Mississippi Kite

Description:

Medium-sized hawk. Long, narrow, pointed wings. Long black tail. Head pearly gray. Body darker gray. Pale patch on rear edge of wings as seen from above.

Habitat:

On a channel at Bayou Segnette State Park. This park is not far from the urban center of New Orleans, yet it features access to two types of wetlands,swamp and marsh. Saltwater intrusion coming into the canals from the Gulf of Mexico created the marsh. This is a remarkable habitat for plant and wildlife.

Notes:

Interpretive Ranger told us there was a family of four at the end of this channel. This is a second spotting that had all four sailing and diving into the trees on the other side of a canal.