Snail Kite
Snail KiteSnail KiteSnail Kite

Snail Kite

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Tikal National Park
11 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
9,411 Verified sightings across all 55 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Snail Kite

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.

Lerner and Mindell (2005) found R. sociabilis sister to Geranospiza caerulescens, and that those two along with Ictinea plumbea were basal to both the Buteogallus and Buteo clades. They concluded that Rostrhamus belonged in Buteoninae (sensu stricto) and not in Milvinae, but noted that more investigation was needed.

The snail kite breeds in tropical South America, the Caribbean, and central and southern Florida in the United States. It is resident all-year round in most of its range, but the southernmost population migrates north in winter and the Caribbean birds disperse widely outside the breeding season.

Snail kites are 36 to 48 cm (14 to 19 in) long with a 99–120 cm (39–47 in) wingspan. They weigh from 300 to 570 g (11 to 20 oz). There is very limited sexual dimorphism... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
Plumbeous Kite
LC

Plumbeous Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ictinia plumbea

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
NT

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Double-toothed Kite
LC

Double-toothed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Harpagus bidentatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White Hawk
LC

White Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis albicollis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Gray-headed Kite
LC

Gray-headed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leptodon cayanensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hook-billed Kite
LC

Hook-billed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chondrohierax uncinatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black Hawk-Eagle
LC

Black Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crane Hawk
LC

Crane Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geranospiza caerulescens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~70%
2 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~30%
3 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
4 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
5 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~20%
6 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
7 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
8 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
10 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
11 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
12 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
13 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
14 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
15 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
16 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
17 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
18 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
19 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
20 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
21 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
22 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
23 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
25 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
26 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
27 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
28 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
29 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
30 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
31 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
32 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
34 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
35 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
<5%
36 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
37 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
38 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
39 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
40 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
41 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
42 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
43 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
44 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
45 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
46 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
Insufficient data
47 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
48 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
49 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
50 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
51 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
52 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
53 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
54 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
55 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Snail Kite in Tikal National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Snail Kite sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Snail Kite in Tikal National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Snail Kite in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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