📷Chasing the Everglade Snail Kite: My freezing airboat morning with one of Florida’s rarest raptors

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Everglade snail kite (often just called a snail kite) is a medium‑sized Florida bird of prey that’s federally listed as endangered.

It’s not as big or flashy as bald eagles or ospreys, but it’s just as fascinating.

Here’s what I look for when I’m trying to spot one:

• Dark, hawk‑sized body
• Red eyes
• Orange legs
• Distinct white rump patch at the base of the tail
• A buoyant, hovering flight over shallow water—like an actual kite

When they hunt, snail kites ride the wind over freshwater marshes and the grassy edges of lakes, then hover in place before dropping down on their prey.

Ornithologists went full‑literal with the name: the snail kite really does fly like a kite and really does eat snails.

Built for Eating Apple Snails

Unlike many raptors that eat fish, rodents or small birds, the snail kite is a dietary specialist. It feeds almost exclusively on apple snails, including:

• Native Florida apple snails (Pomacea paludosa)
• Larger invasive apple snails that have spread through many Florida wetlands

The kite’s whole body is built around this diet:

• Long talons to grab snails right at the surface of the water
• A slender, sharply curved bill designed to hook the snail out of its shell
• A hunting style that keeps it low and slow over open water, scanning for snails within inches of the surface

Biologists have even documented snail kites getting larger over time in areas with abundant invasive apple snails—more big snails, more calories, bigger kites.

But this specialization is a double‑edged sword. If the wetlands suffer and snail populations crash, the kite has nowhere else to go.

Why the Florida Snail Kite Is Endangered

The Everglade snail kite in Florida doesn’t migrate out of the state. Instead, it wanders within it, following water levels and food across wetlands, lakes and marshes. You can find snail kites in places like:

• The Everglades
• Lake Okeechobee
• The Kissimmee River valley
• The St. Johns River headwaters
• Shallow freshwater marshes and grassy lake shorelines across peninsular Florida

The No. 1 threat to the Florida snail kite population is loss and degradation of wetland habitat. Over decades, Florida’s wetlands have been:

• Drained and channelized
• Polluted by agricultural and urban runoff
• Overgrown with invasive plants
• Altered in their natural flood‑and‑dry cycles

When water management changes, snails disappear. When snails disappear, snail kites follow. Overgrown vegetation can also let predators reach nests more easily. And human disturbance — especially near nests — can flush adults off the nest, exposing eggs and chicks to predators and heat.

So when you spot a snail kite gliding over shallow water, you’re not just seeing a rare raptor; you’re looking at a live indicator that section of wetland is still (for now) functioning.

Airboat Adventure

My chance to see snail kites up close started with a message from Captain John Ruggeri, better known on Instagram as @airboatphotographer. He runs with Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures and sent me the magic sentence:

“I know exactly where to find snail kites.”

On a very cold Central Florida morning, I bundled up and climbed aboard his airboat. The kind of cold where the wind makes you question every life decision as soon as the boat accelerates.

Within minutes of leaving the dock, John proved he wasn’t exaggerating.

We were surrounded by snail kites.

They were working a shallow area, riding the wind, hovering, and dropping for snails—some passing so close you could literally hear the whoosh of their wings. As a photographer, it was equal parts dream and chaos.

One of Florida’s Fastest Raptors

The problem with photographing snail kites on an airboat isn’t getting close enough — it’s being too close.

A few challenges from that morning:

• Speed: Snail kites are crazy fast when they lock onto a snail.
• Distance: They were so close that framing and tracking them through a long lens felt like trying to photograph a fly with a telescope.
• Action: Multiple birds hunting the same patch of water meant constant mid‑air chases and conflicts.

Any idea of a shot list or careful planning vanished almost instantly. There is no planning here; you just:

• Keep your head on a swivel
• Anticipate where the bird might go
• Accept that you’re going to miss more shots than you nail

I did what every wildlife photographer does in this situation: I held the shutter down and hoped for the best. I walked away with 1,500 images from that one ride. And a pretty good case of, “How am I going to cull all of this?”

By the time we headed back in, I couldn’t feel my fingers. I usually go home from the water with sunburn. That morning, I went home with windburn.

Was It Worth It? Absolutely.

Yes, I got some images I’m genuinely happy with. But as dramatic as the photos are, that’s not really the point for me.

The real payoff was being there:

• Watching an endangered raptor do exactly what it evolved to do
• Seeing that curved bill in action as it pulled snails from shells
• Hearing wings cut through cold air just feet away
• Knowing that this one patch of wetland still supports snails, and therefore kites

Moments like that make the early alarm, the frozen fingers worth it.

How to See Everglade Snail Kites in Florida (Responsibly)

If you’re in Florida and want to try your luck seeing or photographing Everglade snail kites, here are a few tips:

1. Go where the wetlands are

Look for shallow freshwater marshes and grassy lake shorelines, especially in:

• The Everglades and Water Conservation Areas
• Lake Okeechobee
• The Kissimmee River valley
• The St. Johns River headwaters
• Other managed wetlands and wildlife management areas

Guided airboat tours (like those from Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures) can be a great way to reach good habitat without disturbing sensitive areas on foot.

2. Learn the snail kite’s field marks

To pick out a snail kite from other raptors like northern harriers:

• Look for a dark bird with a white rump patch
• Notice the downward‑curved wings in flight (harriers hold theirs in more of a V‑shape)
• Watch for hovering over water followed by quick drops to the surface

Binoculars or a long lens make a big difference, especially if you’re trying to identify females or juveniles, which are browner.

3. Keep your distance and respect the nest

Snail kites are federally endangered, and their nests are especially sensitive:

• Never approach a bird that looks like it’s sitting on a nest or defending a specific area
• Use your binoculars or telephoto lens instead of walking closer
• Follow all posted rules and stay in designated areas

Disturbing a nesting bird can cause it to abandon the nest temporarily, leaving eggs or chicks vulnerable to predators and harsh sun.

4. Support healthy wetlands

If you care about snail kites, you care about wetlands—even if you’ve never set foot in a swamp.

You can help by:

• Supporting organizations and projects that restore Florida wetlands
• Learning more about water management and conservation where you live
• Reducing pollution and runoff in your own backyard

Snail kites, apple snails and clean water are all part of the same story.

Why Getting Outside Is Always Worth It

You don’t have to chase an endangered raptor on an airboat in freezing wind to have a wildlife moment (though I’d recommend it, minus the injury).

Start by paying attention to the so‑called “everyday” birds around you:

• The heron patrolling a retention pond
• The osprey perched on a light pole over I‑4
• The vultures, ibises, anhingas and grackles you’ve trained yourself to ignore

Once you start actually looking, even the most common species stop feeling common.

That’s what that cold morning with the Everglade snail kites reinforced for me:

Get outside and take a closer look at the animals all around you. It’s always worth it.

And if you want to see more snail kite images—and a lot of other incredible Florida wildlife—check out Captain John Ruggeri on Instagram at @airboatphotographer, and dive deeper into Everglade snail kite conservation through wildlife agencies and local conservation groups.