Snail kite Rostrhamus sociabilis

Identification Tips:

• Length: 15 inches Wingspan: 44 inches
• Sexes different
• Medium-sized hawk
• Long, broad, rounded wings extend beyond tip of tail at rest
• Dark, very hooked beak
• Long, squared-off tail with white base, broad dark band and gray terminal band
• White upper and undertail coverts
• Range restricted to southern Florida

Adult male:

• Dark gray plumage
• Darker flight feathers
• Red legs and cere

Adult female:

• Dark brown upperparts
• Underparts heavily streaked
• White supercilium
• Yellow to orange legs and cere
• Immature similar to adult female

Similar species:

The Northern Harrier is found in similar habitat and has a white rump but the harrier has thinner wings, and does not have white in the tail.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.