Snail Kites Disappearing From Everglades
Posted on: Sunday, 6 July 2008, 00:00 CDT
A measure taken to protect one endangered bird in the Florida Everglades, the Cape Sable seaside sparrow, may be driving the Everglades snail kite out.
The most recent survey of the kites found few of them living in the Everglades or Lake Okeechobee, the source of the River of Grass, The Miami Herald reported. Most of the nesting pairs spotted were 100 miles to the north in a chain of lakes in central Florida.
The counters said numbers may have dropped by two-thirds since 2000 to fewer than 1,000 birds.
The situation is dire. It's critical, said Wiley Kitchens of the University of Florida, who heads the annual surveys. The birds are simply not replacing themselves.
The Miccosukee Tribe blames the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Joette Lorian, a tribal spokeswoman, said closing floodgates on the Tamiami Trail to protect sparrow nesting sites drowns habitat north of the trail for the apple snail, the snail kite's principal food.
Paul Souza, a field supervisor with the Fish and Wildlife Service, said the problem is out of the government's control. He said two years of drought have killed off many of the snails, leading to the drastic drop in the kite population.
Source: United Press International
Related Articles
- Everglades In Poor Shape As Restoration Slows
- Florida Land Deal Could Doom Big Sugar
- Vetoed Water Bill Has $2B for Everglades
- MWH and Jacobs Engineering Group Awarded Contract Amendment for Ongoing Restoration of Florida Everglades
- Unique, Rare and Endangered Species of Florida Everglades Highlighted on Stamps
- Artists Teach Kids to Be Earth Protectors: Students From Jane S. Roberts K-8 Center Learned That 'Everyday is Earth Day' Through Vivid Drawings and an Educational Video
- Biologist Battles Killer Pythons in Florida Everglades
- The Oyster Shell Game
- Environmentalists Sue for Everglades Bird
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds