| Bird-Watching Destinations -- Sanibel Island, FL |
From "DIY Bird Watching"
episode DBW-105 |
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In this segment, Don and Lillian Stokes pay a visit to a bird and wildlife refuge on an Island on the gulf coast of Florida. Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge
Sanibel Island, FL
- The wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island offers viewing towers (figure A), allowing visitors an excellent vantage point for observing and photographing many species of birds and wildlife.
- The tower is a perfect place for observing roseate spoonbills a fascinating and colorful wading bird (figure B). Often confused by birding novices with flamingos, these pink birds are actually quite distinctive because of their spoon-shaped bill.
- The adult spoonbills have brilliant pink plumage (figure C), while the younger birds have a light, cotton-candy pink color. It takes several years for an individual spoonbill to reach adulthood and the brightly colored plumage.
- Spoonbills feed by sweeping and sifting through marshy areas, using their spoon-shaped bills to locate small fish and other aquatic animals for food. They can be observed engaging in a head-tilting behavior. This is a type of behavior known as a "flight intention" movement, and typically indicates that a group of spoonbills is about to take flight in a coordinated manner.
- The night heron is a slow-moving bird that stands perfectly still until it lunges for a fish or crustacean (figure D).
- The little blue heron can be recognized by its uniform blue-gray color and dark-tipped bluish bill (figure E).
- White individuals can be seen among the darker, blue herons (figure F). The white ones are immature individuals of this blue-heron species.
- The white ibis is a white wading bird that can be recognized by its long, down-turned bill (figure G). They feed by poking in the mud with their beaks, in a woodpecker-like fashion, to scare up fish and other aquatic food-prey.
- The reddish egret is another wading bird native to this area (figure H).
- The reddish egret is a fascinating bird to watch. It does a type of "dance," intermittently extending its wings in a flashing motion (figure I). This behavior is thought to be an effort to frighten fish, making them visible by their movement, or to shade the water, thereby reducing glare so that the egret can see below the water's surface.
- The tri-colored heron is a gray bird with a white belly and long bill. This heron exhibits a behavior in which it will hold its neck extended, and its head tilted sideways and at an angle (figure J), in an effort to locate fish below the water's surface.
RESOURCES :
Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs: Western Region
Model: 157042588
Author: Kevin Colver, Donald Stokes, Lillian Q. Stokes
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Stokes Beginner's Guide to Shorebirds
Model: 0316816965
Author: Donald Stokes, Thomas Young, Lillian Q. Stokes
Little Brown and Company (Time Warner, Inc.)
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-522-8700
Don and Lillian Stokes' website
Stokes Birds at Home
Website: www.stokesbirdsathome.com
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