 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 placed in the milvine kites, the validity of that group is under investigation. ==description== thumb|left|adult female snail kites are  long with a  wingspan. they weigh from . there is very limited sexual dimorphism, with the female averaging only 3% larger than the male. they have long, broad, and rounded wings, which measure  each. its tail is long, at , with a white rump and undertail coverts. the dark, deeply hooked beak, measuring  is an adaptation to its diet. the tarsus is relatively long as well, measuring . the adult male has dark blue-gray plumage with darker flight feathers. the legs and cere are red. the adult female has dark brown upperparts and heavily streaked pale underparts. she has a whitish face with darker areas behind and above the eye. the legs and cere are yellow or orange. the immature is similar to adult female, but the crown is streaked. it flies slowly with its head facing downwards, looking for its main food, the large apple snails. for this reason, it is consi
Animals_described_in_1817 Birds_of_Cuba Birds_of_El_Salvador Birds_of_South_America Birds_of_the_YucatA!n_Peninsula_region IUCN_Red_List_least_concern_species Kites_(birds) Monotypic_bird_genera Native_birds_of_Southern_Mexico Native_birds_of_the_Southeastern_United_States