Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
Their highly specialized, deeply curved beak allows them to extract snail meat from the shell in seconds without breaking the shell.
- Scientific name
- Rostrhamus sociabilis
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Rostrhamus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Freshwater marshes, shallow lake margins, and flooded savannas with open water.
- Diet
- Almost exclusively freshwater apple snails (Pomacea species).
- Range
- Florida (USA), Caribbean, Central America, South America
- Size
- Wingspan of 99-115 cm, body length of 39-48 cm, weight of 300-450 grams.
- Lifespan
- 15-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland drainage, water level manipulation, degradation of water quality, and invasive aquatic vegetation that hinders foraging.
- Safe to approach?
- Snail Kites are harmless to humans and generally docile. Maintain a safe distance of at least 50 meters, especially during nesting season when they may call in distress. If you encounter one foraging, remain quiet to avoid disrupting its hunt. In the highly unlikely event of a scratch or bite, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water and seek medical attention.
The snail kite ( Rostrhamus sociabilis ) is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, falcons, hawks, and Old World vultures. Its relative, the slender-billed kite, is now again placed in Helicolestes , making the genus Rostrhamus monotypic. Usually, it is placed in the milvine kites, but the validity of that group is under investigation.
Photo: keesgroenendijk, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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