Mississippi Kites in central Wisconsin???

[sybylla]

Speaking of birds in strange places!

I thought I'd never see one of these birds, let alone in my home state. But there were at least 7 of them flying over my house as my son and I grilled supper so we had an opportunity for a real good look. We never get flocking birds of prey up here so it took me a moment to realize they were all the same kind of bird. I've scoured my Audubon Field Guide and found nothing else even close to what I saw in coloring, shape of the wings, and flocking behavior. All suggestions for a much more likely bird are welcome.

Here's what I saw:
At least seven identical birds that I counted, possibly more.
Dark wings and tail except for clear white triangular patches on the inner flight feathers (the sun was setting so the coloring could be a bit off)
A fighter jet shape
Soaring over my house in an a low arching line towards the river
Not in any formation but clearly heading for the same destination
None of them flapped a wing in my sight, like the fighter jets they resemble. They just flew and fast. If there hadn't been so many, I wouldn't never have had a chance to note any discernible markings.

[semillama]

1. Cool!!!

Are you on the Wisconsin Birding List? If so, you should report this! If not, you should join up.

Subscription: [e-mail]
Message: SUBSCRIBE wisbirdn your name


Also, if you don't use eBird, I strongly suggest you register and submit your sighting!

I saw my first Mississippi Kite this summer in Logan, Ohio - also an unusual place to see one. Hasn't been confirmed, but they have been suspected to have tried nesting there, too...

[sybylla]

2. I am entirely an amature at this

I've been watching birds since we bought our house in the country 17 years ago but have never gotten very serious. I've never even heard of the two items you suggest, but I'll sign on to the list. Unfortunately, I probably won't have time to post my sighting until I get back from the long holiday weekend. I'm too busy getting ready today.

Thanks for the tips, though. Interesting to know you've spotted them in Ohio, too. I was wondering if there were such places to note an unusual sighting. A few years ago we had a sphinx moth (definitely non-native up here) in my garden for several nights. Got a really cool photo of it and submitted it for confirmation to a site where they are tracking it. Never heard back, though.

You can bet my eye will be on the sky around my house all day today hoping for another sighting. I'd try to take a photo but my digital is way to slow for such an action shot. When my son's girlfriend gets home today, she'll have her new digital and I'll post her on watch detail as much as possible.

Seems strange to see them so far north this late in the fall. Maybe they've been here all summer - I haven't been out much as I've been busy with a couple of projects. Probably won't be much time to see them again as the cold weather and loss of food sources will probably send them back south. I'd really like to see them again, just to confirm they are what I think they are.

I wonder if their presence correlates to the presence of an unusually high number of dragonflies around here this year?

[semillama]

3. The dragonflys are a good bet for why they are there

Plus, if these are young birds, post-breeding dispersal often results in young birds heading well out of their range before heading south again - spreading their wings, if you were. For example, I've seen two Little Blue Herons in Ohio, and both were immature birds.

[vireo]

4. Recent Wisbird posts are available on the web

http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/WISC.html

There is much recent discussion regarding the Nighthawk migration (although I have not yet spotted any in Dane County, which is unusual). Could that possibly be what you saw? I am assuming that the photo you posted (definite Kite) was not taken by you.

OTOH, Nighthawks are very "flappy," which is inconsistent with your sighting.

[sybylla]

7. That's it! - It was a Common Nighthawk

Seeing them again yesterday, though at quite a height this time, I really began to doubt my kite theory. But I saw no other wing patterns or birds of proper size and description in my Audubon that came even close.



But this is exactly what I saw - A Common Nighthawk. Thanks vireo!




Considering how widespread they are, I can't believe I've never seen one before.

My apologies for the false alarm. :blush: I've got to get a better birding book.

[vireo]

8. Very cool bird

Don't worry about the misidentification; they do after all have "hawk" in the name.

Nighthawks seem to have declined significantly, most noticeably as urban breeding birds but also as migrants, so they are always a treat to see. If you learn the call note you may notice them more often.

[sybylla]

9. Really? You can call them?

That's cool. I'm no good at calls, though, so that leaves me SOL.

[vireo]

10. Don't call them...

...they'll call you! http://www.naturesongs.com/caprpici.html#coni

[semillama]

11. You know, I almost asked you if they were nighthawks, but stranger things have happened.

I had a nighthawk flying around my house this morning when I left for work. Cool birds!

[sybylla]

12. We have had a lot of strange sightings this year

Maybe it's not obvious from my op, but I had plenty of doubts. In a different year without all the unusual sightings, I never would have even thought kites possible and would have kept hunting for better bird guides.

Now that I've seen them, I have to say the information on identifying Nighthawks in the Audubon field guide is not very helpful for field identification, though the book has been very helpful with all the other sightings I've had over the years.

[Maestro]

5. You very well might have seen some.

They love to feed on dragonflies and cicadas, but will also take grasshoppers and locusts. They are very fast, bouyant fliers. I have been watching 12-15 of them in my area all summer long. Your coloring description fits in with what I would call a Miss. Kite. The coloring makes me think juveniles but I can't be sure.

And Wisconsin, while certainly not where you would expect Miss. Kites, it is not unheard of according to Sibley's Guide to Birds. There have been enough stray sightings of them that Sibley's has Wisconsin marked a possible place to sight a stray one although you had seven! From what I have observed of them though they seem to be very sociable birds.

Here are some of my pics from this summer.

[semillama]

6. The Mississippi Kites in Ohio have just been confirmed as breeders

There's been a pair hanging around a golf course in SE ohio this summer, and recently they've been observed feeding a fledgling. This is Ohio's first breeding record for the species!