Fauna
Bird

Snail Kite

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Snail Kites glide low over open marshes on broad wings and use a deeply curved, slender bill to extract freshwater snails. They perch conspicuously while feeding and build nests in emergent wetland vegetation.

Marsh RaptorSnail SpecialistLow Glider
Snail Kite reference1 / 7
Giles Laurent / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyApple snails, Other freshwater snails
Predators
  • Great horned owls
  • Alligators
  • Raccoons
ThreatsAltered wetland hydrology, loss of nesting vegetation, pollution, food shortages, and disturbance
HabitatsFreshwater marshes, vegetated lake margins, flooded grasslands, and slow wetlands
Life spanOften about 10 to 15 years in the wild
Classification
  1. OrderAccipitriformes
  2. FamilyAccipitridae
  3. GenusRostrhamus
  4. SpeciesRostrhamus sociabilis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Remain far from marsh nests and never flush a perched or feeding kite.
Responsible observation
  • Bill: Look for a narrow hook adapted to reaching inside snail shells.
  • Feeding: Watch a perch for discarded empty shells below the bird.
Related species

Related species have not been added yet.

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Mystic Meadows

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