Snail kite
| Snail kite | |
|---|---|
| Adult male | |
| Adult female, Panama | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Subfamily: | Buteoninae |
| Genus: | Rostrhamus Lesson, 1830 |
| Species: | R. sociabilis |
| Binomial name | |
| Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieillot, 1817) | |
| Subspecies | |
| |
| Range of R. sociabilis All-year resident Breeding only range Area of breeding and vagrancy | |
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.