A stitch in time saves nine
A roseate spoonbill carries nesting material back home in Orlando wetlands in Christmas, Florida, US. Male spoonbills are responsible for gathering sticks, while females build the bulky platform nests in colonies over water.
Photograph: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
I've been counting birds on my bike work commute between Christchurch and Lincoln, NZ, since 2003. On Friday, I counted my *first ever* Kōtuku Ngutupapa, Royal Spoonbill, on the route.
It was feeding in a paddock that had been recently scraped clear preparing it for a housing subdivision, but in the meantime had filled with water after a heavy rain. There are also restored wetlands nearby that I hope was what attracted it in. Perhaps there will be more.
#birds #nz #spoonbill #EcologicalMonitoring #wildcounts #UrbanEcology
Florida, US
A roseate spoonbill lands on a tree at the Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Orange county. The brightly coloured wading birds are known for their vivid pink plumage and spoon-shaped bills.
Photograph: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
A roseate spoonbill flies over the Orlando Wetlands in Christmas, Florida. Like a flamingo, its vivid pink coloration comes from pigments in the crustaceans and other aquatic animals in its diet.
Photograph: Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
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