Snail Kite

Rostrhamus sociabilisOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)

Codes: Common Name: SNKI Scientific Name: ROSSOC ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175295

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Marshes, freshwater, Rivers

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Rare to uncommon

Egg Color:

White, sometimes marked with brown

Number of Eggs:

2 - 4

Incubation Days:

26 - 30

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Green or dry sticks and leafy twigs.

Migration:

Nonmigratory

General

Snail Kite: A large bird, dark blue black overall with extremely hooked thin black bill with reddish base. In flight it shows a white tail with broad dark distal band and narrow gray terminal band. Long legs are bright orange or red. Females are dark brown overall with white chin and cheeks and white spot over each eye. Juveniles resemble females but are heavily streaked below.

Range and Habitat

Snail Kite: This bird ranges from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and resides in the United States only in peninsular Florida. It is locally common on flooded freshwater marshes, around shallow lakes, and along freshwater courses.

Breeding and Nesting

Snail Kite: Two to four white eggs sometimes marked with brown are laid in a nest of green or dry sticks and leafy twigs. Nest is built by both sexes but male does most of the work. Nest is placed in a low tree, 3-9 feet above ground, or on a hammock of marsh grass. Incubation ranges from 26 to 30 days and is carried out by both sexes. These birds usually have one brood per year but can also have two if there is plenty of food available.

Foraging and Feeding

Snail Kite: This bird feeds mostly on prosobranch freshwater snails of genus Pomacea, also called a green or apple snail, which lays its tiny white eggs on plant stems a few inches above the water. Flies above water surface with its head pointed downward searching for prey in water below. Once snail is detected, Snail Kite hovers just above water surface and extends feet to grasp prey with talons. Snail Kite never takes snail with its bill, nor does it plunge in the manner of fish-eating raptors; adults seldom get belly feathers wet.

Vocalization

Snail Kite: This bird's greeting call is grating "kor-ee-ee-a, koree-a."" Also utters crying "k-a-a-a-a-a-a-a" and repetitive "ker-wuck" or "ku-kuak." Both sexes give a "ka-ka-ka-ka-ka-ka" call.

Similar Species

Snail Kite: The Northern Harrier is found in similar habitat and has a white rump but the harrier has thinner wings, and does not have white in the tail.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Snail Kite

Snail Kite: A large bird, dark blue black overall with extremely hooked thin black bill with reddish base. In flight shows a white tail with broad dark distal band and narrow gray terminal band. Long legs are bright orange or red. Feeds on snails. Flies on slow shallow wing beats followed by glides.

● Song: "ka-ka-ka-ka-ka", "ka-a-a-a--a-a-a", "ker-wuck", "ku-kuak", "kor-ee-ee-a, koree-a"

● Foraging & Feeding: Snail Kite: This bird feeds mostly on prosobranch freshwater snails of genus Pomacea, also called a green or apple snail, which lays its tiny white eggs on plant stems a few inches above the water. Flies above water surface with its head pointed downward searching for prey in water below. Once snail is detected, Snail Kite hovers just above water surface and extends feet to grasp prey with talons. Snail Kite never takes snail with its bill, nor does it plunge in the manner of fish-eating raptors; adults seldom get belly feathers wet.

● Breeding & nesting: Snail Kite: Two to four white eggs sometimes marked with brown are laid in a nest of green or dry sticks and leafy twigs. Nest is built by both sexes but male does most of the work. Nest is placed in a low tree, 3-9 feet above ground, or on a hammock of marsh grass. Incubation ranges from 26 to 30 days and is carried out by both sexes. These birds usually have one brood per year but can also have two if there is plenty of food available.

● Similar species: Snail Kite: The Northern Harrier is found in similar habitat and has a white rump but the harrier has thinner wings, and does not have white in the tail.

Flight Pattern

Flies on slow shallow wing beats interrupted by short glides.

● Range & Habitat: Snail Kite: This bird ranges from southern Mexico to northern Argentina and resides in the United States only in peninsular Florida. It is locally common on flooded freshwater marshes, around shallow lakes, and along freshwater courses.

^BreedingMonogamous

^PopulationRare to uncommon

^MigrationNonmigratory

^Weight13.3 Ounces

Chin

The area of the face just below the bill.

Terminal band

Refers to the contrasting stripe at the tip of the tail.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America

Snail Kite

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Snail Kite

Flight Pattern