In Florida, the male gathers most of the nest material. The nest is bulky and flattened. Branches and twigs form the base, with vines and other herbaceous plants lining the cavity. Occasionally a few green leaves are added just before hatching. Nests may have a diameter of 13 to 16 inches (33 to 41 centimeters), a height of eight to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters), and a depth of three to four inches (eight to 10 centimeters). The nest is located normally less than 8 feet (2.5 meters)high, but has been found as high as 28 feet (8.7 meters) over water. It may be located in cattails, sawgrass, and maidencane, but most commonly in shrubs such as willow, wax myrtle and pond apple as well as buttonbush, elderberry, and bald cypress. The nest may be conspicuous or hidden and is usually three to 15 feet (0.9 to 4.7 meters) above water. A new nest is required for each nesting attempt. During renesting a new nest is often built near an old one. The Snail Kites often nest colonially, and often colonies include nesting herons and Anhingas.
Clutch sizes average two to three eggs in Florida, with some evidence to suggest that the Snail Kite lay larger clutches in the early decades of the twentieth century. Today's smaller clutches may be in response to the increasing unpredictability of favorable nesting conditions in southern Florida. The egg is about 1.8 inches (45 millimeters) in length and 1.4 inches (36 millimeters) in breadth. It is of a short elliptical shape and is smooth without gloss. The ground color is white which is sometimes completely obscured by spots, botches, specks and washes of very dark to pale warm brown. Only rarely is an egg almost pure white without few spots or scrawls.
Both sexes incubate the eggs, but the male incubates more than does the female. One parent will often arrive with a stick to place on the nest and exchange duties with its partner. The eggs are incubated 24 to 34 days. Both parents brood the young until two weeks old and feed them. One parent usually brings more food that the other. The tiny young are fed bits of snail. Around weeks three to six the young are fed whole snails, at first "prepared" for consumption, but later intact and still sealed. At this same time usually one of the parents deserts the nesting, leaving it entirely in the care of the other. After desertion, the remaining parent feeds the young at a rate comparable to that of both parents bringing food. The young begin their first flights around the nest between 23 and 28 days and leave it at 28 to 39 days. They are not capable of true sustained flight until 42 to 49 days old. They are fed by the single parent until 63 to 77 days old. By this time, juveniles can catch their own snails, but are clumsy at handling and extracting the snail from its shell.
The Snail Kite practices sequential monogamy. The deserting parent finds another mate and begins a new nesting, if food is sufficiently plentiful. When snails are scarce no mate-nest desertion will occur in the first place.
#Which birds of prey use this type of nest?;question\Q31\Q31.wav
P3ImageView
nestcoll\trecol1.bmp
nestcoll\trecol1b.bmp
ùôÇÇîÇÇ Tree - stick nests
ôÇÇîÇÇ #Which birds of prey use this type of nest?;question\Q31\Q31.wav
P3ImageView
nestcoll\trecol2.bmp
nestcoll\trecol2b.bmp
ùôÇÇîÇÇ Tree - stick nests
ôÇÇîÇÇ #Which birds of prey use this type of nest?;question\Q31\Q31.wav
P3ImageView
nestcoll\boxcol1.bmp
nestcoll\boxcol1b.bmp
ùôÇÇîÇÇ Nest boxes and platforms
ôÇÇîÇÇ #Which birds of prey use this type of nest?;question\Q31\Q31.wav
