Recent breeding range expansion of the endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in Florida

Poli, Caroline; Dudek, Sarah; Jeffrey, Brian M.; Robertson, Ellen P.; Fletcher, Robert J.

doi:10.1676/1559-4491-132.1.183

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 20 publications

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“…Snail kites were historically located across a large portion of Florida, extending up to the Florida panhandle as far west as Tallahassee (Krauss, 2000; Poli et al, 2020), but the current range is largely limited to central and southern Florida (Bennetts et al, 1994; Darby et al, 2015; Poli et al, 2020). The decline in the snail kite population in Florida is predominantly attributed to extensive wetland drainage (Kitchens et al, 2002), and shifts in breeding distribution have occurred because of landscape‐scale water modifications (e.g., wetland compartmentalization and drainage) and drought (Rodgers, 2007; Rodgers et al, 1988).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest‐site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration

et al. 2023

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The once vast and interconnected Everglades wetland ecosystem in Florida underwent a 50% reduction in area in the 1900s, resulting in a highly compartmentalized and managed system where ecological restoration is ongoing. Everglade snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus, hereafter snail kites) are federally endangered wetland specialists with a single population in Florida, USA. Predictive models can help inform restoration and natural resource management decision‐making regarding both the quantity and timing of water delivered through the hundreds of water management structures in the Everglades. We developed a spatially explicit real‐time nest‐site selection model, KiteNest, using environmental predictors of nesting for snail kites in south Florida. The results of our modeling indicate that hydrology, percent canopy cover, and proximity to recently burned areas were the most important factors associated with nest‐site selection for snail kites. Water depths between 75 and 100 cm, water recession rates between 0 and 1.25 cm/day, percent canopy covers <20%, and areas <10 km from recently burned habitat were associated with the greatest likelihood of nest‐site selection. KiteNest is applicable to natural resource management decisions in the Everglades and may be useful independently or in conjunction with other ecological models for restoration decision support.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest‐site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration

et al. 2023

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The roles of abiotic and biotic factors in driving range shifts: An invasive Pomacea snail facilitates Rostrhamus sociabilis (Snail Kite) northward range expansion

Machado-Stredel,

Atauchi,

Nuñez-Penichet

et al. 2024

Ornithology

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Rostrhamus sociabilis (Snail Kite) have recently expanded their range in Florida, tracking the invasion of a Pomacea snail (P. maculata), and exhibiting considerable changes in bill size and feeding niche. This range expansion is not aligned with changes in climatic conditions or the distribution of their historic prey (P. paludosa). The Eltonian Noise Hypothesis (ENH), which posits that interactive (biotic) factors have stronger effects on species’ distributions at local scales, predicts that non-interactive (abiotic) factors are generally more relevant at geographic extents. However, in this study, we explore the R. sociabilis range shift as a potential counterexample of the ENH. Under the biotic-abiotic-mobility (BAM) framework, we explore the role of biotic and abiotic factors in the northward range expansion of this endangered species. Over the past 15 years, R. sociabilis have begun consuming the more-abundant invasive snails more often, while increasing in bill size, expanding ~175 km northward from previous range limits in the Kissimmee River Valley. We developed ecological niche models using 3 algorithms (Maxent, GLM, ellipsoids) and found stability in climatic suitability between past and present models. Moreover, although native snails occur in northern Florida, R. sociabilis have had a historically patchy northern distribution due in part to the availability of appropriate wetland conditions. We found a strong latitudinal cline, with bill length increasing with latitude at least through 2020, suggesting that this morphological change broadened the species’ biotic suitable area and distributional potential. The interplay between changes in phenotype and biotic interactions has been poorly documented in distributional ecology, given a lack of rich occurrence datasets. Here, we highlight a case in which a biological invasion and subsequent changes in morphology and diet have facilitated expansion of a specialized predator into areas that were unsuitable until recently.

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Potential effects of climate change on snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida

Lyons¹,

LeDee²,

Boyles³

2022

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Recent breeding range expansion of the endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) in Florida

Cited by 3 publications

References 20 publications

Nest‐site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration

Nest‐site selection model for endangered Everglade snail kites to inform ecosystem restoration

The roles of abiotic and biotic factors in driving range shifts: An invasive Pomacea snail facilitates Rostrhamus sociabilis (Snail Kite) northward range expansion

Potential effects of climate change on snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) in Florida

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