The Kite and the Snail: An Endangered Bird, Its Unlikely Prey, and a Story of Hope in a Changing World

The unexpected comeback of the endangered Everglade snail kite and what it means for other species facing extinction todayWhen 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