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Posted by Brian Reichert on 10:41:27 01/05/09
In Reply to: Wellington Snail Kite posted by John Schwarz
This is a juvenile snail kite banded by us (Florida Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit, University of Florida) during the 2008 nesting season. The band on the right leg is a alphanumeric color band used in a long-term band-resight population monitoring program. The band is hard to read in this picture. However, based on what I can make out from the picture and the location where it was photographed, I believe this is one of the juveniles which fledged from the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge. The band on the left leg is a standard US Fish and Wildlife band. This bird's wings are not clipped. However, it is possible that this individual is molting, as snail kites begin to acquire their adult plumage soon after their first year. I hope this clears things up a bit. If anyone has further questions, please feel free to contact me at breich@ufl.edu.
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