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.