Mississippi Kite

Mississippi Kite

Ictinia mississippiensis

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Congaree National Park
106 Verified sightings at Congaree National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,936 Verified sightings across all 47 parks From 2019 to 2026
July Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Mississippi Kite

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 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 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.

The Mississippi kite measures about 12 to 15 inches (30 to 37 cm) in length, with a... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Congaree National Park

Red-shouldered Hawk
LC

Red-shouldered Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo lineatus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Red-tailed Hawk
LC

Red-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo jamaicensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Golden Eagle
LC

Golden Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Aquila chrysaetos

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Bald Eagle
LC

Bald Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Sharp-shinned Hawk
LC

Sharp-shinned Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Accipiter striatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hen Harrier
LC

Hen Harrier

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Circus cyaneus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Broad-winged Hawk
LC

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Osprey
LC

Osprey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pandion haliaetus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
2 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
4 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
5 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
6 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
7 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
8 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
9 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
10 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
11 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
12 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
13 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
14 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
15 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
16 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
17 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
18 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
19 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
20 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
<5%
21 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
22 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
25 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
26 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
27 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
28 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
29 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
30 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
31 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
32 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
33 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
34 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
35 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
36 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
37 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
38 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
39 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
40 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
41 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
42 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
43 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
44 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
45 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
46 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
47 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Mississippi Kite in Congaree National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mississippi Kite sighting in Congaree National Park, based on 106 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Mississippi Kite in Congaree National Park?

July has the highest sighting rate for Mississippi Kite in Congaree National Park in our monthly data.

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