Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderAccipitriformes
- FamilyAccipitridae (Accipítrids)
- GenusRostrhamus
- SpeciesRostrhamus sociabilis (Snail Kite)
The snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Its relative, the slender-billed kite, is now again placed in Helicolestes, making the genus Rostrhamus monotypic. Usually, it is placed in the Milvine kites, but the validity of that grouping is under investigation. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Braulio Carrillo National Park
Gray-lined Hawk
Buteo nitidus
Broad-winged Hawk
Buteo platypterus
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
White Hawk
Leucopternis albicollis
Black-collared Hawk
Busarellus nigricollis
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Semiplumbeous Hawk
Leucopternis semiplumbeus
Black Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus tyrannus
Double-toothed Kite
Harpagus bidentatus
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus ornatus
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Snail Kite at Braulio Carrillo National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there