A roseate spoonbird was seen earlier this month at Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens, the first time the tropical bird has been spotted in the area.
With bright pink plumage and a long spoon-like bill, the sociable wading bird is easy to identify, but it’s usually seen more in places like the Everglades or Myrtle Beach.
Several roseate spoonbirds were spotted earlier this summer at Huntley Meadows Park near Alexandria, Va., in Baltimore and even as far north as New Hampshire and Maine.
Some ornithologists say the birds — sometimes affectionately called “spoonies” — could be extending their range as the effects of climate change are felt in the mid-Atlantic.
Others speculate that hurricanes earlier this year may have temporarily pushed them out of their usual habitat or that the breeding season in Florida was particularly successful, leading the additional young birds to head north where there was less competition.
Regardless of the reason they ventured north, ecologists say that improvements to water quality in the Anacostia River helped lure them to local riverbanks to feed.
Located at 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE on the border of D.C. and Maryland, just a short drive from the Route 1 corridor, the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Support the Wire and Community Journalism
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.
