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Roosting

Snail Kites are quite social. They often congregate at feeding areas and their nesting is often in loose colonies (see nesting). Outside of the breeding season they also congregate at communal roosts.

Just before sunset, Snail Kites will leave their foraging and fly toward a roost site. They can often be seen flying together in a similar direction at this time.

At the roost site, which is typically a woody site surrounded by thick sawgrass, cattail or deep water, kites will gather, sometimes by the hundreds.

As darkness sets in, the roosting kites move lower into the vegetation, where they are hidden from view and less vulnerable to predators.