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Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
Family: ACCIPITRIDAE
Order: Falconiformes
Spanish Common Name: Babosero, Caracolero común, Gavilán caracolero
French Common Name: Milan des marais
(c) Ashok Khosla |
Courtsey Kenn Kaufman |
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Conservation Status
Global Population: 2,000,000
Continental Population: unknown
Watchlist Status: 
Endangered or Threatened Status: Endangered
Gliding dark and low over a marsh, the Snail Kite hovers, then stretches to pick an apple snail from a water lily in Florida's freshwater wetlands. This endangered raptor is among the most specialized of its hawk and harrier relatives. Its scientific name translates to "sociable hook bill," which emphasizes two of the species' traits: the Snail Kite often roosts with other waterbirds, and its beak fits perfectly into round snail shells.
Range & Distribution
The North American subspecies of the Snail Kite occurs only on the Florida peninsula south of Orlando throughout the Everglades. This subspecies also inhabits Cuba. Two other subspecies of Snail Kite range through Central America, northern South America, and then southward into Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina.
A legend for the range map to the right can be found here.
Population Status & Trends
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, observers noted an abundance of Snail Kites at many locations. By the mid-1900s, this dark kite was becoming rare, as its wetland habitat was drained for development. Since 1969, an annual census has revealed fluctuations in Snail Kite populations, which are often associated with changes in water levels. However, recent Christmas Bird Counts and the annual Florida census show a significant increase in Snail Kites.
Conservation Issues & Efforts
Since 1967, the federally endangered Snail Kite has been protected and managed with a recovery plan under the Endangered Species Act, but the bird's fate ultimately depends on the recovery of Florida's wetlands, especially the Everglades. Its greatest threats are habitat loss caused by agricultural and urban development, changes in hydrology, and exotic plant species. Non-native plants like water hyacinth form dense mats, which take over the wet, emergent grasslands that provide critical habitat for apple snails, and make foraging impossible for Snail Kites.
The Everglades once supported a vast sea of wetland grasses, but dikes, pools, channels, and locks have created artificial environments and fragmented habitat there since the late 1920s. As a result, droughts devastate the apple snails, which are the Snail Kite's primary food source. Under these conditions, mortality may increase up to 16% for adult kites and 86% for juveniles.
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's guidelines prohibit commercial and recreational activities within 500 feet of active kite nests and allow only critical activities within 1,640 feet. These guidelines also call for better control of invasive plants, optimal water levels for foraging, and the installation of artificial nest structures.
The Snail Kite may also benefit from the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which has already facilitated the purchase of 207,000 acres, as well as attempts to create a more natural water cycle. However, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, Florida's human population will grow by about 12 million people between 2000 and 2030. As the demand for land and water increase, active and innovative management will be needed to protect the Everglades—and species like the Snail Kite.
What You Can Do
Look for Snail Kites in Florida by joining a guided nature walk. A local Florida Audubon chapter like the Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society can help you find the kites and avoid disturbing this endangered species.
Attend a wildlife festival such as the Space Coast Birding Festival outside Titusville, Florida, where Snail Kites are discussed, observed, and celebrated.
For more actions you can take, including Audubon activities, please visit our resources page.
For More Information
Learn about wetland management plans that impact the Snail Kite—particularly the restoration of Florida's Everglades. Visit Audubon's Saving the Everglades web pages.
Visit our resources page for more information about this species.
References
Martin, Julien, et al. "Multiscale patterns of movement in fragmented landscapes and consequences on demography of the snail kite in Florida." Journal of Animal Ecology 75:2 (March 2006) p. 527-539.
Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2005. Version 6.2.2006. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD.
Sykes, P. W., Jr., J. A. Rodgers, Jr., and R. E. Bennetts. 1995. Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis). In The Birds of North America, No. 171 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.
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