Published in South Carolina Living Magazine – https://scliving.coop/opinion/dialogue/kites/

Connecting with nature

Bird watching is a great way to connect with nature, and no birds put on a better show than the Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites that migrate through South Carolina each summer. From mid to late July, the birds stop to feed before migrating to South America for winter, says Jay Keck, habitat education manager for the South Carolina Wildlife Federation. The fields of Allendale County are a particularly great place to see the small raptors in action.

“If you’re bored, if you need some excitement, pick up a pair of binoculars, come out to Allendale, make that cool drive out to the country,” he says. “You get to see these wonderful raptors, swooping, diving, calling and foraging right in front of your eyes. To me that’s pretty darn exciting.”

Summer visitor

Mississippi Kites flock to farms and fields in Allendale County each July to feed—primarily on insects, but also small animals—before they migrate 5,000 miles south to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina for the winter. Mississippi Kites and their close cousins, Swallow-tailed Kites, are raptors who soar on the warm summer breeze, then swoop down on their prey with surprising speed and grace.

Bird’s eye view

The soybean and cornfields in Allendale County are destination locations for birdwatchers, who visit the area’s many crop pastures where Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites prey upon insects and small vertebrates.

On the menu

Large insects like cicadas and this dragonfly are a prime food source for migrating kites, providing essential protein during their summers in South Carolina before they travel the 5,000 miles back to South America in the fall.

Gotcha!

A Swallow-tailed Kite scores its next meal as it swoops into a soybean field. One of the highlights of watching kites is their ability to swiftly capture their prey and eat on the wing.

Expert knowledge

Jay Keck (right), the habitat education manager for the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, briefs Mike Couick (left), President and CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, and fellow bird watcher Frank Ellerbe on the feeding habits and natural history of Mississippi and Swallow-tailed Kites on a trip to Allendale County in July 2022.

Striking appearance

With a mixture of pearl gray, black and white feathers and red eyes contrasting with black feathering near their beak, Mississippi Kites remind naturalist Jay Keck of a popular 1970s rock band. “The black around the red eyes looks like they have eyeshadow,” says Keck. “They make me think about the rock band KISS with all the crazy make-up that they wear.”

A passion for birds

Naturalist Jay Keck’s enthusiasm for winged creatures is contagious. “I think birds connect us to our planet better than any other wildlife,” he says. “I watch people watch birds and catch their expressions. It gives me chills. In that moment, there are no stresses, nothing else matters.” Here, members of the expedition were able to watch a kite survey the adjacent field from a perch at the top of tree.