Photo by Tim Barker
An unexpected alliance.
A species on the edge.
A comeback that offers hope for us all.
In The Kite & the Snail, discover how the Everglade Snail Kite adapted against all odds—its survival made possible by an invasive species no one saw coming.
The kite’s past and present are pieced together through the eyes of field biologists, tribal elders, and environmental advocates in this gripping book that blends natural history with human-centered insight. Uncover what this rare conservation victory teaches us about resilience in a rapidly changing world.
Be among the first to read this remarkable story.
What People Are Saying
“A fascinating and often heartening story of adaptation and survival in a fast-changing world. THE KITE AND THE SNAIL will expand your capacity for surprise.”
Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction
“The Kite and the Snail examines the decline of the Everglades and the progress of its management and restoration through the lens of a single dynamic endangered species. Flower introduces a cast of scientists, activists, and decision-makers, exploring what humans have wrought on this awe-inspiring landscape. The book is both entertaining and educational, even for those of us who have been immersed in the science and policy of the Everglades for a very long time. I was thoroughly engrossed.”
Jerry Lorenz, former director of research, Audubon Florida Everglades Science Center
“Flower brings us along on her quest to discover new secrets about one of Florida’s most exquisite birds—the snail kite. I learned so much about my beloved native state! This book deserves to perch alongside other great books about Florida’s unique natural history.”
R. Scot Duncan, author of Southern Rivers: Restoring America’s Freshwater Biodiversity
“Flower has done something novel and compelling in telling a story of the recovery of the snail kite while simultaneously writing about the resilience and adaptation of life itself. What emerges is a better understanding of both the snail kite’s future, and possibly our own.”
Mark Rains, Chief Science Officer for the state of Florida
Current Project
Flamingo: An American Story
The appearance of a young flamingo in the Florida Keys in 2015 reopened a 250-year-old mystery: Do flamingos actually belong in Florida? It is a strange paradox—Florida is a place where flamingo imagery is everywhere, yet for decades, the conservation establishment refused to recognize them as a native species.
Hilary Flower investigates the deep history of flamingos in the Sunshine State and how the arrival of American settlers in the 1820s transformed their fate. Through the lives of the historical figures who shaped this bird's trajectory, Flower reveals a larger story of America’s own evolving identity and our shifting relationship with the wild. Today, as a scrappy group of conservationists works to dismantle the barriers to the flamingo's return, their struggle illuminates a vital opportunity: the chance to reckon with a violent past and forge a future rooted in restoration.
A member of the Florida Flamingo Working Group, Flower has chronicled this rapidly unfolding story for the Tampa Bay Times and Sun Sentinel. Her upcoming book blends rigorous science with narrative journalism to reveal why these iconic birds are coming back—and what their return says about us.