Slender-billed Kite

Overview

The slender-billed kite (Helicolestes hamatus) is a South American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is a medium-sized raptor that shares its ecological niche and morphology with the snail kite.

Identification

• Slaty grey plumage with broad, rounded wings and a short, square tail; ranges from 36 to 41 cm in length.
• Orange-red face and legs with yellowish eyes; hooked black beak and talons.
• Distinctive primary call described as a nasal 'kee-ee-aay-aay-aay' with a sharp frequency increase followed by a steady decline.
• Juveniles resemble adults but possess brownish eyes and three narrow white bands in the tail.

Habitat

Found in forested parts of tropical northern and central South America, as well as far eastern Panama. It inhabits flooded forests and other wetland areas, often nesting in trees located in zones that flood during the wet season.

Diet

Specialises in aquatic snails, mostly of the genus Pomacea, though it also hunts crabs. It perches on low branches to search for prey before diving to snatch them in its talons. It uses its hooked beak to remove the operculum and pull the body from the shell, extracting the digestive tract prior to consumption.

Did you know?

Males court females by presenting them with snails and feeding them bill-to-bill, repeatedly leaving and returning with more snails until the female accepts the courtship.