The Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) is a small bird of prey that breeds across the central and southern United States; in the winter, they migrate to southern subtropical South America. In the past their nesting habitats were forests and savannas, but recently they commonly nest in highly populated urban areas. Adults are primarily gray. Their tail feathers and outer wings are darker gray, and their heads and inner wings are lighter gray. Young Mississippi Kites have banded tails and streaked bodies. The species are economically important, as their diets include cicada, grasshoppers, and other crop-damaging insects. They also eat small vertebrates, amphibians, and reptiles.