Johns Island Conservancy

Roseata spoonbills are one of the most unusual birds found in North America.   They have recently been spotted on Johns Island. The brilliant color of the adult bird comes from the shrimp they eat which in turn get the carotenoid pigments from the algae they eat.   The birds feed on the crustaceans and small fish by trolling back and forth in the water with their signature spoonbills.   The Audubon Society shows the Carolina Lowcountry to be the northern edge of their “summer – rare” range.   They have been seen and photographed around Kiawah Island the last couple of years. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology “ebird sightings” map also shows that they are increasingly being seen in this area.     The juveniles are less colorful and smaller than the adults and have more feathers on their heads. The picture at left from the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife shows the differences.   We recently got a few pictures of a pair of juveniles here on Johns Island near Mullet Hall. To see more pictures of our local roseata spoonbills, plus a couple of bonus tricolored herons, go to our SmugMug gallery.