I was excited to finally see and photograph some Snail Kites in Osceola County this past weekend, but there was a twinge of disappointment. They were all female kites, and I really wanted to see some male kites, too.
That’s because, like many bird species, female and male Snail Kites look remarkably different. While the females are mostly dark brown with white eyebrows, the males are mostly dark gray with white highlights.
After checking a couple of different spots in Osceola County and coming up empty, I made a pre-sunrise trek to Twin Oaks Conservation Area near Kissimmee. When it was still dark, I saw a male Snail Kite fly over Lake Tohopekaliga. That was a good sign…