A story of survival and hope, this book reveals how the Everglade snail kite made a surprising comeback from the brink of extinction—and what its example means for the future of conservation.
The unexpected comeback of the endangered Everglade snail kite and what it means for other species facing extinction today
When a bird of prey known as the Everglade snail kite became hard to find in the wetlands of South Florida where it was once abundant, scientist Hilary Flower sought answers, tracking the kite far from its ancestral home to tell a surprising story of survival and hope. The Kite and the Snail reveals how one species made a comeback from the brink of extinction through resilience and change—and what this means for the future of conservation.
From remote sawgrass marshes to abandoned mining pits, from flooded cattle pastures to water-treatment impoundments, Flower meets field biologists, tribal elders, environmental advocates, and other key players who help her piece together the kite’s past and present. The Everglade snail kite has traditionally fed on only the native Florida apple snail, which declined in population as wetland habitats decreased during the mid- to late twentieth century. But the kite shocked scientists by adapting to a new food source—an invasive, exotic snail that is now common across the Everglades and beyond—and quadrupling the kites’ population.
A rare success story in an age of increasing threats of extinction, this book traces the evolutionary and ecological factors that have allowed the kite to thrive against the odds. The Kite and the Snail asks: How can endangered species be saved when the world around them keeps shifting? Part natural history, part investigative journey, and part personal meditation, this story shows that flexibility, surprise, and human-altered habitats may play unexpected roles in saving species at risk, pointing to new approaches to conservation in the age of the Anthropocene.
The unexpected comeback of the endangeredEverglade snail kite and what it means for other species facing extinctiontoday
When a birdof prey known as the Everglade snail kite became hard to find in the wetlandsof South Florida where it was once abundant, scientist Hilary Flower soughtanswers, tracking the kite far from its ancestral home to tell a surprisingstory of survival and hope. The Kite and the Snail reveals how onespecies made a comeback from the brink of extinction through resilience andchange—and what this means for the future of conservation.
Fromremote sawgrass marshes to abandoned mining pits, from flooded cattle pasturesto water-treatment impoundments, Flower meets field biologists, tribal elders,environmental advocates, and other key players who help her piece together thekite’s past and present. The Everglade snail kite has traditionally fed on onlythe native Florida apple snail, which declined in population as wetlandhabitats decreased during the mid- to late twentieth century. But the kiteshocked scientists by adapting to a new food source—an invasive, exotic snailthat is now common across the Everglades and beyond—and quadrupling the kites’ population.
Arare success story in an age of increasing threats of extinction, this book tracesthe evolutionary and ecological factors that have allowed the kite to thrive againstthe odds. The Kite and the Snail asks: How can endangered species besaved when the world around them keeps shifting? Part natural history, partinvestigative journey, and part personal meditation, this story shows thatflexibility, surprise, and human-altered habitats may play unexpected roles in savingspecies at risk, pointing to new approaches to conservation in the age of theAnthropocene.
A story of survival and hope,this book reveals how the Everglade snail kite made a surprising comeback fromthe brink of extinction—and what its example means for the future ofconservation.
