• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

• Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

• Birds (Class Aves)

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CLASS AVES

Snail Kite

The Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) is a highly specialized raptor of wetlands, instantly recognizable by its graceful flight and its unique dependence on aquatic snails for food. Medium-sized and slender, it has long, narrow wings, a long tail, and a thin, strongly hooked bill perfectly shaped for extracting snails from their shells. Adult males are slate gray with black wing tips and a red eye, while females and immatures are brown with heavy streaking and have a bold pale eyebrow. Snail Kites are almost always found over marshes, swamps, lakes, and slow-moving waterways, where they fly low while scanning the water’s surface before dropping to seize apple snails, their primary prey.