An egret. heron and wood stork living in harmony

Florida has some of the most beautiful water birds.  You can see them on the beach, in the parks or even your back yard but what do you really know about them? 

THE BROWN PELICAN

The Brown Pelican is one of Florida’s most beloved birds.  The pelican is playful and full of personality not to mention he will do anything for a fish.  This year round Florida resident seems to be everywhere along the Florida coast, but the reality is that they are an endangered species.

By the 1970’s the pelican had almost disappeared from California, Texas and Louisiana.  The reason for this, believed by many, was that pesticides had worked its way into the water and then into the fish that the pelican would eat.    These birds being at the top of the food chain stored and concentrated the poison in their bodies.  The result of this made the pelican’s egg shells fatally thin, therefore with no hatchlings no new pelicans.

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

  • Pelicans do not use their beak to spear their food but they use it as a net to scoop up their meal.  Upon surfacing, the pouch is tilted forward and drained.
  • Pelicans have special air sacks under their flesh on the front of the body to cushion them from the constant pounding against the water surface.
  • Pelican nests are built close together in low trees and mangroves.
  • When a pelicans land in the water they put their feet forward and skid across the water like brakes.
  • Pelicans tend to fly together in lines of several or more birds.  The flaps are not at same moment, but in sequence, starting with the leader.  Each bird will flap when he reaches the same spot where the lead bird began to flap.
  • White pelicans breed in mountain lakes in northern states and then fly south to Florida for the winter      
  • White Pelicans do not dive for their food like Brown Pelicans.
  • White Pelicans fish in large groups.  The White Pelicans form a semi-circle of 10 to 15 birds and herd fish toward the shore.  Then, while swimming on the surface of the water, they use their pouches like fishnets and scoop up their prey.

ROSEATE SPOONBILL 

The Roseate Spoonbill is very unique bird but is often mistaken for flamingos.  The most distinctive characteristic of the roseate spoonbill is its long spoon-shaped bill. It has a white head and chest and light pink wings with a darker pink fringe and very long pink legs. The roseate spoonbill is about two and a half feet in length with a wingspan of about four and a half feet. Both males and females have the same plumage and coloring. The male is slightly larger than the female andits bill is a little longer.

The roseate spoonbill can be found on the coasts of Texas, Louisiana and southern Florida. It is also found in the tropics and in Central and South America.

The roseate spoonbill nests in colonies. Males and females pair off for the breeding season and build a nest together. They build large nests of sticks lined with grass and leaves. The nests are built in trees. The female spoonbill lays two to four eggs. Both the female and the male incubate the eggs. The chicks hatch in about three weeks and fledge in around 35 to 42 days. Both the male and female feed the chicks until they are about eight weeks old. Young roseate spoonbills have white feathers with a slight pink tinge on the wings. They don't reach maturity until they are three years old.  

The roseate spoonbill spends a lot of its time in shallow water feeding. It sweeps its open bill from side to side in the water to sift up food like small fish, shrimp, mollusks, snails and insects. It has touch receptors in its bill that help it feel its prey. Like the flamingo, the roseate spoonbill's pink color comes from the food it eats. Some of the crustaceans it eats feed on algae that give the spoonbill's feathers their rosy pink color.

Roseate spoonbills are very social. They live in large colonies with other spoonbills, ibises, storks, herons, egrets and cormorants. Roseate spoonbills fly in flocks in long diagonal lines with their legs and neck stretched out. The roseate spoonbill population was once threatened by hunting. In the mid-to-late 1800s its feathers were used in ladies' hats and fans. The population was also threatened by loss of habitat due to drainage and pollution in its habitat. By the early 20th century, the population had shrunk to only a few dozen nesting pairs in the United States. Special protected areas were set aside for them and in the 1940s they were made a protected species. Over time the population recovered and today the roseate spoonbill is no longer a protected species.

 

ANHINGA

Male Anhinga during mating season

The Anhinga can be seen around fresh water lakes and canals either diving under the water or standing on land with it’s wings spread trying to dry them.  They have long powerful necks that give the Anhinga tremendous striking force for spearfishing.

Mother Anhinga feeding her kid.

The Anhinga does not have oil glands for waterproofing his feathers like most water birds.  When the Anhinga goes swimming, his feathers get wet which helps him to dive and chase fish under water.    He can fly with wet feathers, but not as well.

TWO BABY ANHINGA'S RESTING IN THEIR NEST

INTERESTING FACTS:

  • The Anhinga goes by a couple of nicknames like “Water Turkey”(because of it’s long tail, “Darter” because of his jerking and swimming motions, and “Snakebird” because of its  body being completely submerged with only his thin long neck showing above the water.
  • The Anhinga spears his prey with his beak.  Sometimes he spears so powerfully that he has to swim to shore and pry the fish off his beak on a rock.
  • Anhinga females can be spotted by her lighter color feathers on her neck and chest.
  • The Anhinga likes fresh water ponds, streams, and swampy areas rather than coastal beaches.

EGRETS

Any tall white bird you see in Florida is most likely an Egret (except in the Florida Keys where the Great White Heron is frequently seen).  They are very common and can be identified by their jet black legs and a bright yellow beak.  However, there are several types of Egrets that reside in Florida such as the Cattle Egret, Reddish Egret and the Snowy Egret.

At the turn of the century these beautiful birds were being slaughtered in large quantities  for their plumes  be used in ladies hats and accessories.  The birds were being shot in their nesting areas which resulted in the death of the babies and unhatched eggs.  Extinction of many waterbird species was a real threat until the federal legislation combined pressure from groups like the National Audubon Society turned this around and helped save the birds.

Some species of birds, such as the Reddish Egret, exist in two completely different colors.  They do not change color due ring their life cycle like some birds do, for example the Little Blue Heron”.  These birds will remain the same color throughout their life. 

The scientific name for this is “dimorphism” meaning “two forms”.  These are not hybrid birds.  These “birds of a different color” may breed with each other and create an offspring of a mixed color.  For the most part the Reddish Egret will remain basically white or dark.

INTERESTING FACTS:

 

  • The Cattle Egret is least dependant on upon water creatures for its food.  They will follow large animals in pastures and eat the insects that are stirred up by the large animals movement.
  • The Reddish Egret is an uncommon Egret.  Though they come in two colors the darker one is more common.
  • Egrets are natives of Africa and were unknown in the America’s until the 1930’s.  These birds apparently had flown from across the Atlantic Ocean and appeared in South America.
  • Egrets didn’t appear in Florida till about the 1950’s and now are a common site in much of the Eastern United States.
  • You can identify a Snowy Egret by it’s bright yellow feet “Golden Slippers” and it’s solid black beak.

    

            Reddish Egret                                             Cattle Egret

Reddish Egret

GALLINULES (MOORHEN)

The Common Gallinule is a duck like bird that is frequently seen with Coots in fresh water areas.  The red shield on the forehead distinguishes these birds from the Coots.  These birds can be found climbing on tall grass and reeds on the edge of lakes.

BABY MOOREHEN IN THEIR 1ST WEEK

The Purple Gallinule is less common than it’s relative the Common Gallinule.  The Purple Gallinule has an intense bluish purple resembling a peacock color on its chest and a light blue shield on its forehead.  Its legs are bright yellow with extremely large feet which help allow him to walk on lilly pads and other water plants in search for insect food.

(above) Purple Gallinule  (below) Purple Gallinule with her babies

 

 STORKS

The only Storks that are in the United States are the Wood Stork also known as “Wood Ibis”, “Ironhead,” or “Flinthead”.  Currently the Wood Stork is on the endangered species list.  For successful breeding by Wood Storks requires large amounts of food.  Since Wood Storks fish by feel and not sight, fish must be present in large concentrations.

Rain and drought cycles are effect the livelihood of these birds.  When the rain and drought cycle does not occur on schedule, or when the flow of water to the grasslands is disrupted by man’s agricultural uses, very little breeding occurs.  Plentiful food supplies must be present in time to match the Wood Storks breeding efforts.  Unfortunately, in recent years this has not happened. 

INTERESTING FACTS:

  • The Wood Stork  like to nest in the company of other Storks.  This is called “colonial” in the birders use of the word.
  • The Storks reaction time for catching it’s prey is amazingly short.  It is said that the closing of the Storks beak is considered one of the fastest movements in the animal kingdom.
  • The Wood Stork and nicknamed the “Preacherbird:, due to the certain style in which they stand with a dignified and solemn personality.
  • Like other birds the Stork sheds the outer layers of its beak on regular intvals.

HERONS

     

One of Florida’s most beautiful birds is the Heron.  Like other birds, the Heron, has several species such as the Great Blue Heron, Louisiana Heron and Great White Herons.  These birds can be seen standing in fresh water intently waiting to catch its next meal.

BABY GREAT BLUE HERON IN HER NEST

TWO BABY HERONS BUGGING MOM FOR FOOD.  OUCH! SHE'S GETTING HER BEAK BIT.

LOUISIANA HERON

The Audubon called this bird “Lady of the Waters” because of its grace and beauty.  This Heron is quite common, but the name, Louisiana Heron, is very misleading.  It does occur in Louisiana, but also in the other coastal states from North Carolina to Texas and especially in Florida

.

It somewhat resembles the Great Blue Heron, but it is much smaller and more delicate.  Its white belly clearly distinguishes it from all other Herons.

The Louisiana Heron fishes by striding briskly through the water, sometimes even running after fish which are caught with a quick thrust of the beak into the water.  This move is so fast that it will blur a photograph taken at 1/1000 second shutter speed.  A shutter speed of 1/4000 will stop a bullet.

LITTLE BLUE HERONS

The Little Blue Heron has a remarkable life cycle.  It spends the first part of its life as a completely white bird.  Next, it becomes a mottled color for a short while.  Then finally, it turns dark blue, the color it retains for the rest of its life. 

For a positive identification of this Heron look for the bluish-beak with the black tip for positive identification.

 THE GREAT WHITE HERON:

The Great White Heron has pure white plumage and light colored legs which distinguish it from the Great Egret which has black legs.  The “Great White” is a color phase of the Great Blue Heron.

It is rare to see this bird except in the Florida Keys or at town in of Flamingo in the Everglades National Park.  These birds are a familiar sight in the Keys.

Because of the limited range of where these birds reside their population is very small.  Due to large hurricanes their population has been dangerously reduced.  The Great White Heron National Refuge in the Keys has been created for their protection.

 LITTLE GREEN HERON (Green-backed Heron):

This is a shy and very low profile bird.  He favors swampy areas and the grassy edges of lakes.  An extraordinary feature of this bird is his ability to contract his neck so much it appears his head grows directly on his shoulders.  He can extend his neck to unbelievable lengths.

The stretching motion of the neck is most likely used to help move a large fish through his digestive tract.  It is also known to animal behavior scientists as a “comfort movement”.  

  

                    Night Heron                          Black-crowned Night heron

Gulls

If strolling along the beach you are more than likely to come across a Gull.  Scientifically, there is no such species as a “Seagull”.  Nevertheless, the word “Seagull” is commonly used as a catch all name for the many different Gulls. 

Regardless of the type of Gull you may see, the immature birds have brown bodies while the bodies of adult Gulls are white.  The Laughing Gull is among the smallest of the Gull family while the Ring-billed Gull are medium size and the Herring Gull and Black-backed Gulls are the biggest.

 

INTERESTING FACTS: 

  • Gulls like most birds will use the bottom of their beak as a spoon to scoop up fresh water.
  • Gulls will drop shellfish from great heights to try to open the stubborn shell fish.  The Laughing Gull will drop the shellfish on a hard surface rather than a soft beach.
  • The Herring Gull & Black-backed Gull both have a red spot on the bottom halves of their beaks.  This is believed to be a target that aids youngsters in the nest to peck at their parents when demanding food.
  • Gulls tend to flock together in groups of their own kind.

 

(above) Royal Terns

TERNS

Terns are frequently confused with Gulls because of how similar they look.  However, Terns are smaller than Gulls.  Also the Terns are faster, have forked tails, pointed beaks and a longer, more streamlined body shape.

Terns swoop down and grab small fish from the water, but seldom sit on the water like gulls.  It is common to see Terns hover in the for quite some, then dive straight down into the water.  They grab the fish and are airborne again.

(above) Least Tern

Terns will frequently flock together in large groups on sandbars and beaches.  There are different types of Terns.  The Sandwich Tern has a yellow tip on its beak which makes it look like “mayonnaise” on the tip.  There is also the Noddy Tern and Sooty Tern.

The American Bittern is a very shy bird and is hard to find since it hides out.  The Bittern likes to hang out in tall grasses of swamps and ponds.  By lifting his head and swaying in perfect rhythm as winds move the grasses, this makes the bird “just plain disappear”.

Bitterns use their voices to communicate with other Bitterns to find a mate.

 

 IBIS

You may see an Ibis around lakes and other water venues.  Ibis are distinctive for their long, curving bill which turns a brilliant red during breeding season and contrasts with their beautiful blue eye color.  He has a downward curved bill called “decurved”.

The Ibis will roost in large colonies in the mangrove forest along the coasts, or with Herons and Egrets at large inland roosts.  They can be recognized in flight by their outstretched necks and black markings on their wingtips.

INTERESTING FACTS:

  • The Egyptians regarded the Ibis with reverence because they believed that one of their Gods, Thoth, came to earth on occasion and assumed the form of and Ibis.
  • The Ibis come in different colors such as the Glossy Ibis and Scarlet Ibis.
  • The Ibis was once hunted by Native Americans and early settlers as a food source.
  • The Ibis are protected by law like other wild birds.
  • Scarlet Ibis are mostly found in South America but occasionally will be seen in Florida.  These birds most likely may have escaped from a zoo or other attraction.
  • Glossy Ibis can be seen in the central part of Florida on the wet prairies and are much less common on the coast.

 

 OTHER WATERBIRDS:

LIMPKIN

The Limpkin can be heard in making its terrifying screams in the middle of the night.  These large, slow moving birds are best seen in the dim light of dawn, cloudy days or at dusk and hang around fresh water.  The Limpkins’ meals are mostly comprised of freshwater snails.

MOMMA LiMPKIN FEEDING HER BABIES

The name Limpkin comes from its slow, crippled appearance when walking.  They can be recognized by its brownish color with white spots predominately going from its head down.  Its beak is also specially adapted for prying open snails out of their shells.

 

Baby Limpkin

 SANDPIPERS: (Other small wading birds)

Sandpipers can be seen running from the rushing tide at most coastal areas.  They are always present at the beach and there are many kinds of Sandpipers in Florida.

 

SANDERLINGS may be considered to be the cutest of all the sandpipers because they are so small, run very fast, and always seem to be fleeing from crashing waves.  They are easy to recognize by their pure white bell in the winter.  In the summertime they become a rust color.

Sanderlings breed in the Artic in the Spring and then they scatter so widely that they are found on almost every beach throughout the world.

WILLET stands out on the beaches because it is a very common year round resident in Florida and also because it is much larger than the other sandpipers.  In flight the Willet shows a distinct white patch on the wings.  Inn the summer, a pattern of darker feathers appears on the Willet’s chest.

 YELLOWLEGS are a relatively large Sandpiper, but it is not as large as the Willet.  It has bright yellow legs that help distinguish this bird.  There is a Greater Yellowleg and a Lesser Yellowleg.  The Lesser Yellowleg is smaller and the beak is straight where the Greater Yellowleg’s beak is slightly upturned.

 DOWTICHER stands out in a crowd because he has the longest straight bill or all the Sandpipers.  They use this beak to probe deep into the ground on mudflats and edges of ponds.  Dowitchers are brownish in the Summer and grey-colorless in the Winter.

PLOVER have beaks which are shorter than Sandpipers and bulge to a greater thickness at the tip.  The most common type is the Black-bellied Plover which has a jet black belly in summer plumage, and the Semipalmated which is smaller and is distinguished by the single dark band across its chest.

COOTS and DUCKS

   

MOTTLED DUCK                           AMERICAN COOT 

There are 20 to 30 varieties of ducks that visit Florida each year.  The American Coot may be mistaken for a duck, but they are actually a member of the Rail family.  Some of the more common ducks that may be seen are Muscovy, Mallard, Mottled, White and if your lucky you may see the Black Bellied Whistling Duck.  Also large flocks of Scaup ducks are common on Florida bays in winter.

     

                           MALLARD                                   MALE & FEMALE BLUE-WINGED TEAL

     

                           

   

BLACK BELLIED WHISTLING DUCK

Mature and baby Wood Duck

*all photos taken by R.A.Halasz and the property of the Sand Sifters*