Wildlife & Related

[Hummer]

Last year there were 5 of these Kites that nested in a neighbor's tree. I saw them circling above the creek that's across the street yesterday and as best as I could tell there were 17 of them. I don't know much about them but they appear to hunt in "packs". They also seem to be pretty fearless. I'd say they're about the size of a red-tailed hawk. They swoop thru the yard and around the 'hood all the time at just above person height. I've seen them mostly go after flying insects...plenty of those around...and the occasional mouse. Really cool birds.

Great picture of a great bird, BG! Mississippi Kites also live in southeastern Colorado. I've watched them many times in Lamar in the city park where they nest, and all around town. Mississippi Kites are a small hawk, about 14" in length with a 31" wing span, and weighing 10 ounces.

See: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mississippi_Kite/id

Some years ago we watched a Mississippi Kite fly along the irrigation canal that meanders through our farm outside Palisade, CO. It is only one of three recorded sightings of the species in western Colorado.