Page 11 - Jupiter Ocean Mile- November '23

Jupiter Ocean Mile, Page 11
Northern Notes Country Roads

Roseate Spoonbill – Nature’s
(Other) Brilliant Pink Bird Christmas Light

By Katie Roundtree, Show
Director of Finance and
Administration, Northern
Palm Beach County It’s that time of the year again! The Sixth Annual
Improvement District Country Roads Christmas Light Show is back beginning
Roseate spoonbills are Thursday, Nov. 23 with three daily shows … each and
striking pink birds that every night until Dec. 31. Located at 15944 84th Ave.
inhabit our marshes and North in Palm Beach Gardens (within Palm Beach
preserves in South Florida. Country Estates). Join us for over 100,000 lights that
They are shorter and smaller are synchronized to music! Shows begin promptly daily
than the more infamous covering their heads and at 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 p.m. and last approximately 15
flamingo, but their plumage light pink plumage. As they minutes. Every show is different! Join us on Sunday, Dec.
is just as striking and easy to spot from afar. While they may age, the feathers on their 3 for a toy drive of new/unwrapped toys to benefit Little
be small in stature, they have a wingspan that is almost twice head thin out, with only Smiles charity in Palm Beach Gardens. Follow “Country
as wide as they are tall. the blue-green to yellow- Roads Christmas Light Show” on Facebook to stay up to
Roseate spoonbills are highly social. They feed with each green head showing, and date on news and events! Sponsored by Curly Tail Screen
other and with other wading birds. They also nest in colonies their plumage gets darker. & Window, LLC.
and fly in flocks. They are found with other spoonbills in a Their reddish eyes are in
group called appropriately a “bowl.” stark contrast to their head
But what makes them pink? Spoonbills feed on small coloring, making them
fish, insects and crustaceans (invertebrates). Crustaceans are quite a unique specimen. You can estimate the age of a roseate
packed with carotenoids, fat-soluble pigments that constitute spoonbill then by determining if they have feathers on their
reds, oranges, and yellows. Invertebrates compile these head and by how vibrant their feathers are.
pigments by eating aquatic vegetation, which uses beta- We are fortunate to see them still since they were hunted
carotenoids to conduct photosynthesis. Then, as spoonbills almost to extinction in the late 1800s for their gorgeous
eat these crustaceans, they ingest their stockpiled carotenoids. plumage used to decorate hats and fans. Thankfully, they
As the birds digest their prey, these pigments are transferred received legal protection in the 1940s, and their population
into fat stores under the skin. These reserves feed into the has recovered.
feathers, primarily along the bird’s back, wings and rump. Roseate spoonbills are the only spoonbill species native
As to their distinctive beak, spoonbills develop a flat, to the United States. Other species are found in Africa, Asia,
spoon-shaped bill shortly after hatching. Spoonbill hatchlings Australia and Europe. However, no other spoonbill species
have a straight beak for the first few days of their life. The has the distinctive pink coloring as the roseate spoonbill.
spoon shape grows as the chick develops. Spoonbills forage Take advantage of the cooler weather and explore the
by sweeping their open bills back and forth under the water outdoors again! Find a park or preserve and see if you can
(think of a metal detector). Their bills have nerves that can spot a bowl of roseate spoonbills. Enjoy!
feel when prey enters their bill and triggers it to shut when it NPDES tip: Storms occur all year round. Make sure your
comes in contact with food. It’s a very efficient way to forage. yards and trees are trimmed neatly to avoid flying debris
Up close, roseate spoonbills have unique coloring on during a storm. Dispose of your trimmings and clippings
their heads. While young, they have light-colored feathers properly. Do not put them into storm drains or lakes!

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