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Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)

snail kite
Photo courtesy of Dr. Grover Larkins, photographer.

Click on the picture to open a larger photo.
The snail kite is an endangered wetland hawk that lives in the freshwater marshes of central and southern Florida. It is about 18-inches long and has a wingspan of about 45-inches.

Snail kites feed almost exclusively on apple snails. The kite's orange or red-colored curved bill is perfect for extracting the snail from the shell.

Because apple snails require a freshwater habitat in which to live, the survival of snail kites is strongly linked with Florida's hydrology (Mooij and DeAngelis). Loss of habitat due to drainage of the Everglades is the major threat to snail kites.

Reference:
Mooij, Wolf M. and Donald L. DeAngelis. "Simulation Model of the Snail Kite", Abstract. Internet address: http://sofia.usgs.gov/projects/atlss/kite/snailkiteab2.html.

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U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Center for Coastal Geology
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Last updated: 05 June, 2003 @ 05:08 PM (KP)