Few birds are as specialized as the snail kite. Its hooked, slender bill is built for one job: pulling apple snails out of their shells.
Species
Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus, the Florida and Cuban subspecies.
Diet
Almost entirely the Florida apple snail, Pomacea paludosa, snatched with the feet from the water’s surface.
Habitat
Freshwater marshes and the shallow, vegetated edges of lakes, natural and man-made, with open water clear enough to hunt by sight. Apple snails need marshes that stay flooded nearly year-round.
Why it matters
Because the kite depends on apple snails, and the snails depend on water, the bird is a direct measure of the marsh’s health. Drainage, pollution, invasive plants and altered water flow all threaten both.
Conservation status
Listed as endangered in 1967. Its range is now restricted to central and southern Florida watersheds.