Date: 9/9/26 8:40 am From: flyingcarlini via groups.io <flyingcarlini...> Subject: Re: [NEBirds] Mississippi Kite occurrence
Not sure why above attached map screenshot was so blurry and teeny. Will try resending it pasted which will make it big so hopefully easier to see?
On Wednesday, September 9, 2026 at 10:33:07 AM CDT, flyingcarlini via groups.io <flyingcarlini...> wrote:
Hello fellow NEBirders,We've been reveling in the recent Mississippi Kite (MIKI) explosion phenomenon and hoping it was attributed to colonies south of us having increased enough for post-breeding youngsters to wander north en masse. But the most recent Drought Monitor map shows a terrible drought ranging from severe-extreme-exceptional may possibly have taken a toll on their insect prey and be the driver for a good share of the recent MIKI sightings in the state. Attached is a screen shot that compares a Drought Monitor map from Sep 1 2026 (left) with a map from Sep 2 2025 (right) when there wasn't a drought. The 2026 map has a green dashed box overlaying the heart of the range for the MIKI population west of the Mississippi with highest density circled in solid green based on eBird's MIKI range map. Whether this trend continues next year or is a one-off remains to be seen. -Shari Schwartz & John Carlini, Lincoln
