Spoonbills Sighted North of Suwannee @ 29 Aug 2019

Local resident Emily Asbell photographed this group of Roseate Spoonbill in late July. She snapped the shot near the entrance to the creek known locally as Double Barrel because of its two entrances. In the background, the rooftops of elevated houses in Suwannee are visible.

Roseate Spoonbill are resident year-round on the central and south coasts of Florida and can be seen in Cedar Key at certain times of year. However, they are rarely sighted around Suwannee.

Their candy-pink coloration and large spoon-shaped bills make them easily recognizable. They are usually seen feeding in shallow waters along creeks and in marshes, often with ibis and egrets nearby. Their pink coloration is due to a diet of crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates which contain pigments called carotenoids. The Roseate Spoonbill is 1 of 6 species of spoonbills in the world and the only one found in the Americas.