A rare roseate spoonbill visits Holmes County

A rare roseate spoonbill visits Holmes County
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Several miles north of Berlin, Ohio is an area known as the Plains. Birders are familiar with the area because a number of unusual birds have been found there over the years. Years ago it was one of the last places to see northern bobwhite.

Even after a local landowner did everything possible to help them survive over the winter, it was a lost cause. In the same area, grown-over fields have provided excellent habitat for ring-necked pheasants.

In addition the area has a number of streams and waterways that are home to a variety of waterfowl at different times of the year. It has been the best place to find Wilson’s snipe during the winter. The Holmes County Christmas Bird Count usually includes snipe found in this area.

Recently birders have been traveling to the Plains in hopes of catching a glimpse of the roseate spoonbill that has been seen there. While the reports have only recently been confirmed, residents in the area say they have been seeing the spoonbill for up to two weeks. Evidently the bird spends the daytime hours at some unknown location and then appears in the evening, sometimes at a small pond and other times along one of the drainage ditches. As it gets dark, the bird flies off, evidently to find a roost for the night.

This isn’t the first time a roseate spoonbill has been seen in Ohio, but it doesn’t happen very often. The first record occurred in 1986, and more recently a spoonbill stayed around for days at a park east of Cincinnati.

This is the second record in 2018, and there also was a spoonbill reported in Indiana this year. A few spoonbills seem to wander north from their breeding areas in South Florida and Texas. These distinctive birds are found down through Mexico and Central America and all the way to Argentina and Chile.

Young spoonbills have almost white plumage while adults have the beautiful pink or rose coloration. All spoonbills have the large, distinctive, spoon-shaped bill. They are usually found with other wading birds, especially ibises, and nest in colonies.

When birders see them in South Florida, it’s often in a mixed flock of herons, ibises and shorebirds. Sannibel Island is one of the best-known places to find spoonbills. Located near Fort Meyers, the wildlife drive there usually allows visitors to get good looks at spoonbills along with many other water birds.

It will be interesting to see how long this particular wandering spoonbill decides to stay in Holmes County. Regardless, it will be a visit that many folks will remember for a long time.

Good birding!

Email Bruce Glick at birderbruce@yahoo.com or call 330-317-7798.


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