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Grasshopper Invasion Draws 2 Birds, Many Birdwatchers

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OCALA, Fla. (AP) - A recent infestation of American grasshoppers in a Marion County subdivision has attracted what bird lovers have called a rare concentration of two species of raptors, the Mississippi kite and swallow-tailed kite.

The Ocala Star-Banner reports (http://bit.ly/29A5Xyt) the American grasshopper invasion began in late April or early May when several residents of the subdivision blamed site work just north of the area for forcing the grasshoppers into their community.

Experts say the massive numbers of grasshoppers in the subdivision was like hanging "prime rib" in the trees for the kites, which may have come from as far 5,000 miles away in Brazil and Argentina to roost here for a while and chow down.

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