Rapid long-distance colonization of Lake Gatun, Panama, by Snail Kites

The distribution of the Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis) is closely tied to that of apple snails (Pomacea spp.), its nearly exclusive food. Before t he early 1990s, the species occurred in Panama primarily as a vagrant. Appl e snails were introduced to Lake Gatun in central Panama in the late 1980s, and by 1994 Snail Kites had colonized the lake from population sources at least 350 km away and initiated breeding. Since 1994 the population has inc reased rapidly and the species can now be found throughout the lake.