Alternative name: Everglade Kite
- Rostrhamus sociabilis
Identification
39–48 cm (10¼-19 in); Weight = 375 g
Male:
- Slaty-black body
- White tail base
- Narrow buff or white terminal band on tail
- Long, thin hook on bill
- Ceres and feet are orange or red
- Red eyes
Female: Browner with buff-streaked underparts
Immature: Similar to female, but legs brownish and eye brown, with more streaking on breast.
Similar Species
Easily identified by bill in most of its range. The Slender-billed Kite (local near water in forested areas of South America) has a similar bill and resemble the male Snail Kite in plumage, but is shorter-winged and -tailed, has no white rump, crissum or tail-base and yellow eyes. Immature Slender-billed Kite has darker brownish eyes, but three narrow white tail-bands (incl. tip) unlike any plumage of Snail Kite.
Distribution
Resident in North, Central and South America.
In North America breeds only in the Everglades of southern Florida.
In the Caribbean breeds in Cuba and the Isle of Pines.
Central America: In Mexico found in Colima, Jalisco and Nayarit on the Pacific side, and from Veracuz and Oaxaca to Chiapas and Quintana Roo (on both slopes from about the Isthmus. From there it is found in all countries through Panama, but rare in several areas.
In South America breeds west of the Andes south to western Ecuador and throughout the east as far south as Uruguay and north-central Argentina.
Rare in Trinidad.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- R. s. plumbeus:
- R. s. major1:
- R. s. sociabilis:
An additonal subspecies, levis, is not generally recognised and is commonly included in plumbeus.
Habitat
Freshwater marshes and swamps, lagoons, rivers and mangroves. Lowlands.
Behaviour
Diet
As suggested by its name, feeds almost entirely on snails (e.g. Pomacea snails.). Flies low and slowly over marshes in search of its food.
Vocalisation
A short, guttural cackle.
Juvenile Snail Kite, Orlando, Florida, USA, 25 February, 2023
Recording © by Rayman
Gallery
Click on photo for larger image
Immature
Photo © by dacol
Sweetwater Wetlands Park, Gainesville, Florida, USA, February 2018
Juvenile, subspecies sociabilis
Photo © by Dave B Smith
Pantanal, Brazil, September 2018
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Snail Kite. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Snail_Kite
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
