Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Roseate Spoonbill

The origin of birds is still some what of a mystery. One theory, that is debated among the evolutionary biology community, is that birds evolved from dinosaurs. I am not smart enough to tell you if this theory is wrong or right, I will leave the debate up to the experts, but there are some birds that do make you say hmmmmm. One such bird is the roseate spoonbill. This bird is equipped with an unique prehistoric looking bill. It uses this bill to catch its prey, swinging it back and forth through the water until it feels a fish, crustacean, or other aquatic prey and then quickly snapping it shut. In the U.S. spoonbills are only found in the gulf region, I photographed this one in Texas, but they are more common in the eastern portions of South America.


8 comments:

KaHolly said...

They are a curious looking bird, aren't' they? I had the pleasure of observing a few when I was in S. Texas a number of years ago. I was amazed at their size!! ~karen

James said...

Wow that is one cool looking bird! Great shot!

Twiggy said...

Cool, thank you for the lesson! Never seen it before. Great picture.

Anonymous said...

oh wow, this is one of a kind. i learn and see something new each time i drop by for a vist.

keep up the good work.

Judy said...

I have heard of them before, but it has been ages since I have seen a photo. They are so very odd looking! But such a pretty colour, and I am going to assume they fit their niche well, as they are not endangered.

Venke said...

So cool :)

Jen said...

Very cool bird!

Veronica said...

What a gorgeous character the spoonbill is! I am having a fine time visiting your older posts!

Veronica