Posted by Steve Rushing on January 16, 2023 at 10:07 am
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Juvenile (head covered with feathers) Roseate Spoonbill. On the Georgia coast in January!
There are six spoonbill species worldwide. Roseates are the only ones found in the Americas. As a bonus for us, they are the most colorful.
Being colorful almost did in the North American population. Hunted to near extinction for the hat trade & probably more disdainfully to be made into fans, their Florida population was decimated. Under the protection of the Migratory Bird Act & other protective legislation & public & private efforts to protect wetland habitat, they have been making a comeback. But remain a Species of Special Concern in Florida.