24-499: The Mississippi kite ( Ictinia mississippiensis ) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae . Mississippi kites have narrow, pointed wings and are graceful in flight, often appearing to float in the air. It is common to see several circling in the same area. The Mississippi kite was first named and described by the Scottish ornithologist Alexander Wilson in 1811, in the third volume of his American Ornithology . Wilson gave
48-517: A minimum at a distance of about 3 to 5 times the windbreak's height. Beyond that point wind speed recovers, aided by the overlying, faster-moving stream. From the perspective of the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations , these effects can be understood as resulting from the loss of momentum caused by the drag of leaves and branches and would be represented by the body force f i (a distributed momentum sink). Windbreaks reduce
72-533: A range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals , with a number feeding on carrion and a few feeding on fruit. The Accipitridae have a cosmopolitan distribution , being found on all the world's continents (except Antarctica ) and a number of oceanic island groups. Some species are migratory . The family contains 256 species which are divided into 12 subfamilies and 75 genera . Many well-known birds such as hawks , eagles , kites , harriers and Old World vultures are included in this group. The osprey
96-480: A result, the airstream approaching the barrier is interrupted, and a portion of it moves over the barrier, resulting in a jet of higher wind speed. The remainder of the airstream then moves through the barrier to its edge downstream, pushed along by the decrease in pressure across the shelterbelt's width; as it emerges again, that airstream is interrupted further as its air pressure adjusts to the surrounding area. This results in slower wind speed further downwind, reaching
120-544: Is a planting usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion . They are commonly planted in hedgerows around the edges of fields on farms . If designed properly, windbreaks around a home can reduce the cost of heating and cooling and save energy . Windbreaks are also planted to help keep snow from drifting onto roadways or yards. Farmers sometimes use windbreaks to keep snow drifts on farm land that will provide water when
144-411: Is proportional to wind speed cubed, a reduction of wind speed of 1/2 (for example) will reduce erosion by 87.5%. Sheltered, windless areas created by windbreaks are called wind shadows. Windbreaks can mitigate the effects of pesticide drift . When wind encounters a porous obstacle, such as a windbreak or shelterbelt, air pressure increases on the windward side and decreases on the leeward side. As
168-506: Is the best way to avoid conflict with the birds. If this is not possible, wearing a hat or waving hands in the air should prevent the bird from making contact but will not prevent the diving behavior. Accipitridae The Accipitridae ( / ˌ æ k s ɪ ˈ p ɪ t r ɪ d iː , - d eɪ / ) is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes , and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on
192-668: Is usually placed in a separate family ( Pandionidae ), as is the secretary bird ( Sagittariidae ), and the New World vultures are also usually now regarded as a separate family or order. Karyotype data indicate the accipitrids analysed are indeed a distinct monophyletic group. In the past the accipitrids have been variously divided into some five to ten subfamilies . Most share a very similar morphology , but many of these groups contain taxa that are more aberrant. These were placed in their respective position more for lack of better evidence than anything else. The phylogenetic layout of
216-2449: The Accipiridae shown below is based on a densely sampled molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae by Therese Catanach and collaborators that was published in 2024. The number of species in each genus is based on the list maintained by Frank Gill , Pamela C. Rasmussen and David Donsker on behalf of the International Ornithological Committee (IOC). Gampsonyx – pearl kite Chelictinia – scissor-tailed kite Elanus – kites (4 species) Polyboroides – harrier-hawks (2 species) Gypohierax – palm-nut vulture Neophron – Egyptian vulture Gypaetus – bearded vulture Eutriorchis – Madagascar serpent eagle (placement uncertain) Chondrohierax – kites (2 species) Leptodon – kites (2 species) Aviceda – bazas and cuckoo-hawks (5 species) Pernis – honey buzzards (4 species) Elanoides – swallow-tailed kite Hamirostra – black-breasted buzzard Lophoictinia – square-tailed kite Henicopernis – honey buzzards (2 species) Spilornis – serpent eagles (6 species) Pithecophaga – Philippine eagle Terathopius – Bateleur Circaetus – snake eagles (6 species) + Dryotriorchis spectabilis Congo serpent eagle Necrosyrtes – hooded vulture Gyps – vultures (8 species) Sarcogyps – red-headed vulture Trigonoceps – white-headed vulture Torgos – lappet-faced vulture Aegypius – cinereous vulture Stephanoaetus – crowned eagle (placement uncertain) Nisaetus – hawk-eagles (10 species) Spizaetus – hawk-eagle (4 species) Lophotriorchis – rufous-bellied eagle Polemaetus – martial eagle Lophaetus – long-crested eagle Ictinaetus – black eagle Clanga – spotted eagles (3 species) Hieraaetus – eagles (5 species) Aquila – eagles (11 species) Harpyopsis – Papuan eagle Macheiramphus – bat hawk Morphnus – crested eagle Harpia – harpy eagle Lophospiza – goshawks (2 species, formerly in Accipiter ) Micronisus – gabar goshawk Urotriorchis – long-tailed hawk Melierax – chanting goshawks (3 species) Shelterbelts A windbreak (shelterbelt)
240-508: The Mississippi kite consists mostly of insects which they capture in flight. They eat cicada , grasshoppers , and other crop-damaging insects, making them economically important. They have also been known to eat small vertebrates , including birds, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals. They will usually hunt from a low perch before chasing after prey, eating it in flight. They will fly around cattle and horses to catch insects stirred up from
264-465: The Mississippi kite is in the central and southern United States; the southern Great Plains is considered a stronghold for the species. Breeding territory has expanded in recent years and Mississippi kites have been regularly recorded in the southern New England states; a pair has successfully raised young as far north as Newmarket, New Hampshire . Another pair was observed breeding in Ohio in 2007. As well,
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#1732852350281288-525: The accipitrids was historically a matter of dispute. Molecular studies have removed the phylogenetic uncertainty for most of the species. The accipitrids are recognizable by a peculiar rearrangement of their chromosomes . Apart from this, morphology and mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data give a confusing picture of these birds' inter-relationships. The hawks , kites , eagles and Old World vultures as presently assigned in all likelihood do not form monophyletic groups. The genus level cladogram of
312-466: The crops from the wind. Alley cropping has been particularly successful in India, Africa, and Brazil, where coffee growers have combined farming and forestry. A further use for a shelterbelt is to screen a farm from a main road or motorway. This improves the farm landscape by reducing the visual incursion of the motorway, mitigating noise from the traffic and providing a safe barrier between farm animals and
336-469: The eggs and care for the young. They have one clutch a year, which takes 30 to 32 days to hatch. The young birds leave the nest another 30 to 34 days after hatching. Only about half of broods succeed. Clutches fall victim to storms and predators such as raccoons and great horned owls . Because there are fewer predators in urban areas, Mississippi kites produce more offspring in urban areas than rural . They have an average lifespan of 8 years. The species
360-506: The grass. Mississippi kites are monogamous, forming breeding pairs before or soon after arriving at breeding sites. Courtship displays are rare, however individuals have been seen guarding their mate from competitors. Mississippi kites usually lay two white eggs (rarely one or three) in twig nests that rest in a variety of deciduous trees , most commonly in elm , eastern cottonwood , hackberry , oak , and mesquite . Except in elm and cottonwood, most nests are fewer than 20 feet (6 m) above
384-407: The ground, and are usually near water. Eggs are white to pale-bluish in color, and are usually about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) long. In the past 75 years, the species has undergone changes in nesting habitat from use of forest and savanna to include shelterbelts and is now a common nester in urban area in the western south-central states. Mississippi kites nest in colonies . Both parents incubate
408-670: The kite the Latin binomial name of Falco mississippiensis : Falco means "falcon", while mississippiensis means from the Mississippi River in the United States. The current genus of Ictinia originated with Louis Pierre Vieillot 's 1816 Analyse d'une nouvelle Ornithologie Elémentaire . The genus name derives from the Greek iktinos , for "kite". Wilson also gave the Mississippi kite its English-language common name . He had first observed
432-400: The males are slightly paler on the head and neck. Young kites have banded tails and streaked bodies. The bird is 12 to 15 inches (30–37 cm) beak to tail and has a wingspan averaging 3 feet (91 cm). Weight is from 214 to 388 grams (7.6–13.7 oz). The call is a high-pitched squeak, sounding similar to the noise made by a squeaky toy . The summer breeding territory of
456-475: The road. Fences called "windbreaks" are also used. Normally made from cotton , nylon , canvas , and recycled sails, windbreaks tend to have three or more panels held in place with poles that slide into pockets sewn into the panel. The poles are then hammered into the ground and a windbreak is formed. Windbreaks or "wind fences" are used to reduce wind speeds over erodible areas such as open fields, industrial stockpiles, and dusty industrial operations. As erosion
480-528: The snow melts in the spring. Other benefits include contributing to a microclimate around crops (with slightly less drying and chilling at night), providing habitat for wildlife, and, in some regions, providing wood if the trees are harvested. Windbreaks and intercropping can be combined in a farming practice referred to as alley cropping , or being deployed along riparian buffer stripes. Fields are planted in rows of different crops surrounded by rows of trees. These trees provide fruit, wood, or protect
504-489: The species in the Mississippi Territory , while the bird's long pointed wings and forked tail suggested that it was a type of kite . It is currently classified in the subfamily Buteoninae , tribe Buteonini. Adults are gray with darker gray on their tail feathers and outer wings and lighter gray on their heads and inner wings. Kites of all ages have red eyes and red to yellow legs. Males and females look alike, but
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#1732852350281528-541: The territory has expanded westwards due to shelterbelts being planted in grassland habitats. This species migrate to southern subtropical South America in the winter, mostly to Argentina and Brazil. Migration normally occurs in groups of 20 to 30 birds. However, there are exceptions; mixed flocks may occur in migration, being recorded with up to 10,000 birds in one instance at Fuerte Esperanza, Argentina . Mississippi kites are social birds, gathering in roosts in late summer. They do not maintain territories. The diet of
552-422: The wind's average air speed and make it less variable, resulting in the wind mixing less effectively than it does upwind. Additionally, all these changes to the wind's behavior result in changes to the region's environment. For instance, the surface energy budget of the ground may be impacted, as the slowed wind dissipates heat from the sun less effectively; this trend may reverse further downwind, and about 8 times
576-698: Was in decline in the mid-1900s, but now has an increasing population and expanding range. While the Mississippi kite is not an endangered species, it is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 , which protects the birds, their eggs, and their nests (occupied or empty) from being moved or tampered with without the proper permits. This can make the bird a nuisance when it chooses to roost in populated urban spots such as golf courses or schools. The birds protect their nests by diving at perceived threats, including humans; however, this occurs in less than 20% of nests. Staying at least 50 yards from nests
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