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Nesting Ecology of Snail Kites in Water Conservation Area 3A.

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Date Issued:
1988
Summary:
The Snail Kite (Rostrhamus socialibis) is a medium sized raptor of the Neotropics. Although Snail Kites may be locally common in South and Central America, Mexico, and Cuba (Sykes 1984), the Florida Snail Kite (R.s. plumbeus) is listed as an endangered both federally and by the State of Florida (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1986). Historically, the number of Snail Kites in Florida have not been well documented (Nicols et al. 1980), and estimates prior to the early 1900's are lacking. Howell (1932) gives a general indication of kite numbers during the early 1900's by describing that "scattered flocks of a hundred or more birds" were frequently found within a limited area. It is impossible to assess, however, whether these flocks were widespread or local concentrations during times of food shortage. As recently as 1985, over 350 Snail Kites have been reported using a single roost during a period when Water Conservation Area 3A had dried out (J. Takekawa, pers. comm.). At any rate, we can reasonably assume that kite numbers in Florida, up until the 1930's, were at least 100 and probably numbered in the hundreds or even thousands. During the mid-1900's estimates of the Snail Kite population in Florida were consistently under 100. In recent years (1970's-1980's), Snail Kite numbers generally have been increasing with population estimates of at least 668 birds during 1984 (Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, upubl. data).
Title: Nesting Ecology of Snail Kites in Water Conservation Area 3A.
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Name(s): Bennetts, Robert E.
PALMM (Project)
Collopy,Michael W.
Beissinger,Steven R.
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Technical Report
Issuance: monographic
Date Issued: 1988
Publisher: University of Florida. Department of Wildlife and Range Sciences
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: 174 pages, illustrations, 28 cm.
Language(s): English
Summary: The Snail Kite (Rostrhamus socialibis) is a medium sized raptor of the Neotropics. Although Snail Kites may be locally common in South and Central America, Mexico, and Cuba (Sykes 1984), the Florida Snail Kite (R.s. plumbeus) is listed as an endangered both federally and by the State of Florida (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1986). Historically, the number of Snail Kites in Florida have not been well documented (Nicols et al. 1980), and estimates prior to the early 1900's are lacking. Howell (1932) gives a general indication of kite numbers during the early 1900's by describing that "scattered flocks of a hundred or more birds" were frequently found within a limited area. It is impossible to assess, however, whether these flocks were widespread or local concentrations during times of food shortage. As recently as 1985, over 350 Snail Kites have been reported using a single roost during a period when Water Conservation Area 3A had dried out (J. Takekawa, pers. comm.). At any rate, we can reasonably assume that kite numbers in Florida, up until the 1930's, were at least 100 and probably numbered in the hundreds or even thousands. During the mid-1900's estimates of the Snail Kite population in Florida were consistently under 100. In recent years (1970's-1980's), Snail Kite numbers generally have been increasing with population estimates of at least 668 birds during 1984 (Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission, upubl. data).
Identifier: FI05122802 (IID), 1021583 (digitool), fiu:13655 (fedora), AAC0116QF
Note(s): Electronic Reproduction Florida State University System of Florida, PALMM Project 2003 (Florida Environments Online) Mode of access: World Wide Web. System Requirements: Internet Connectivity; Web Browser Software; Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print PDF files. Electronically reproduced by Florida International University from material held in the Government Documents Department, FIU Libraries.
Subject(s): Everglade kite
Florida snail kite
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/tc/feol/FI05122802.pdf
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/tc/feol/FI05122802.jpg
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
Host Institution: FIU