Family II. FALCONINAE. FALCONINE BIRDS.
GENUS VII. ICTINIA, Vieillot. |
Next >> |
Family |
THE MISSISSIPPI KITE. [Mississippi Kite.] |
Genus | ICTINIA PLUMBEUS, Gmel. [Ictinia mississippiensis.] |
When, after many a severe conflict, the southern breezes, in alliance with
the sun, have, as if through a generous effort, driven back for a season to
their desolate abode the chill blasts of the north; when warmth and plenty are
insured for awhile to our happy lands; when clouds of anxious Swallows,
returning from the far south, are guiding millions of Warblers to their summer
residence; when numberless insects, cramped in their hanging shells, are
impatiently waiting for the full expansion of their wings; when the vernal
flowers, so welcome to all, swell out their bursting leaflets, and the
rich-leaved Magnolia opens its pure blossoms to the Humming-bird;--then look up,
and you will see the Mississippi Kite, as he comes sailing over the scene. He
glances towards the earth with his fiery eye; sweeps along, now with the gentle
breeze, now against it; seizes here and there the high-flying giddy bug, and
allays his hunger without fatigue to wing or talon. Suddenly he spies some
creeping thing, that changes, like the chameleon, from vivid green to dull
brown, to escape his notice. It is the red-throated panting lizard that has
made its way to the highest branch of a tree in quest of food. Casting upwards
a sidelong look of fear, it remains motionless, so well does it know the prowess
of the bird of prey: but its caution is vain; it has been perceived, its fate
is sealed, and the next moment it is swept away.
The Mississippi Kite thus extends its migrations as high as the city of
Memphis, on the noble stream whose name it bears, and along our eastern shores
to the Carolinas, where it now and then breeds, feeding the while on lizards,
small snakes, and beetles. At times, congregating to the number of twenty or
more, these birds are seen sweeping around some tree, catching the large locusts
which abound in those countries at an early part of the season, and reminding
one of the Chimney Swallows, which are so often seen performing similar
evolutions, when endeavouring to snap off the little dried twigs of which their
nests are composed.
Early in May, the thick-leaved bay-tree (Magnolia grandiflora),
affords in its high tops a place of safety, in which the Hawk of the South
may raise its young. These are out by the end of July, and are fed by the
parent birds until well practised in the art of procuring subsistence.
About the middle of August, they all wing their way southward.
The affection which the old birds display towards their young, and the
methods which they occasionally employ to insure the safety of the latter, are
so remarkable, that, before I proceed to describe their general habits, I shall
relate a case in which I was concerned.
Early one morning, whilst I was admiring the beauties of nature, as the
vegetable world lay embalmed in dew, I heard the cry of a bird that I mistook
for that of a Pewee Flycatcher. It was prolonged, I thought, as if uttered in
distress. After looking for the bird a long time in vain, an object which I had
at first supposed to be something that had accidentally lodged in a branch,
attracted my attention, as I thought I perceived it moving. It did move
distinctly, and the cry that had ceased from the time when I reached the spot
where I stood, was repeated, evidently coming from the object in view. I now
took it for a young Chuck-Will's-Widow, as it sat lengthwise on the branch. I
shot at it, but perhaps did not hit it, as it only opened and closed its wings,
as if surprised. At the report of the gun, the old bird came, holding food in
her claws. She perceived me, but alighted, and fed her young with great
kindness. I shot at both, and again missed, or at least did not succeed, which
might have happened from my having only small shot in my gun. The mother flew
in silence, sailed over head just long enough to afford me time to reload,
returned, and to my great surprise gently lifted her young, and sailing with it
to another tree, about thirty yards distant, deposited it there. My feelings at
that moment I cannot express. I wished I had not discovered the poor bird; for
who could have witnessed, without emotion, so striking an example of that
affection which none but a mother can feel; so daring an act, performed in the
midst of smoke, in the presence of a dreaded and dangerous enemy. I followed,
however, and brought both to the ground at one shot, so keen is the desire of
possession!
The young had the head of a fawn-colour, but I took little more notice of
it, depositing the two birds under a log, whence I intended to remove them on my
return, for the purpose of drawing and describing them. I then proceeded on my
excursion to a lake a few miles distant. On coming back, what was my
mortification, when I found that some quadruped had devoured both! My
punishment was merited.
The Mississippi Kite arrives in Lower Louisiana about the middle of
April, in small parties of five or six, and confines itself to the borders
of deep woods, or to those near plantations, not far from the shores of
the rivers, lakes, or bayous. It never moves into the interior of the
country, and in this respect resembles the Falco furcatus.
Plantations lately cleared, and yet covered with tall dying girted trees,
placed near a creek or bayou, seem to suit it best.
Its flight is graceful, vigorous, protracted, and often extended to a great
height, the Fork-tailed Hawk being the only species that can compete with it.
At times it floats in the air, as if motionless, or sails in broad regular
circles, when, suddenly closing its wings, it slides along to some distance, and
renews its curves. Now it sweeps in deep and long undulations, with the
swiftness of an arrow, passing almost within touching distance of a branch on
which it has observed a small lizard, or an insect it longs for, but from which
it again ascends disappointed. Now it is seen to move in hurried zig-zags, as
if pursued by a dangerous enemy, sometimes seeming to turn over and over like a
Tumbling Pigeon. Again it is observed flying round the trunk of a tree to
secure large insects, sweeping with astonishing velocity. While travelling, it
moves in the desultory manner followed by Swallows; but at other times it is
seen soaring at a great elevation among the large flocks of Carrion Crows and
Turkey-Buzzards, joined by the Fork-tailed Hawk, dashing at the former, and
giving them chase, as if in play, until these cowardly scavengers sweep
downwards, abandoning this to them disagreeable sport to the Hawks, who now
continue to gambol undisturbed. When in pursuit of a large insect or a small
reptile, it turns its body sidewise, throws out its legs, expands its talons,
and generally seizes its prey in an instant. It feeds while on wing, apparently
with as much ease and comfort, as when alighted on the branch of a tall tree.
It never alights on the earth; at least I have never seen it do so, except when
wounded, and then it appears extremely awkward. It never attacks birds or
quadrupeds of any kind, with the view of destroying them for food, although it
will chase a fox to a considerable distance, screaming loudly all the while, and
soon forces a Crow to retreat to the woods.
The nest of this species is always placed in the upper branches of the
tallest trees. I thought it gave the preference to those tall and
splendid magnolias and white oaks which adorn our Southern States. The
nest resembles that of the dilapidated tenement of the Common American
Crow, and is formed of sticks slightly put together, along with branches
of Spanish moss (Usnea), pieces of vine bark, and dried leaves.
The eggs are two or three, almost globular, of a light greenish tint,
blotched thickly over with deep chocolate-brown and black. Only one brood
is raised in the season, and I think the female sits more than half the
time necessary for incubation. The young I also think obtain nearly the
full plumage of the old bird before they depart from us, as I have
examined these birds early in August, when the migration was already
begun, without observing much difference in their general colour, except
only in the want of firmness in the tint of the young ones.
Once, early in the month of May, I found a nest of this bird placed on a
fine tall white oak near a creek, and observed that the female was sitting with
unceasing assiduity. The male I saw bring her food frequently. Not being able
to ascend the tree, I hired a negro, who had been a sailor for some years, to
climb it and bring down the eggs or young. This he did by first mounting
another tree, the branches of which crossed the lower ones of the oak. No
sooner had he reached the trunk of the tree on which the nest was placed, than
the male was seen hovering about and over it in evident displeasure, screaming
and sweeping towards the intruder the higher he advanced. When he attained the
branch on which the nest was, the female left her charge, and the pair,
infuriated at his daring, flew with such velocity, and passed so close to him,
that I expected every moment to see him struck by them. The black tar, however,
proceeded quietly, reached the nest, and took out the eggs, apprising me that
there were three. I requested him to bring them down with care, and to throw
off the nest, which he did. The poor birds, seeing their tenement cast down to
the ground, continued sweeping around us so low and so long, that I could not
resist the temptation thus offered of shooting them.
The Mississippi Kite is by no means a shy bird, and one may generally
depend on getting near it when alighted; but to follow it while on wing were
useless, its flight being usually so elevated, and its sweeps over a field or
wood so rapid and varied, that you might spend many hours in vain in attempting
to get up with it. Even when alighted, it perches so high, that I have
sometimes shot at it, without producing any other effect than that of causing it
to open its wings and close them again, as if utterly ignorant of the danger to
which it had been exposed, while it seemed to look down upon me quite
unconcerned. When wounded, it comes to the ground with great force, and seldom
attempts to escape, choosing rather to defend itself, which it does to the last,
by throwing itself on its back, erecting the feathers of its head, screaming
loudly in the manner of the Pigeon Hawk, disgorging the contents of its stomach,
stretching out its talons, and biting or clenching with great vigour. It is
extremely muscular, the flesh tough and rigid.
These birds at times search for food so far from the spot where their nest
has been placed, that I have on several occasions been obliged to follow their
course over the woods, as if in search of a wild bee's hive, before I could
discover it. There is scarcely any perceptible difference between the sexes as
to size, and in colour they are precisely similar, only the female has less of
the ferruginous colour on her primaries than the male. The stomach is thin,
rugous, and of a deep orange colour.
MISSISSIPPI KITE, Falco Mississippiensis, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iii.
p. 80.
FALCO PLUMBEUS, Bonap. Syn., p. 90.
MISSISSIPPI KITE, Falco plumbeus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. ii. p. 108;
vol. v. p. 374.
Adult male.
Wings long and pointed, the third quill longest. Tail long, straight,
retuse.
Bill black, as are the cere, lore, and a narrow band round the eye. Iris
blood-red. Feet purplish, the scutella deep red; claws black. The head, the
neck all round, and the under parts in general bluish-white. The back and
wing-coverts are of a dark leaden colour, the ends of the secondary coverts
white. The primaries black, margined externally with bright bay; the tail also
deep black, as is the rump.
Length 14 inches; extent of wings 36; bill along the ridge 11/12, along the
edge 11/12; tarsus 1 3/4.
Adult Female.
The female differs little from the male in colour, and is not much larger.
Length 15 inches.
Next >> |