|
Welcome
to
wading
birds
in
the
Natural
History
Room
of
the
Florida
Keys
-
WADING
BIRDS
-
There
are
many
wading
birds
in
the
Florida
Keys.
These
are
just
a
few.
This
is
a
very
large
bird
with
wing
spans
5
to
6
feet.
When
feeding,
it
will
usually
keep
its
head
down
and
slowly
walks
forward.
It
is
graceful
in
flight
and
will
often
soar
very
high
on
thermals.
The
Spoonbill
is
often
mistaken
for
the
Flamingo
of
another
family.
Its
back
and
neck
are
almost
white,
but
the
give
away
is
its
flat,
spoonlike
bill.
When
feeding
it
sweeps
its
bill
laterally
from
side
to
side.
This
is
a
very
tall
bird,
Florida's
largest
white
heron
and
restricted
in
its
range.
It
is
easily
distinguished
from
the
egret
by
its
yellow
bill
and
yellowish
legs.
The
Great
Egret
also
has
a
yellowish
bill
though,
butblackish
legs.
The
Osprey
is
Florida's
only
raptor
that
plunges
feet
first
into
the
water
to
grab
its
food.
It
is
often
mistaken
for
the
Bald
Eagle
because
of
its
white
head,
especially
when
only
its
head
is
seen
in
the
nest.
Note
the
tail
of
the
Osprey
is
not
white,
but
its
breast
is.
It
is
also
about
2/3rds
as
large
as
the
Bald
Eagle.
The
female
is
noticeable
larger
when
seen
side
by
side.
Shown
here
running,
the
Ruddy
Turnstone
here
appears
not
to
be
squat
and
robust
as
he
actually
is.
Their
legs
are
quite
reddish
and
the
collar
almost
black
at
times.
He
is
usually
found
along
rocky
shorelines.
Reference
and
sources:
Florida's
Fabulous
Waterbirds,
Winston
Williams
(Author
and
Photographer)
-
1983,
World
Wide
Printing,
Tampa,
Florida
A
Field
Guide
to
the
Birds
-
Roger
Peterson
-
1980,
Houghton,
Mifflin
Co. |
