The snail kite breeds in tropical South America, the Caribbean, and central and southern Florida in the United States.

They concluded that Rostrhamus belonged in Buteoninae (sensu stricto) and not in Milvinae, but noted that more investigation was needed. sociabilis sister to Geranospiza caerulescens, and that those two along with Ictinea plumbea were basal to both the Buteogallus and Buteo clades. For this reason, it is considered a molluscivore. It flies slowly with its head facing downwards, looking for its main food, the large apple snails. Adults have red or orangish-brown irises, while juveniles have dark brown irises. The juvenile is similar to an adult female, but the crown is streaked. She has a whitish face with darker areas behind and above the eye. The adult female has dark brown upperparts and heavily streaked pale underparts.

The adult male has dark blue-gray plumage with darker flight feathers. The tarsus is relatively long as well, measuring 3.6–5.7 cm (1.4–2.2 in). The dark, deeply hooked beak, measuring 2.9–4 cm (1.1–1.6 in) is an adaptation to its diet. Its tail is long, at 16–21 cm (6.3–8.3 in), with a white rump and undertail coverts. They have long, broad, and rounded wings, which measure 29–33 cm (11–13 in) each. There is very limited sexual dimorphism, with the female averaging only 3% larger than the male. Usually, it is placed in the milvine kites, but the validity of that grouping is under investigation. Its relative, the slender-billed kite, is now again placed in Helicolestes, making the genus Rostrhamus monotypic. Adults continue to feed them for at least 8 weeks after hatching.The snail kite ( Rostrhamus sociabilis) is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Young may climb out of nest onto nearby branches at age about 4 weeks, may make first flights at about 5 weeks. At first, may feed young mostly insects, regurgitated into nest may bring larger prey later. Adults continue to feed them for at least 8 weeks after hatching.īoth parents care for the young, brooding them in cool weather and shading them at mid-day.

Young: Both parents care for the young, brooding them in cool weather and shading them at mid-day. Incubation is by both parents, 29-31 days. Also scavenges road-killed animals at times (this may account for occasional large rodents or turtles in diet).ġ-2. Sometimes catches insects that have been flushed from the grass by herds of grazing animals or by fire. Pursues bats and flying birds (such as swallows and swifts) in the air. Sometimes flies out from a perch to catch passing insects. Also skims low to catch prey on or near the ground. Catches many large flying insects high in the air in graceful maneuvers, often then holding these in one foot and eating them while soaring.

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