Pretty in Pink by Ken _Gilliland

Vue • Animals • posted on Sep 04, 2009

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Description

Roseate Spoonbills feed with Snowy Egrets and a Great Blue Heron in a Mangrove Swamp. This neotropical bird is often misidentified by amateur birders as a flamingo at a distance, due to it's unusual pink color. It can be found in many areas around the Gulf of Mexico, and breeds in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. They are also found in Mexico, Central America, South America, the West Indies and Greater Antilles. They are eat primarily crustaceans, very small fish (that larger waders ignore) and other invertebrates. Spoonbills feed by swinging their bills from side to side as they steadily walks through the water, often in groups as depicted here. Roseate Spoonbill numbers were reduced to near extinction by the late 19th century. The bird was hunted ruthlessly, its plumes used in ladies' hats, and its wings sold as fans. By 1939, about 30 birds were all that remained of the thousands that formerly inhabited Florida. The numbers have rebounded with protective laws. The greatest current threat to the Roseate Spoonbill is habitat loss. As coastal marshes are drained, developed, or polluted by industry, less suitable breeding habitat is available for the birds--a particular concern in coastal Louisiana. While many Roseate Spoonbill nesting colonies are within protected areas, their foraging sites are often unprotected and prone to human disturbance. Rendered in Vue 7i with no postwork. Mangrove Trees(M.Frost), Shorebirds (me)