Alternative Text Description for Everglade Snail Kite (Endangered) Habitat Range

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the habitat range boundaries for the Everglade Snail Kite, an endangered species, across the state of Florida. The mapped area represents the geographic extent where this species is understood to occur according to United States Fish and Wildlife Service data. The map shows a single thematic layer depicting the species' range overlaid on a base map of Florida with major cities labeled for geographic reference.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the entire state of Florida, extending from Gainesville and Palm Coast in the north to Miami and Homestead in the south. Major cities labeled on the map include Orlando in the central region, Tampa and St. Petersburg along the west coast, Sarasota and Cape Coral in the southwest, West Palm Beach and Boca Raton on the east coast, and Miami in the southeast. The mapped area includes both coastal and interior regions of the Florida peninsula. The Gulf of America borders the western coastline, while the Atlantic Ocean borders the eastern coastline.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Everglade Snail Kite's range covers the vast majority of the Florida peninsula, indicating widespread habitat distribution across the state. The range encompasses central Florida around Orlando, extends westward to the Tampa Bay area and Gulf coast, and covers the entire southern portion of the state including the Everglades region. The habitat range is essentially continuous across the peninsula with only scattered gaps visible as unshaded areas. Notable concentrations appear in south-central and southern Florida. The range extends from interior wetland areas to both coastal regions, suggesting the species utilizes diverse aquatic habitats across much of peninsular Florida.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Everglade Snail Kite Habitat Range

This layer represents the polygonal boundaries defining where the Everglade Snail Kite occurs within Florida according to USFWS species understanding.

Everglade Snail Kite Range Boundary (pink crosshatch pattern)

Appearance:

The habitat range is depicted with a light pink color overlaid with a fine crosshatch or diagonal line pattern, creating a semi-transparent pink shaded area.

Distribution:

The range covers most of peninsular Florida, with particularly extensive coverage in central and southern regions. The habitat extends from the central portion of the state southward through the Everglades and surrounding areas.

Notable locations:

Major areas within the range include the Orlando metropolitan region, the Tampa Bay area including Clearwater and St. Petersburg, Lakeland, the Cape Coral and Fort Myers area, Lake Okeechobee region (visible as a darker unshaded area in south-central Florida), the Everglades, and the entire southeastern coastal region from West Palm Beach through Miami. The range also includes portions of the Nature Coast near Homosassa Springs and extends to both Gulf and Atlantic coastal areas.

Spatial patterns:

The range forms a large, mostly continuous polygon covering the majority of the peninsula with some internal gaps representing areas where the species does not occur. The northern boundary of the range is irregular, extending further north in some interior areas while being more limited along coastal regions. Small isolated patches appear near Gainesville in north-central Florida. The distribution pattern suggests strong association with Florida's wetland systems and freshwater habitats that extend throughout much of the peninsula.

Overlapping Patterns

The species range overlaps with numerous urban and suburban areas including major metropolitan regions, indicating that the habitat exists within and adjacent to developed areas throughout Florida.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents species range boundaries as polygonal areas rather than point locations, showing the broader geographic extent where the Everglade Snail Kite is understood to occur. The range boundaries reflect USFWS understanding of species distribution and are derived from the CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26 dataset. Areas shown outside the pink shaded regions represent portions of Florida where the species is not documented to occur according to this dataset. The map is intended to show the overall distribution pattern of this endangered species across the state for conservation planning and wildlife management purposes.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

United States Fish and Wildlife Service polygonal boundaries dataset for species occurring in the State of Florida, specifically filtered to show the Everglade Snail Kite.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the CR_USFWS_POLY_JUN26 dataset where COMNAME equals 'EVERGLADE SNAIL KITE', showing only this specific endangered species rather than all species in the full dataset.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a statewide scale showing the entire Florida peninsula, appropriate for viewing the full extent of the species' range across the state.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Limitations:

The range boundaries represent USFWS understanding of species distribution and may not capture all locations where individual birds occur or reflect seasonal movement patterns. The polygonal boundaries show general range areas rather than precise habitat boundaries or population densities within the range.

Map Coverage:

The map extent covers the entire state of Florida from the northern boundary near the Georgia state line south to the Florida Keys, and from the Gulf of America coast in the west to the Atlantic Ocean coast in the east.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.