One of the birds most people love to see in this area is the Roseate Spoonbill. And no wonder, as they are quite an exotic looking creature.
Their pink plumage is the result of their eating habits. They feed on crustaceans who in turn have fed on algae. This kinda blurry photo at least shows the brilliant shades of their pink feathers.
It's fun to listen to the folks viewing these birds from the visitor center boardwalk... some think they're seeing flamingos when they first spy them.
A slightly better photo of their "spoonbill".... they swing their heads from side to side in the water, using their bill to scoop up their dinner.
A flock of maybe 15-20 hang out near the boardwalk behind the visitor center here at Cameron Prairie NWR (SW Louisiana)... they are definitely one of the main attractions here.
The other critter everyone wants to see is the alligator.
Personally, I think the Spoonbill is much more attractive. ;-)
That's All For Today!
Just love that area and the spoonbills are really amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt's a beautiful bird. I came home through the valley yesterday, past the heron rookery. They are trickling back. And, it's snowing.
ReplyDeleteThe Roseate Spoonbills are actually very large birds. Amazing how graceful they are for their size.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, the spoonbill is much more attractive and it won't eat me like the alligators! We lived on the Texas coast for six months and never saw a spoonbill!!!
ReplyDeleteThe color of the bird attracts me to have a look in it. It's beak is like a spoon.
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you posted some really beautiful wildlife pictures.
ReplyDeleteSpoonbills and alligators... so typical of the area.
ReplyDeleteYep, I vote for the Spoonbill, too!
ReplyDeleteSeems it must take a lot of algae to keep one adult Spoonbill going, or the algae are high in the nutrients they need. But then the huge baleen whales feed on plankton and krill!
ReplyDeleteWho needs flowers when you have spoonbills in the trees. Pretty birds. I grew up thinking flamingoes were English as there was a wild flock on the Marsh land in Sussex near my home town. They had madeyjthemselves native after escaping from somewhere.
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