![]() The most recent example was in July 2008, when a nest near the Youth Center, Bldg. Occasionally, birds living on Vance AFB have become a threat, and in the past it has been necessary to move their nests. "I'd never seen that kind of bird before, and I thought, well, it's just another ordinary bird. He received a minor head wound from the encounter, but laughs as he tells the story. Buthman as the first person "to be beaked on the noggin" by a Mississippi Kite. "I received this plaque as a joke," he recalls, showing off a certificate titled "The Purple Beak Award." The certificate identifies Mr. Mark Buthman, the environmental coordinator with the CSC Applied Technologies Civil Engineering Department at Vance AFB, tells a humorous story about his first encounter with a Mississippi Kite. Fortunately, birds that are used to being near humans are less likely to attack, since they are less likely to identify humans as predators.ĭespite precautions, there have been cases when a bird has attacked and harmed passerbys. Carrying an umbrella or holding a large stick above your head can help distract the birds and avoid a collision. When diving, Mississippi Kites will aim for the highest object near their target. Vance AFB has 11 clearly marked locations with inhabited nests. The best precaution against an attack is simply to stay away from kite-inhabited areas. Merely approaching an area with a nest can incite aggressive behavior, though in general, such behavior is limited to diving at the trespasser's head. However, this does not diminish their keen protective instincts. Mississippi Kites usually nest in the highest branches of a tree, well out of reach of predators. The parents are most aggressive once the chicks have hatched and before they leave the nest. The chicks hatch after 30 to 32 days, and are ready to leave the nest after another 30 to 34 days. The female lays two eggs and shares incubation with the male. Identified by their blue-gray plumage, Mississippi Kites are small but very aggressive, especially during mating season. This makes Enid and Vance AFB ideal spots for nesting. Mississippi Kites usually nest in prairie areas with sparsely placed woods, preferably near a farm or small suburban community. ![]() Western Oklahoma is right in the middle of one of their most densely populated nesting grounds. ![]() Oklahoma has its seasons - blizzard season, tornado season, I-can't-believe-it's-over-110-degrees-again season, and from early May through late July, Mississippi Kite season.Įach year starting in spring, the small raptors known as Mississippi Kites migrate from their tropical South American vacation spots up north to the Great Plains.
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