Snail Kite With Prey
by Jurgen Lorenzen
Title
Snail Kite With Prey
Artist
Jurgen Lorenzen
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
This juvenile Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) has to have a taste of the delicious catch even before it reaches its perch. Photographed at the Alachua Sink Lake and Marsh in the Paynes Prairie Preserve, Micanopy, Florida!
n the wide-open marshes of central Florida, this broad-winged bird glides slowly and low over the sawgrass. It has no need for fast flight, because it seeks only snails -- and only one particular sort, the apple snail. This snail is strongly affected by water levels, and drainage of wetlands has hurt populations of both the snail and the kite. The Florida race of this bird, formerly called Everglades Kite, is now endangered.
Recently an exotic species of apple snail, larger than the local native species, has become established in Florida. The impact of this exotic on the Snail Kites is still uncertain: it might harm the birds by outcompeting the native snail, or the kites may adapt to feeding mainly on the newly established species.
Uploaded
January 23rd, 2023
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Viewed 806 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/21/2024 at 2:11 PM
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Comments (109)
Karen Slagle
What a great shot, Jurgen. That looks really difficult to eat and fly at the same time...love it. fl
Steve Rich
Your wonderful image has been FEATURED on the homepage of "The Meandering Photographer”. Please consider adding your photo to the "Feature History, The Meandering Photographer (June-July 2023)" active discussion thread. 7-21-2023
Don Columbus
Congratulations, your work is Featured in "A Birding Group - Wings" I invite you to place it in the group's "2020-2022 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!!
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