Mississippi Kites & friend

[Jill Armentrout]

The family of Kites are busy feeding baby at 2904 e 39th Ct right now. Chris T & I think this is a Merlin. I saw the orangish chest? Can anyone confirm?

[Jill Armentrout]

Here’s another better shot of our mystery guy slightly smaller than female kite.

[Roy Adolphson]

Checkerboard underwing pattern and orangish or rusty streaks on chest are consistent with Merlin.  Size would be slightly larger than a Kestrel and smaller than MIKI. 

Roy Adolphson

Polk County (DSM)

On Sat, Sep 13, 2025 at 9:29 AM 'Jill Armentrout' via IA-BIRD <ia-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Here’s another better shot of our mystery guy slightly smaller than female kite.

--
Post by sending an email to ia-...@googlegroups.com.
To search for an unfamiliar location, go to https://iowabirds.org/Places/FindLocation.aspx
This list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union - https://iowabirds.org/ - with membership open to all people interested in the birds of Iowa. Join today at https://iowabirds.org/IOU/Membership.aspx.
IOU Code of Birding Ethics - https://iowabirds.org/Pages.aspx?pg=6
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "IA-BIRD" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ia-bird+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ia-bird/87B0BC09-E9BB-49BB-92BC-6554F92239B7%40mac.com.

Sent from Jill’s iPhone.

> On Sep 13, 2025, at 8:50 AM, 'Jill Armentrout' via IA-BIRD <ia-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> The family of Kites are busy feeding baby at 2904 e 39th Ct right now. Chris T & I think this is a Merlin. I saw the orangish chest? Can anyone confirm?
>
> --
> Post by sending an email to ia-...@googlegroups.com.
> To search for an unfamiliar location, go to https://iowabirds.org/Places/FindLocation.aspx
> This list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union - https://iowabirds.org/ - with membership open to all people interested in the birds of Iowa. Join today at https://iowabirds.org/IOU/Membership.aspx.
> IOU Code of Birding Ethics - https://iowabirds.org/Pages.aspx?pg=6
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "IA-BIRD" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ia-bird+u...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ia-bird/1CC6D5B8-4FE5-40DD-9B70-DC6A7916B37A%40mac.com.
> <IMG_3171.jpeg>
>
> Sent from Jill’s iPhone.
>
> --
> Post by sending an email to ia-...@googlegroups.com.
> To search for an unfamiliar location, go to https://iowabirds.org/Places/FindLocation.aspx
> This list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union - https://iowabirds.org/ - with membership open to all people interested in the birds of Iowa. Join today at https://iowabirds.org/IOU/Membership.aspx.
> IOU Code of Birding Ethics - https://iowabirds.org/Pages.aspx?pg=6
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "IA-BIRD" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ia-bird+u...@googlegroups.com.
> To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ia-bird/1CC6D5B8-4FE5-40DD-9B70-DC6A7916B37A%40mac.com.

--
Post by sending an email to ia-...@googlegroups.com.
To search for an unfamiliar location, go to https://iowabirds.org/Places/FindLocation.aspx
This list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union - https://iowabirds.org/ - with membership open to all people interested in the birds of Iowa. Join today at https://iowabirds.org/IOU/Membership.aspx.
IOU Code of Birding Ethics - https://iowabirds.org/Pages.aspx?pg=6
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "IA-BIRD" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ia-bird+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ia-bird/87B0BC09-E9BB-49BB-92BC-6554F92239B7%40mac.com.

[Jill Armentrout]

thanks so much!!!  I wanted to make sure because it is a Lifer for me and Chris!

Jill Armentrout

sammie...@mac.com

Olivia - Barynuk’s You’re The One That I Want CGC
Benny - CH Barynuk’s What Have I done! CGC TKN BCAT BN RN
LucyLou - CH Barynuk’s Black Magic Woman CGC TKN BCAT RN
Waiting at the Rainbow Bridge
Samantha – Can-CD,U-CDX,U-AGI Brier Patch Farms Samantha CDX, RE,TDI,OAP,OJP,NA,NAJ
Thor - MACH Barynuk's God of Thunder CD RE NJP OF
Marco Polo – CH MACH3 Barynuk’s God of Lightning CD OF

[Randall Bonjour]

The post does not say it this is a juvinile or adult.  I have had Mississippi Kite nest in an oak tree in my front yard in Pensacola...and have experienced good looks.  The photo could be a juvinile.  But if this is an adult...a bird feeding a juvinile...it looks like a Merlin.  If bringing small mammals to feed, such would point to Merlin.  MK is an insect capturing bird. If adult is grey, the indicator would seem to be MK.  The silloette of these two birds is also different.  The tail length is different.  Consider this on your next observation.

On Sat, Sep 13, 2025, 6:49 AM 'Jill Armentrout' via IA-BIRD <ia-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

The family of Kites are busy feeding baby at 2904 e 39th Ct right now. Chris T & I think this is a Merlin. I saw the orangish chest? Can anyone confirm?

--
Post by sending an email to ia-...@googlegroups.com.
To search for an unfamiliar location, go to https://iowabirds.org/Places/FindLocation.aspx
This list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union - https://iowabirds.org/ - with membership open to all people interested in the birds of Iowa. Join today at https://iowabirds.org/IOU/Membership.aspx.
IOU Code of Birding Ethics - https://iowabirds.org/Pages.aspx?pg=6
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "IA-BIRD" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ia-bird+u...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ia-bird/1CC6D5B8-4FE5-40DD-9B70-DC6A7916B37A%40mac.com.