Kite Runner Flying High, Snail Kite, daily painting by Everglades artist Jo-Ann Sanborn

Snail Kite, Jo-Ann Sanborn

acrylic on cradled panel, 5"x5"

sold

It was wonderful to see not one, but two Snail Kites flying low over the open prairie on a recent visit to the Everglades.  The small, dark blue-grey hawks with red talons flashed patches of white as they flew searching for apple snails.

The snail kite was so endangered in the mid-sixties that it was estimated that only 100 pair remained in Florida.  Now, in recovery as a species, there are over 3500.  Still, rare enough to delight when seen.   

The Apple snail, practically the only source of food for snail kites, is a brownish colored snail that lives both on land and water.  It’s the largest North American snail, and is also struggling for survival as a species.  It is hoped that as Everglades restoration continues, both the snails and the kites will flourish.