Merritt Island NWR
Water Birds of the South: The Rarer Ones
At Merritt Island Refuge, there are two species of large water birds that are exciting to see. These birds are less common because the Southeast and the Gulf Coast of the US are the northernmost point of their range. These birds are more common further south throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America.
One of these species is the awkward looking Wood Stork, the only stork to breed in North America. It is not the sort of bird that people fond over, even if it is considered a threatened species, upgraded from endangered status in 2014. It is making more of a comeback as its breeding population has been increasing.
The All About Birds website describes some of the threats to the stork’s population:
During dry years or in years when extensive water diversion projects reduce the amount of standing water below nest trees, a colony may forgo nesting. Low water levels can also increase nest predation from terrestrial predators such as raccoons, and negatively affect foraging opportunities as fewer prey are available.
The more spectacular of these two species is the Roseate Spoonbill. Another large, peculiar looking bird with an odd-shaped bill and bald face, the Spoonbill garners lots of attention with its bright pink plumage.
The Roseate Spoonbill uses its beak to sift through the water to snap up crustaceans and fish. The shrimp they eat contains carotenoids which gives their feathers the pinkish or “roseate” coloring.
The Roseate is the only spoonbill species of the Americas. And like the Wood Stork, its population has at times been threatened. In the late 1800’s, the Roseate suffered a severe decline in population as its pink feathers were prized for use in the decorative women’s hats of the times. According to the Kern Audubon website:
In his 1895 field guide entitled Birds of Eastern North America, Frank M. Chapman wrote of the Roseate Spoonbill’s status: “This was formerly a common species in Florida, but continued persecution has so reduced its numbers that during four winters passed in different parts of the State I did not observe it.” By the 1940s, even after decades of protecting these birds, the spoonbill only nested at one site in South Florida, in a bit of southwestern Louisiana, and a number of spots along the Texas Gulf Coast.
Thankfully the population has recovered in the US so that many can enjoy seeing this unique bird. Like the Wood Stork, the breeding Spoonbill is very sensitive to disturbance and water level in its nesting colonies.
Here is a video of the Spoonbill’s feeding behavior - moving their beaks from side to side through the shallows for small fish and shrimp: