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Northern Range Extension & Breeding Behavior of the 
Mississippi Kite & Black Vulture in So. Illinois 
In May 1962, a Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) was observed near 
Fults, Ill., by J. Earl Comfort. As a result of future observations, two birds 
were observed: one an adult, the other a first year bird identified by the 
tail bands. Until the last week in June both were seen hawking insects 
aloft. Then only one bird was seen at a time. 
Although I suspected these birds were nesting, I could only locate the 
general area in a grove of cottonwoods 30-60 meters in height. In early 
August both birds again disappeared along with two juveniles. Each took 
over the care of a juvenile. The young birds copied the flight of the adults. 
Once an adult, harassed by a crow, turned over on its back in full flight 
and made lunges at its aggressor with its talons. The Kites cruised very 
high and ranged very far. 
From my observations, I feel that the home range may well be 3-5 
square miles. They cruise so high that they can be seen only with binoculars. 
This is the northernmost nesting record of the Mississippi Kite in the 
Mississippi Valley. Bent A. C., 1937, p. 69, gives the range as probably 
formerly Southern Illinois (Mount Carmel). 
In 1963 the birds returned and nested, but a windstorm at the beginning 
of July probably destroyed the nest, since both birds were seen hunting 
concurrently in the weeks after the storm. The birds migrate early and 
are always gone before the onset of September. 
In 1964 six birds were observed in the air in this immediate area in 
mid June. In 1965 pulpwood operations started to denude the nesting area, 
and although occasional birds are observed, no further evidence of nesting 
has been. Through my six years of observation I saw the Kites perched 
only once. 
In June 1967 near Crab Orchard Wildlife Area near Carterville, Ill, I 
was invited to collect a nestling vulture from a wooded rocky bluff for the 
St. Louis Zoo. The nest was located in a cave about 4 meters deep and 5 
meters in width. One adult black vulture (coragyps atratus) was seen in the 
immediate area and another left the nest cavity. Two birds about two weeks 
old were in the nest. One was taken and hand reared on dog food and is in 
the collection of the St. Louis Zoo. Bent A. C., 1987, p. 43, reported this 
species nesting in eastern IJlinois at Anna. This nest is 15 miles north of the 
published range. 
—G. Michael Flieg 
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Black-headed Grosbeaks in Illinois 
In September 1969, the first published information concerning a Black- 
headed Grosbeak (Pheutius melanocephalus) in Illinois appeared in THE 
AUDUBON BULLETIN (No. 151:16); unfortunately, it was not published 
correctly. In an attempt to correct the error, a follow-up notice was printed 
