Roseate Spoonbill

Austin, Texas: A book written by Paul Zahl and published by National Geographic Magazine and called The Pink Birds of Texas in 1949. I purchased this book in 1953 while attending The University of Texas. The book had several pictures of the roseate spoonbill with text. I was very impressed by this beautiful bird causing me to study it. My family lived only 4 hours from the Gulf of Mexico and we went there every summer for a week of vacation. Our destination was Port Aransas, a small fishing village on the northern tip of Padre Island across from Corpus Christi, Texas. One had to take a ferry to the island. While there we enjoyed the beach, fished and with my father,who was a naturalist and birder, some of us went birding. He had a big influence on my love of birds and nature. While there I observed flocks of roseate spoonbills flying around then landing in the shallow fresh water flats, some within the city limits of P.A. The spoonbills would land in the shallow water and start working with their spoonbills catching shrimp, fish and small invertebrates.

Their pink plumage would glitter in the bright sunlight. They are strikingly beautiful. The pink is a dark pink on the shoulder and fades paler as it trails down their wings. Their neck and underside is a snowy white. The female has paler shade of pink on her wings with the rest of her body a snowy white.

Port Aransas, on doubt deserves to be designated as one of America’s “Birdiest Small Coastal City”. The gem of Port Aransas is the roseate spoonbill. There are many other birds such as many species of herons, gulls, terns, ibis’ and sandpipers. In my opinion the roseate spoonbill is the most beautiful and my favorite coastal bird.
Written by Jack Kidd: for more information- birdwatchingforyou.com