It is found along a scattered range in forested parts of tropical northern and central South America, and far eastern Panama.

[4] Their primary call is a nasal kee-ee-aay-aay-aay that begins with a sharp increase in frequency followed by a steady decline.

[5] The characteristic slender bill of the slender-billed kite is an adaptation designed to hunt aquatic snails, mostly of genus Pomacea, in flooded forests and other wetland areas.

[6] They perch on low branches to search for prey before diving and snatching the snails in their talons.

Upon catching their prey, they will hold the snail in their talon and use their hooked beak to remove the operculum and pull the body from the shell.

[5] Slender-billed kites nest in trees from 9–20 meters in areas that flood during wet seasons.