Hawks In Flight by Pete Dunne

Author:Pete Dunne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Mississippi Kite, upperside. Juvenile (A). Adult (B). Bright silvery secondaries of adult are distinctive. Juvenile has wing coverts and all feathers of back edged with buff. Palest juvenile Peregrines can also have scaly buff markings above, but more uniform.

Mississippi Kite going away, with long wings characteristically pressed down and tail tilted for control.

The leading edge of the wing bulges forward at the wrist. The trailing edge is straight-cut when the bird is executing a shallow glide (which it usually is). In shape, the wing is similar to that of a Broad-winged Hawk in a glide, but it is both narrower and longer. The outermost primary is conspicuously shorter—it looks like it is just growing in. It is often splayed from the wing and very conspicuous, even at considerable distances on soaring birds. By comparison, the outer primaries of Peregrines are all of near equal length and never splayed. The outermost primary on Peregrines is difficult to distinguish.

A Mississippi Kite’s tail is long and flares outward toward the square-cut tip. Particularly apparent when the birds are soaring, the flared outer tail feathers are apparent even when the tail is closed. Among North American raptors, the shape is unique but not above confusion.

The wingbeat of a Mississippi Kite is slow, stiff, deep, and deliberate, with little movement or flexibility down the length of the wing. The bird gives the impression that flapping is something it does grudgingly (as if exerting effort is beneath its acrobatic dignity). When the bird does resort to powered flight, it accelerates quickly or uses this application of force to maneuver deftly.

Mississippi Kite controls momentum by manipulating the length of its wing; a twisting and turning tail that seems to micromanage the air aids with tight maneuvers. This yawing tail motion is very distinctive and nearly idiosyncratic (although Swallow-tailed Kite does it as well).

Soaring must seem like cheating to Mississippi Kites. They seem loath to do it, much preferring to sail, glide, and swoop, which they will do for hours on end.

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