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, 7½ miles south and five miles west of Meade. Little has been written r

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 ( Buchloë 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 find

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 an

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 cotton-*wood 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 h

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

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 foliag

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

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 tremendo

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, wi