National Museum, 6; Philadelphia Academy, 4; New York Museum, 1;
Cambridge Museum, 1; Cab. G. N. Lawrence, 1; R. Ridgway, 3. Total, 16.
_Measurements._
+----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+
|Sex.| Wing. | Tail. | Culmen. | Tarsus. |Middle Toe.|Specimens.|
+----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+
| ♂ |10.60–11.85| 6.00–6.80| .60–.65|1.35–1.55| 1.00–1.10| 6 |
+----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+
| ♀ |11.30–12.30| 6.50–7.00| .60–.65|1.30–1.40| 1.00–1.05| 5 |
+----+-----------+-----------+---------+---------+-----------+----------+
HABITS. This Hawk appears to be confined to the extreme southern and
southwestern portion of the Gulf States. It is not known to occur
farther north than South Carolina on the Atlantic, though on the
Mississippi it has been traced much farther north. It is most abundant
about the Mississippi. It was first discovered by Wilson near Natchez,
where he found it quite abundant. Mr. Say afterwards observed it far
up the Mississippi, at one of Major Long’s cantonments. On Captain
Sitgreave’s expedition to the Zuñi and Colorado Rivers, it was found
to be exceedingly abundant in Eastern Texas, as well as in the Indian
Territory, more particularly on the Arkansas River and its tributaries.
Dresser states that he found this Hawk by no means an unfrequent bird
in Texas, and generally in the same localities with the _Nauclerus
forficatus_. It was not very common near San Antonio, but was
occasionally found, and even breeds there, as he procured both the old
and the young birds during the summer. In travelling eastward in the
month of May, he first noticed them near the Rio Colorado, and was told
by the negroes on one of the plantations that they were then nesting. On
the 20th of May he shot a female on the banks of that river, from which
he extracted a fully formed egg. It was almost round, and rather large
for the size of the bird. Eastward from the Colorado he also saw this
Hawk quite often.
[Illustration: _Ictinia mississippiensis._]
Though the species, no doubt, occurs in Mexico, Mr. Sclater states
that all the Mexican _Ictiniæ_ which he has seen, collected by Sallè,
Boucard, and others, have belonged to _I. plumbea_ (Ibis, 1860, p. 104).
A single specimen from Coban, Central America, was obtained by Mr.
Salvin, but _I. plumbea_ was by far the most common species of _Ictinia_
in Vera Paz.
This species was first discovered within the territory of the United
States by Wilson, in his visit to Natchez. He had noticed the bird
sailing about in easy circles, and at a considerable height in the air,
generally in company with the Turkey Buzzards, whose manner of flight
it almost exactly imitated, so much so as to make it appear either a
miniature of that species, or like one of them at a great distance, both
being observed to soar at great heights previous to a storm. Wilson
conjectures that this apparent similarity of manner of flight may be
attributable to their pursuit of their respective kinds of food,—the
Buzzard on the lookout for carrion, and the birds of the present species
in search of those large beetles that are known to fly in the higher
regions of the air, and which, in the three individuals dissected by
him, were the only substances found in their stomachs. For several
miles, as he passed near Bayou Manahak, the trees were swarming with
a kind of _Cicada_, or locust, that made a deafening noise. He there
observed a number of these birds sweeping about among the trees in the
manner of Swallows, evidently in pursuit of the insects, which proved
indeed, on dissection, to be their principal food.
One of these Hawks was slightly wounded by Wilson, and though disabled
and precipitated from a great height exhibited evidence of great
strength and an almost unconquerable spirit. As he approached to pick
it up, the bird instantly gave battle, striking rapidly with its claws,
wheeling round and round, and defending itself with great vigilance
and dexterity, while its dark red eye sparkled with rage. His captor
wished to preserve it alive, but, notwithstanding all his precautions in
seizing it, the Hawk struck one of its claws into his hand with great
force, and this could only be disengaged by Wilson’s dividing the sinew
of the heel with a pen-knife. As long as the bird afterwards lived with
Wilson, it seemed to watch every movement, erecting the feathers of the
back of its head, and eying him with a savage fierceness. Wilson was
much struck with its great strength, its extent of wing, its energy of
character, and its ease and rapidity of flight.
Audubon regards this species as remarkable for its devotion to its
young, and narrates that in one instance he saw the female bird lift up
and attempt to carry out of his reach one of her fledglings. She carried
it in her claws the distance of thirty yards or more.
He also describes their flight as graceful, vigorous, and protracted.
At times the bird seems to float in the air as if motionless, or sails
in broad and regular circles, then, suddenly closing its wings, is
seen to slide along to some distance, and then renews its curves. At
other times it sweeps in long undulations with the swiftness of an
arrow, passing within touching distance of a branch on which it seeks an
insect. Sometimes it is said to fly in hurried zigzags, and at others to
turn over and over in the manner of a Tumbler Pigeon. Audubon has often
observed it make a dash at the Turkey Buzzard, and give it chase, as if
in sport, and so annoy this bird as to drive it to a distance. It feeds
on the wing with great ease and dexterity. It rarely, if ever, alights
on the earth; and, when wounded, its movements on the ground are very
awkward. It is never known to attack birds or quadrupeds of any kind,
though it will pursue and annoy foxes and Crows, and drive them to seek
shelter from its attacks. The Mississippi Kite is said to be by no means
a shy bird, and may be easily approached when alight, yet it usually
perches so high that it is not always easy to shoot it.
In Southern Illinois, Mr. Ridgway found this Kite to be a very abundant
summer bird on the prairies. There it is found from May till near
the end of September, and always associated with the Swallowtail
(_Nauclerus forficatus_.) It breeds in the timber which borders the
streams intersecting the prairies; but it is not until the hottest
weather of July and August that it becomes very abundant, at this
time feeding chiefly upon the large insects which swarm among the
rank prairie herbage. Its particular food is a very large species of
_Cicada_, though grasshoppers, and occasionally small snakes (as the
species of _Eutænia_, _Leptophis æstivus_, etc.), also form part of its
food. Its prey is captured by sweeping over the object and picking it
up in passing over, both the bill and feet being used in grasping it;
the food is eaten as the bird sails, in broad circles, overhead. Mr.
Ridgway describes the flight of this Kite as powerful and graceful in
the extreme, and accompanied by beautiful and unusual evolutions.
According to Mr. Audubon, the nest of this species is always placed in
the upper branches of the tallest trees. It resembles a dilapidated
Crow’s nest, and is constructed of sticks slightly put together, Spanish
moss, strips of pine bark, and dry leaves. The eggs are three in number,
nearly globular, and are described by Mr. Audubon as of a light greenish
tint, blotched thickly over with deep chocolate-brown and black; but the
eggs thus described are those of some totally different species.
The same writer mentions that a pair of these Hawks, whose nest was
visited by a negro sailor, manifested the greatest displeasure, and
continued flying with remarkable velocity close to the man’s head,
screaming, and displaying the utmost rage.
The description given by Mr. Audubon of the egg of this species, and
also that in my North American Oölogy, of the drawing of an egg said to
be of this bird, taken in Louisiana by Dr. Trudeau, do not correspond
with an egg in the cabinet of the Boston Society of Natural History,
formerly in that of the late Dr. Henry Bryant. This egg measures 1.50
inches in length by 1.32 in breadth, is very nearly globular, but is
also much more rounded at one end, and tapering at the other. It is
entirely unspotted and of a uniform chalky whiteness, with an underlying
tinge of a bluish green. It was found by Mr. C. S. McCarthy in the
Indian Territory, on the north fork of the Canadian River, June 25,
1861. The nest was made of a few sticks, and was in the fork of a
horizontal branch, fifteen feet from the ground. There were two eggs in
the nest.
It was also found breeding by Mr. J. H. Clark at Trout Creek, Indian
Territory, June 21, and by Dr. E. Palmer at the Kiowa Agency (S. I.
13,534).