![]() Moore Sanctuary, much to my wife’s chagrin. I’m not always successful, of course - I sometimes return too late from a long day of birding or dally a bit on our family walks around Edith L. ![]() Profile by Ryan Call: Being married to a non-birder, I strive to make birding as easy and as convenient as possible for my family. The picture was taken at Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island TX, Galveston County on April 4, 2018. The birds in the image are Roseatte Spoonbills. Smith on our Board of Advisors, and appeared in the Galveston Daily News on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. The Mating Spoonbills photo won 1st place in the Galveston FeatherFest first week contest. The rookery at Houston Audubon's Smith Oaks Sanctuary is a great place to observe Roseate Spoonbills. ![]() Roseate spoonbills are social birds, spending much of their time with other spoonbills and water birds, and nesting in colonies alongside ibises, storks, cormorants, herons, and egrets. Sensitive nerve endings along the bill's length detect vibrations and signal the bill to close quickly on the prey swept inside the spoon. Roseate Spoonbills forage by sweeping their bills in rapid arcs from side to side to stir shallow water into little whirlpools, which suck in aquatic organisms such as shrimp, small fish and aquatic invertebrates. In addition to their striking color and unusually shaped bill, the bird's odd feeding behavior, known as "head-swinging", also draws attention. Fortunately, Roseate Spoonbills were able to recolonize areas along the Gulf Coast, rebuild populations and make an excellent recovery. Only 179 birds remained in Texas in 1920. The exotic looking bird was hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s by plume hunters seeking their feathers for the millinery trade. Juveniles are mostly white with pale pink wings and a white feathered head. Notes: Often mistaken for a flamingo, the Roseate Spoonbill has pink body feathers pink legs a white neck and back an unfeathered, greenish head red shoulders an orange tail and a long spoon-shaped bill. Seasonal Occurrence: Common in all seasons. Its plumage is pink and white, with a distinctive crest on its head.Family: ( Threskiornithidae) Ibises and Spoonbills The Pink Cockatoo, also known as the Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo, is a large parrot native to Australia. It has brown wings and a streaked back, as well as a pinkish-red breast and throat. Pink-throated Twinspot is a small passerine bird found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. How to Attract: Provide bird feeders with mealworms and small insects, as well as shrubs for cover.Favorite Food: Insects and small fruits.Pink-throated Twinspot ( Hypargos margaritatus) It has a pink and white feathered body, as well as a distinct pink patch on its back. The Pink-backed Pelican is a large water bird found in Africa, particularly along the Nile River and Lake Victoria. How to Attract: Create shallow ponds with ample fish and vegetation.Pink-backed Pelican ( Pelecanus rufescens) Its plumage is pink and grey, and it has a long, curved bill. The Long-billed Corella is a medium-sized parrot native to Australia. How to Attract: Provide bird feeders with mixed seeds and nuts, as well as nesting boxes.Favorite Food: Seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects.Long-billed Corella ( Cacatua tenuirostris) How to Attract: Maintain clean water sources and provide nesting platforms in wetland areas.Ģ1.Habitat: Coastal marshes, mangrove swamps, and wetlands.The male and female both have a distinctive pinkish-red patch above their beak. The male Pink Robin has a pink breast and belly, as the name suggests, while the female has a grey-brown breast and belly. The Pink Robin is a small passerine bird native to Australia’s southeast, including Tasmania. How to Attract: Provide food and water sources, as well as nest boxes and shrubs for cover.Habitat: Rainforests, woodlands, and heathlands. ![]()
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