Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
7 April 2009, vic. Kaplan, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.
We encountered several small flocks of these spectacular birds in flooded
fields, a few showing the bizarre facial colors of breeding season. Adults
have bare skin on the head which varies from greenish to rich buff. Notice
the black border around the back of the head which separates the bare skin
from the feathers of the neck and which gets more obvious as the bird ages.
This is primarily a coastal breeding species, but there are a few inland
colonies in Louisiana and Florida.
Digiscoped with Panasonic DMC-LZ5 Nikon FieldScope 3 / 30X WA hand-held (no
adapter)