The story of the bird
A small, silver-grey raptor with the manners of a swift. The Mississippi kite is soft dove-grey over most of the body, its pale head almost white, and it spends its summer days carving graceful arcs through the southern sky. A fine-art study in the Audubon tradition, drawn to hold the smoky grey tones and clean lines of a bird that is all elegance in the air.
Where to hang it
A soft, understated print for a sunroom, a bedroom, a hallway or a southern porch. Its muted grey palette makes it one of the easier raptors to place, sitting quietly against pale and neutral walls.
Best gift for
A birder or a nature lover in the South, where these kites nest in numbers and gather in wheeling flocks on migration. It is a gentle, knowing gift, a long way from the fierce eagle, for someone who notices the quieter birds.
Paper and finish
Unframed prints come on Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308gsm, a heavyweight cotton rag with a soft matte surface and true archival life. The framed option is set in a classic moulding, glazed and ready to hang, in black, white or natural.
Sizes
Three sizes: 8x10, 16x20 and 24x30 inches, or an instant digital download at $9. Prints from $39. Framed from $99.
About the bird
The Mississippi kite catches dragonflies, cicadas and other large insects on the wing, often high overhead. It nests across the southern and central states, sometimes in towns and even golf courses, and gathers in large flocks for the long migration to South America.
Full field guide: /species/mississippi-kite/
