is that of the High Plains, dominated by a +short-grass climax of blue grama (_Bouteloua gracilis_) and buffalo +grass (_Buchloe dactyloides_), with sagebrush (_Artemisia_ sp.), +prickly pear (_Opuntia_ sp.) and other somewhat xerophytic vegetation. +In the Gypsum Hills of south-central Kansas near the Oklahoma border, +the Mississippi kite finds habitat conditions exceptionally favorable. +This is an area of broken topography, dissected by small steep-sided +ravines, often with brush and scrubby trees on the slopes. + +At Meade County State Park groves of cottonwoods (_Populus deltoides_) +provided abundant places for perching and nesting. At this locality an +artesian well provided an abundant year round water supply, which was +impounded into an artificial lake half a mile long and a little less +than a quarter mile wide. Water was also impounded in a series of +small ponds maintained for the benefit of fish and waterfowl. Along +with other improvements extensive plantings of cottonwoods and other +trees were made with relief labor in the nineteen thirties. Trees were +scarce on the area originally, but by 1961 there were almost +continuous groves in an area nearly two miles long and three quarters +of a mile wide encompassing the lake and ponds and adjacent areas. In +conversation at the Park in August 1961, Dr. C. W. Hibbard told me of +his observations on the colony of kites since 1936 when his +paleontological field work in that area was begun. He indicated an +area of less than two acres west of the artesian well to which the +colony had been limited in its nesting in 1936, because at that time +few trees were available as nest sites. In subsequent years, as the +trees in the artificially established groves increased in size and +height, and other trees became established naturally where the +impoundments had created favorably moist conditions, the nesting +colony expanded in all directions, and the number of kites increased +tremendously. When my observations were made in 1961, the nesting area +was co-extensive with the cottonwood groves, and there were literally +thousands of trees within the area that provided adequate sites for +nests. + + + Numbers + +The maximum number of kites seen flying at one time at the Park was +44, on August 22, 1961. Probably almost all there were adults, because +fledglings, even though able to fly strongly by this date, were still +spending most of their time perched. The colony of kites was usually +scattered over at least two square miles, and at most times some were +perched, others were flying low and solitarily, hence it is improbable +that the total population or a high percentage of it could be seen +together at any one time or place. More than 40 nests were located in +1961, and probably at least as many more were overlooked. There must +have been a breeding population of at least 100 kites, and probably as +many as 150 in the Park in 1961. H. B. Tordoff recorded on the label +of K. U. Mus. Nat. Hist. no. 30514, taken on September 1, 1951, in +Barber County, Kansas, that it was one of at least 200 at a communal +roost. + + + Feeding + +The Park and its vicinity stood out as a veritable oasis in an almost +treeless region of open rolling topography, with a short-grass type of +vegetation dominating. The kites displayed versatility in their choice +of places to forage. Often they soared over the cottonwood groves, the +lake, or the ponds, but at other times they flew far out over the +plains, and seemed to prefer such open situations. A small herd of +buffalo was maintained at the Park, and their closely grazed pastures +of several hundred acres were favorite foraging grounds for the kites. +Often the kites and buffalo were seen in close association, and at +times the kites must have benefited from the movements of the buffalo, +serving to flush certain insects such as grasshoppers. The latter were +probably the chief food source of the kites in the heavily grazed +pastures. Bent (1936:67) stated: "A flock of from 3 to 20 will sail +about a person, a horseman or a team, traveling through grassy flats +or bushy places, and seize the cicadas as they are scared up." Dr. +Hibbard told me that on one occasion when he had caught a number of +cicadas, he fed them to a pair of kites by tossing them into the air +one by one, and each was seized by a kite which was flying nearby +waiting expectantly. + +Mississippi kites are noted for their buoyant and seemingly almost +effortless flight, and their prey is caught while they are on the +wing. In extended flights the kites soar, drift and circle with +frequent easy flapping, at variable heights. Sometimes they are +several hundred feet above the ground. Doubtless the height is +influenced by the types of insects that are flying, and where they can +be found most readily. Even at close range the catching of prey by a +kite is likely to be overlooked by an observer. After being snatched +from the air, the prey is usually eaten while the kite is still in +flight, and the movements of the head in pecking at the objects held +in the talons are much more noticeable than the slight veering from +the course of flight that signals the actual capture. Kites were often +watched while they were hunting in the open areas around the Park. On +June 1, 1961, my son and I observed 16 perched together in a small +tree. From time to time each kite would leave the tree in a short +flight low over the surface of a nearby pool, where it would snatch up +prey, probably a dragonfly in many instances, and would return to a +perch to feed. Most of the time one or several kites were in flight +while the majority were perched. Similar observations were made on +smaller groups perched on fence posts along the edges of large +pastures. Gregarious tendencies were evident from the fact that two or +more of the kites perched fairly near together on separate but +sometimes adjacent fence posts. Each kite in turn would glide from its +post, skim low over the ground surface for a few seconds, seize its +prey with a sudden slight swerving, and return to the fence (usually +to a different post from the one it had left) to feed upon the insect +captured. Grasshoppers of many species were abundant in the area. It +seemed that grasshoppers were flushed from the ground by the bird +flying near them and were picked off before they were well underway. +In any case the prey was taken from the air rather than from the +ground in all observed instances. Ganier (1902:86) mentioned seeing +one of these kites alight on the ground in a cotton field, where it +stayed for more than a minute, but perching on the ground is unusual. + +Most often kites that were catching their prey by skimming close to +the ground did not return to a perch but ate while they were flying. +Associations of groups on posts at edges of fields, in trees or in +flight were ephemeral as each bird seemed driven by a restless urge to +be in motion. The kites generally gave the impression of catching +their prey effortlessly and casually in the course of their flights. +However, on July 20, 1961, one flying over a pond was seen to swoop +three times in rapid succession at a dragonfly without catching it. +The kite then flew higher, circled, and swooped three times more at +the dragonfly, catching it on the last attempt. Most of the insects +preyed upon are slower and less elusive than dragonflies, which are +largely immune to the attacks of flying predators because of their +great prowess in flight. + +Only on rare occasions could the kind of prey captured be observed in +the field. Food habits were studied by collecting pellets of the kites +at the Park, and analyzing them. The pellets were usually disgorged +early in the morning while the kites were still on their night roosts +in large cottonwoods. Often several kites roosted in the same tree. +The pellets were of characteristic appearance, elliptical, +approximately 15 millimeters in diameter, 30 millimeters long, pinkish +or purplish, composed of insects' exoskeletons compacted, and +comminuted to about the consistency they would have after passing +through a meat grinder. + +A total of 205 pellets was collected--37 on August 20, 1960; 56 on +July 18, 1961; 60 on August 4 and 5, 1961, and 52 on August 21 to 23, +1961. A total of 453 separate items was tentatively identified. +Obviously the material was far from ideal for the identification of +prey, which had to be reconstructed from minute fragments. The kites +are dainty feeders and discard the larger and less digestible parts +such as wings, legs, and heads. Often it was uncertain how many +individuals or how many kinds of insects were represented in a pellet. +Probably most pellets contained many individuals of the same species, +but these were not separable. Hence, only 2.2 items per pellet were +found, whereas Sutton found an average of 22.2 items in each of the 16 +stomachs that he examined. + +Best information concerning kinds of prey utilized was obtained soon +after the fledglings had left the nest; on various occasions these +still clumsy young dropped nearly intact insects that were delivered +to them by the adults. These insects, recovered from beneath the +perches, were the basis for all specific and generic determinations; +other material was determinable only to order or to family. + +One of the most significant outcomes of the examination of pellets was +the finding that vertebrates were scarcely, if at all, represented in +the food. Three pellets contained shreds that seemed to be mammal +hairs, but in the absence of other remains, the diagnosis is somewhat +doubtful. Many species of small mammals, birds, reptiles and +amphibians were common in the Park or its vicinity, but insects made +up nearly all the recorded prey. Audubon (1840:73) mentioned lizards +and small snakes in the food and gave a dramatic but perhaps +imaginative account of a kite swooping and snatching a lizard (anole) +from the topmost branch of a tree. Goss (1891:251) stated: "I have +seen them swoop down, and, with their claws, snatch lizards from the +ground, rocks and old logs, sometimes stopping to eat them, but, as a +rule, feeding on the wing." Bendire (1892:179) stated that the food +was mostly insects "probably varied with a diet of small rodents, +lizards and snakes." Wayne (1910:71) stated that the food consisted +almost entirely of insects and lizards. Bent (1936:67-68), after +stating that small snakes, lizards and frogs were sometimes taken, +cited a statement in the notes of G. W. Stevens that the latter had +found the remains of toads, mice and young rabbits in nests with +young. However, Sutton (_op. cit._:51) in a detailed analysis of the +stomach contents of 16 kites in Oklahoma, found only insects and +remains of one small fish among a total of 358 prey items. Predation +on vertebrates must be rare, and perhaps requires further verification +in view of the rather vague character of the records so far published. + +The following list includes both the prey found beneath perches of +fledglings and that identified from pellets, the latter mostly from +adult kites. + + coleopteran + unspecified 187 + carabid 39 + cicindelid + unspecified 18 + _Cicindela_ sp. 2 + hydrophilid + unspecified 18 + _Hydrous_ sp. 1 + scarabaeid + unspecified 1 + _Canthon_ sp. 3 + silphid + _Necrophorus_ sp. 1 + orthopteran + unspecified 120 + locustid + unspecified 34 + _Arphia crassa_ 1 + _Melanoplus_ cf. _differentialis_, 2 + _Schistocerca_ cf. _lineata_ 1 + _Xanthippus corallipes_ 2 + tettigoniid + unspecified 3 + _Daihinia_ sp. 1 + homopteran + cicadid + unspecified 15 + _Tibicen_ cf. _pruinosa_ 1 + lepidopteran (unspecified moth), 3 + + +At Meade State Park I gained the impression that much of the foraging +is carried on near the nest. The short time lapse between successive +feedings was one indication, and from time to time while keeping nests +under observation, I saw kites that were individually recognizable as +the owners coursing back and forth in the vicinity. However, only a +few individuals were recognizable. For several minutes before and +after delivering food, such an adult was often seen soaring within 200 +to 300 yards of the nest, or sometimes much closer. A somewhat +different impression was received on August 23, 1961, at Natural +Bridge, south of Sun City, Barber County, Kansas, where I observed two +pairs of kites feeding fledglings. One fledgling was seen to be fed +ten times in a 11/2 hour period. The transfer of food from the adult +usually required less than a minute. Then the adult would leave the +tree, in a ravine, and drift away. Circling and soaring, it seemed to +be wandering aimlessly, but within two or three minutes it was usually +out of sight over the horizon. In what appeared to be slow, lazy, +flight it usually drifted off to the west, to more upland areas of +short grass and sage brush. Once, watching from a high knoll I +succeeded in keeping it in view for almost five minutes, and during +most of this time it appeared to be between one and two miles away, +but it finally moved off even farther. Dr. Hibbard mentioned seeing +kites in the vicinity of the Jinglebob Ranch eight to ten miles from +the Park, and he believed that these individuals had come from the +Park since there was no suitable habitat in the intervening areas. +Actually, the distance could have been covered in a few minutes' +flying time, but it is unlikely that these individuals were feeding +young at the Park, else they would not have wandered so far. On +several occasions groups of from three to 20 individuals were seen in +open terrain as much as four or five miles from the Park. + + + Breeding Cycle + +Probably kites arriving from their northward migration are already +paired. In those observed at the Park in the first week of June, there +was no indication of courtship, or of sexual rivalry. On June 1, 1961, +incubation had begun. The birds had arrived some three weeks earlier, +according to Smith. Although arriving from the south long after most +raptors have begun their nesting, the kites are not further delayed by +establishment of territories and choosing of mates, and nesting is +underway soon after their arrival. According to Sutton (1939:45) the +nest-building is an exceedingly leisurely process. In the first two +weeks after their arrival he observed that the kites only occasionally +bring a twig to the nest, usually repairing last year's structure +rather than starting a new one. Sutton recorded egg-laying on May 17 +and 18 and hatching on June 18 in northwestern Oklahoma, and the +timing of these events must be similar in Meade County, Kansas. + +Shortly before sunset on June 1 a pair was observed at close range +from a parked automobile as the kites perched on roadside fence posts +about 50 feet apart at the Park boundary. At this time the birds +lacked their usual restlessness and were perching quietly, neither +preening nor attempting to find prey. With no preliminaries the male +flew to the female and lit on her back to copulate. The female was +receptive but did not crouch in a horizontal position. The mounting +lasted for approximately a minute. During the first 30 seconds the +male was fully occupied with balancing and positioning himself, and +copulation occurred only during the latter half of the mounting. +During this interval cloacal contact was effected three times, but was +only momentary each time. The birds were silent. After the male left, +the female continued to perch until flushed by my movements. + +Judging from the nests that were examined, the kites of the Meade Park +area are well synchronized in their nesting, as all arrive at +approximately the same time. Bent (1936:66) stated that if a kite's +nest is robbed, the birds will lay a second set, either in the old +nest or a new one, about two weeks later. All young seen at Meade +State Park seemed to represent an age range of considerably less than +two weeks, and, presumably, no renestings were involved. + +Nests were variable in size. Some were remarkably small in relation to +size of the kites, and would scarcely have been credited to this +species, had not the kites been seen sitting on them. Nests were from +10 to 18 (average 14) inches long and from 10 to 14 (average 11.7) +inches wide, in forks or crotches of branches. The branches supporting +the nests were from 11/2 to 10 inches in diameter. The nests were +constructed of twigs of approximately pencil size. Of 37 nests at the +Park, 29 were in cottonwoods, six were in willows, and two were in +elms. The figures probably reflect the relative numbers of each of +these species of tree rather than any clear-cut preference of the +kites. By the time nesting has begun the trees have leafed out, and +the nests are well concealed. + +At the time of my visit to the Park, July 18 to 22, nestlings were +well grown, and were beginning to feather out. On August 4 and 5 the +young were well feathered, but flight feathers were not fully grown +and the young remained in the nest or perched on nearby branches. On +August 21 to 24 the young were fully fledged, and were able to fly +strongly but they still spent most of their time perching and those of +a brood tended to stay near together, usually in the nest tree. + +In a total of 261/2 hours of observation, 148 feedings were +observed--on the average one per 10.7 minutes. The interval changed +from an average of 12.8 minutes for 62 feedings on July 19 to 21, to +8.5 minutes for 59 feedings on August 4, and to 10.8 minutes for 27 +feedings on August 21. The longer interval on July 19 to 21 may have +resulted from the greater furtiveness of the adult kites at this stage +in their nesting cycle. Nests usually were watched through field +glasses at distances of 50 to 100 feet. Ordinarily kites are not +disturbed by the presence of a person at these distances, but when +delivering food to the nest they seemed somewhat distracted and +sometimes stopped only momentarily then left, still carrying the food. +Usually they swooped at the observer when leaving; rarely they swooped +at him as they approached the nest. All observations were between +10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and there was no obvious trend according to time. +Earlier and later in the day the rate of delivery is probably less. +The kites are notably late risers, and their activity increases +gradually after sunrise; in late afternoon activity tapers off again. +In 89 feedings, the average visit to the nest lasted 51 seconds but +this average included a few relatively long stops, up to four minutes +in length, and 60 per cent of the visits were for intervals of 30 +seconds or less. + +Insects often protruded from the bills of the adult kites delivering +food, but most of the food was carried in the throat. Sometimes the +gorge was much distended, although nothing protruded from the mouth. +The adult upon alighting sometimes would pass food to the nestling, +and sometimes would disgorge a mass of food in the nest in front of +the nestling. When the young were small, the adult after having +disgorged a food mass, remained to pick up the food, bit by bit, and +place it in the mouth of the nestling. However, after the young were +partly feathered out the adult merely left the food for them. The +nestling sometimes would peck at the disgorged material for several +minutes after the adult left before all of the food was eaten. + +The small nestlings are generally silent, but when handled or +otherwise disturbed, they give soft lisping peeps. By early August, +when the young have ventured from the nest bowl to nearby branches, +they become vocal and their calls can be heard more often than those +of the adults. The call of the adult has been well rendered by Sutton +(1939:43) with the syllables "phee phew"--a whistle in which the first +syllable is short (lasting only about one-fourth of a second) with a +rising inflection, clipped off short, while the second syllable has a +downward inflection, and is drawn out to two or three times the length +of the first syllable. The call of the fledgling is soft, with a +lisping quality; that of the adult is much like it but is sharper and +more piercing. Fledglings call frequently while waiting to be fed, but +as an adult approaches with food, the calls are given in rapid +succession and slurred to a high thin squablike squeaking or +squealing. + +When fledglings are able to fly and have left the nest, the adults +generally pass food to them directly, rather than dropping the +regurgitated mass, which might fall to the ground and be lost. On +August 22 a fledgling was seen following an adult in flight, and was +also seen to eat while it was flying. At this stage, when an adult fed +one young of a brood, the other would sometimes fly to the spot in an +attempt to share the meal. However, the transfer of food was usually +rapid and the adult would leave within a few seconds. Young often were +seen to fly out from the nest tree and maneuver in the vicinity, +flying in a roughly circular course perhaps 100 feet in diameter and +then returning to the nest tree, thereby familiarizing themselves with +their surroundings. + +According to the consensus of published accounts, there are usually +two eggs per clutch, occasionally one or three. However, Ganier +(1902:89), who studied the species in Mississippi, wrote: "Of all the +nests I have examined [number unspecified] only one was found to +contain more than a single egg." Nice (1931:69) recorded 19 sets of +two each and seven of one each in Oklahoma. In the course of my +observations, 12 clutches of two were recorded. A group of four +fledglings were observed concentrating their activities at a nest more +than 200 feet from any other known nests; possibly all belonged to the +same brood, but this was not definitely determined. + +Many of the nests that were in use in 1961 appeared to be relics from +earlier years, as the material was darkened and disintegrating, but +probably a new layer of sticks had been added on the top. Bent (_op. +cit._:65) mentioned this kite's habit of frequently using the same +nest in successive years. On one occasion as I drove over a +little-used road in the Park and passed a cottonwood grove where kites +were nesting, one of the birds swooped down and struck the top of the +automobile. In a subsequent conversation, Harry Smith asked me if this +had happened, and said that this particular kite had struck his truck +frequently when he drove past its nest. This had occurred at the same +place in three successive years, and Smith was convinced that the same +kite had used the nest each year, although the bird was not +recognizable except by its unusually aggressive behavior. On dozens of +occasions in the course of my observations kites swooped at me when I +was near their nests, but, except for this one individual, they always +veered away at a distance of several feet or several yards. + +At the time of my visit to the Park in early June, kites were +relatively silent and secretive in their behavior. Approximately half +of those that were incubating flushed when a person walked near the +tree, but others continued to sit on their eggs until a person had +climbed to within a few feet of the nest. Upon being flushed, such a +kite, in 50 per cent of observed instances, swooped at least once at +the intruder, but some of the kites would soar overhead, watching +without making any active defense. At the time of my next visit, July +18 to 21, when the kites were feeding well grown nestlings, behavior +at the nest was much different. As soon as a nest was located the +parents began scolding and swooping. At the first nest observed, a +group of eight kites had congregated within two minutes to scold and +harass the intruders. Even kites whose nests were kept under +observation frequently, never became fully reconciled to the intrusion +but there was much difference between individuals in this respect. +Some were reluctant to deliver food and, having secured prey, would +fly about in the vicinity without coming to the nest. + + + Mortality Factors and Defense + +Joint defense against a common enemy was noted on July 21, 1961, when +21 kites were seen swooping at a Swainson's hawk perched near the top +of a large cottonwood, where it was partly protected by foliage and +branches. When I flushed the hawk, it was pursued and harassed by the +kites, some of which followed it for nearly a quarter mile although +there were no nests of the kites nearby. On August 4 a group of six +kites was seen heckling a fledgling Swainson's hawk, which crouched +among thick foliage in the top of a tall cottonwood, as the kites +swooped at it, sometimes brushing it with their wings when they swept +past. Dr. Hibbard mentioned an instance in which a horned owl was +flushed, and was chased and heckled by a red-tailed hawk and by a +group of kites. The latter seemed to regard the owl as the greater +enemy, but ordinarily any large raptor arouses their hostility. + +Because of their exceptionally swift and skillful flight, the adult +kites have few natural enemies, but the eggs or nestlings are +vulnerable to such enemies as crows, jays, the larger hawks and owls, +and to certain mammalian predators, notably raccoons. Also, many nests +probably are destroyed by the sudden and violent summer storms that +are characteristic of the High Plains. Bendire (1892:178) cited +observations by Goss that in a hailstorm in Barber County, Kansas, +eggs were destroyed in many kites' nests and some of the nests were +almost completely demolished. Several nests found by me to have +incubating eggs in the first week of June were abandoned or had +disappeared completely by July 18, but the cause was not evident. One +nest that was under observation on July 22 had nestlings approximately +two-thirds grown on that date, but on August 4 only a few sticks +remained, and the carcass of a fledgling dangled from a limb ten feet +below the nest. Even at the Park where firearms are prohibited, kites +are sometimes shot by ignorant or malicious persons. In general, +Kansas ranchers recognize the harmless and beneficial habits of kites, +appreciate their esthetic appeal and protect them, but many persons +use them as convenient targets, with utter disregard for the Federal +laws protecting them. Because of the strong popular prejudice against +raptorial birds in general, laws protecting them are usually not +enforced. Law enforcement officers do not take action even when +clear-cut violations come to their attention. Arrest and prosecution +for the killing of any kind of raptor is almost out of the question in +Kansas. + + + Ratio of Immatures to Adults + +In the juvenal plumage flight feathers of the kites are brown, barred +with white, much different in appearance from the dark, slaty plumage +of adults. Bent (_op. cit._:67) stated that these barred flight +feathers are retained through the second summer, and he quoted Mr. G. +W. Stevens as having found kites breeding in this immature plumage. On +June 2, 1961, I attempted to determine the ratio of these yearling +kites to others in the population at the Park. Most of the kites seen +were in flight too far away to discern definitely whether or not they +were juveniles, and records were limited to those seen at relatively +close range. In a total of 108 records only 11 pertained to these +yearlings and the remaining 97 were identified as of adults. Beyond +doubt in the course of my counts some individuals were recorded +repeatedly, therefore the counts are not entirely acceptable. However, +on each occasion that kites were seen in numbers in early summer, the +adults greatly outnumbered the juveniles. The approximate nine to one +ratio of adults to yearlings seems much too high. Even if the +difference is much less than indicated, the high ratio of adults to +yearlings would seem to imply that the adults have a long life +expectancy. A rather improbable alternative is that some of the +yearlings remain in winter quarters or wander elsewhere rather than +accompanying the adults on the return migration to their breeding +grounds. Still another alternative is that the breeding season of 1960 +was relatively unsuccessful, but this idea is negated by my own +observations at the Park in late 1960, as recently fledged young were +numerous then. + +At the time of my visit to the Park August 21 to 24, 1961, all young +had recently left the nests and were able to fly. However, their +behavior was so much different from that of the adults that a reliable +ratio could not be obtained. The fledglings tended to remain in the +nest tree, or to make relatively short flights near it, while the +adults occupied with catching of prey for themselves and their young, +spent much of their time aloft. The adults were hence far more +conspicuous than the fledglings. However, it is my impression that the +fledglings were from one-third to one-fourth as numerous as the +adults. If this ratio is correct, and if all adults had bred, from +two-thirds to three-fourths of the eggs and/or nestlings must have +been destroyed. This rate of loss seems reasonable in view of the +known histories of nests observed in June and again in July, and of +the fates of birds' nests in general. + + + Summary + +Mississippi kites were studied in southwestern Kansas in the summer of +1961, at various localities, especially at Meade State Park. At this +locality, near the northwestern limit of the breeding range, the kite +thrives in typical High Plains habitat dominated by a short-grass type +of vegetation, but availability of trees suitable for nests is a +limiting factor. Since maturing of extensive groves of cottonwoods and +other trees planted at Meade State Park, the colony of kites has +increased tremendously and the breeding population probably exceeded +100 in 1961. + +The kites are social in all their activities and do not maintain +territories. The sexes differ little in appearance, but males are +slightly smaller than females and have paler heads. Food consists +almost entirely of flying insects, and these are usually eaten while +the kite is in flight. Kites that are feeding nestlings may travel up +to two miles from the nest or perhaps considerably farther in the +course of their foraging. For 148 feedings of nestlings the observed +intervals averaged 10.7 minutes. Most published references to the food +habits mention predation on small vertebrates, especially lizards, but +including also snakes, toads, rodents, and even rabbits. In my study a +total of 205 pellets were collected and 453 insects were tentatively +identified but the total number of insects in the pellets was much +larger. No vertebrates were identified from this sample and among 358 +prey items identified from kite stomachs collected in Oklahoma, by +Sutton, vertebrae of a small fish were the only vertebrate remains. +Further verification of predation on mammals, reptiles and amphibians +by this species is needed. Of the insects distinguished in pellets, +beetles including carabids, cicindelids, hydrophilids, scarabaeids, +and silphids were most numerous (270) and grasshoppers (164) were +second; also there were 16 cicadas and three moths. + +Kites arrive in Kansas about the second week in May. Often old nests +are repaired and used over again. Hatching is about mid-June. Normally +there are two eggs per clutch. By mid-August the fledglings are +learning to fly. By the latter part of August they are learning to +capture their insect prey, and in early September southward movement +of the entire population begins. + +Eggs and/or young in many nests are destroyed by hail or high wind in +the sudden violent storms that are characteristic of the High Plains. +Mississippi kites are often shot by misguided persons, and benefit +little from the protection supposedly provided by Federal law. +However, the adults probably have few natural enemies. The high ratio +of older adults to yearlings indicates that the life expectancy is +long. Through their second summer the kites retain their barred +immature plumage, and can be readily distinguished from adults. Only +ten per cent of the kites recorded in 108 June sight records at the +Park were in juvenile plumage. + + + + + Literature Cited + + AUDUBON, J. J. + 1840. The birds of America. Philadelphia, pp. xv + 246. + + BENDIRE, C. E. + 1892. Life histories of North American birds. U. S. National + Mus. Spec. Bull. 1, viii + 446 pp. + + BENT, A. C. + 1937. Life histories of North American birds of prey. Bull. + U. S. Nat. Mus., 167, x + 409 pp. 102 pls. + + CHAPMAN, F. M. + 1891. On the birds observed near Corpus Christi, Texas, during + parts of March and April, 1891. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. + Hist., 3:315-328. + + EISENMANN, E. + 1963. Mississippi kite in Argentina, with comments on + migration and plumage in the genus _Ictinia_. Auk, + 80:74-77. + + GANIER, A. F. + 1902. The Mississippi kite (_Ictinia mississippiensis_). The + Osprey, vol. 1 (new series), No. 6:85-90. + + GOSS, N. S. + 1891. History of the birds of Kansas. Geo. W. Crane and Co., + Topeka, 692 pp. + + NICE, M. M. + 1931. The birds of Oklahoma (rev.). Publ. Univ. Oklahoma, + vol. 3, Biol. Surv. No. 1, 261 pp. + + SUTTON, G. M. + 1939. The Mississippi kite in spring. Condor, 41(2):41-52. + + WAYNE, A. T. + 1910. Birds of South Carolina. Contr. Charleston Mus., No. 1, + viii + 254 pp. The Daggett Printing Co., Charleston, + S. C. + + +_Transmitted June 3, 1963._ + + + + + 29-7863 + + * * * * * + +Transcriber's Notes + +Emphasis Notation: + + _Text_ : Represents Italics + +Typographical Corrections + +With the exception of the five typographical corrections listed below, +the text of this file is that which is contained in the original +printed volume: + + Page 505: misspelling - misisippiensis => mississippiensis + Page 505: missing period - op cit. => op. cit. + Page 510: missing period - op cit. => op. cit. + Page 514: misspelling - sqeaking => squeaking + Page 515: misspelling - harrassed => harassed + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Observations on the Mississippi Kite +in Southwestern Kansas, by Henry S. 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