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 |  |  | Photo series by Elaine Peterson Long |
| Texas | Mississippi Kite | |
| Photos 1 & 2 | 07/01/2005 26 grams Age: 2-4 days | |
| July 2nd, 2005 38 grams | White down longer length is tinged in a peach color; head is all white & body is the peach color Whistle begging call Very alert; cere & gape flange is yellow orange; beak is black; black eye mask; orange legs & feet that are short in length Full spectrum light is available daily for 1-3 hours | |
| July 3rd, 2005 46 grams | ||
| July 4th, 2005 54 grams | Lifting head and attempting to stand Peach/buff down is becoming very thick | |
| July 5th, 2005 64 grams | Dark pigment showing at fingers, wrist & humerus area Very alert and able to slice mutes across the incubator Mouth: roof is black, tongue is gray/black; legs are orange & cere is yellow | |
| Photo 3 | July 6th, 2005 82 grams | Pin feathers are beginning to break through the skin |
| Photo 4 | July 7th, 2005 92 grams | Pin feathers emerging on fingers |
| July 8th, 2005 106 grams | Jumped out of the nest for the first time | |
| July 9, 2005 118 grams | ||
| Photo 5 | July 10th, 2005 138 grams | |
| Photo 6 | July 12th, 2005 144 grams | Casted first pellet & looked surprised when it came out of the mouth! Down is very wooly & thick; Primary sheathing is unfurling on the wing tips |
| July 13th, 2005 160 grams | Standing more erect & attempting to perch on the edge of the nest. Began to pick up food from a dish | |
| Photo 7 | July 15th, 2005 188 grams | Feathers are unfurling; self feeding Hands off time; only cleaning habitat and leaving food available 2- 3 times per day. Diet is chopped mice parts, crickets, superworms & mealworms. Seems to prefer the insects. |
| July17th, 2005 210 grams | Self-feeding; gripping with feet & talons; moving around much more in the habitat & beginning to do a chirping call rather than the feeding call; tail feathers are unfurling | |
| Photos 8 | July 19th, 2005 | |
| Photo 9 | July 22nd, 2005 220 grams | First perching on a low branch! A bit wobbly but standing very tall! |
| Photo 10 | July 24th, 2005 254 grams | Weight is plateau; practicing vocalization call that is not the begging whistles. Since the bird has begun to perch, it is not getting off of the perch to self feeding. Semi-hand feeding. Prefers insects over the chopped mice when self feeding. Will take chopped mice from forceps. |
| Photo 11 | July 28th, 2005 258 grams |
NOTES: This bird’s diet has been comprised of varied insects including: superworms, mealworms, thawed crickets and chopped mice. In the beginning the mice were skinned and no fur added. Full spectrum light has been available daily; vitamin/mineral supplement along with the whole foods have made up the diet. The development of the neonate has been “normal”. As soon as the bird became self-feeding, I have done as much hands off to avoid any imprinting or habituation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Linda Hufford, thank you for transporting the kite to College Station for placement with Ed Sones!
Thank you to Ed Sones for assisting with the rehab, care & transport of Mississippi Kite admission # 016861 from TWRC.
Carol Mitchell-Lee, thank you for accepting the Mississippi Kite for rehab care of flight conditioning, prey training and release.
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