Snail Kite

Rostrhamus sociabilis

OrderAccipitriformes

FamilyAccipitridae

Habitatfreshwater marshes and lake edges

Seasonvery rare visitor to Texas

LocationTexas

Size~17 in / 43 cm

Dietapple snails, almost exclusively

ConservationLeast Concern

ISO1000

About the Snail Kite

A marsh raptor so specialized it eats essentially one thing - apple snails - which it extracts with a slender, deeply hooked bill made for the job. In Texas it is a genuine rarity well north of its usual range, so any sighting draws a crowd of birders in a hurry.

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