Several kinds of long-legged, wading bird species live and nest in the eastern United States, including great blue herons, great egrets, glossy ibis, white ibis, sand-hill cranes, wood storks, roseate spoonbills and limpkins. These are all large, impressive birds that have long necks and beaks for reaching out to snare prey and lengthy and legs for wading in water, though they come from different bird families. But their ways of life are somewhat alike in similar habitats. Therefore they have characteristics in common. All these species fly with their necks and legs stretched out for balance, except the herons and egrets that fly with their necks pulled back in an S shape.
Each kind is attractive in its own way. And most species are more or less gregarious, particularly when nesting in colonies of their own making, or in mixed groups with other kinds of large, wading birds. Only the limpkin is a solitary species.
Great blue herons and great egrets are the largest members of the heron family that wades in water and catches small fish, frogs, snakes, insects and other aquatic creatures. Great blues and great egrets also catch mice in meadows and dunk them in water to slick their fur before swallowing them head first and whole. Great blues are grey with black markings on the head, while great egrets are white with black legs and yellow beaks.
Glossy ibis and white ibis have decurved beaks, a way to identify these species. Glossy ibis are dark and nest along the Atlantic coast from Delaware south to Florida. White ibis live and nest from South Carolina to Louisiana and in much of South America. Both these species feed on insects and other invertebrates in wet meadows and small, water creatures in wetlands. Glossy ibis are dark, ruddy-brown all over, while white ibis are white with black wing tips.
Sand-hill cranes are common in North America and mostly nest on northern prairies, raising one chick each year. They have gray plumage all over and one red spot of bare skin on their head. Their call is a loud, deep, rolling "gur-roo", repeated again and again. This species feeds on roots, and tender shoots, grain, seeds, berries, insects, mice, frogs and other small critters on dry soil, but also in marshes.
Sand-hills, like all crane species, have elaborate courtship dances for pair-bonding in spring. This species migrates in great flocks, many of which spend a few weeks in March resting on sand bars in the Platte River of Nebraska between their feeding forays.
Wood storks are the only member of their world-wide family in North America. They have slightly decurved beaks they use for picking up aquatic creatures in water and on the surrounding land, including frogs, mice, insects and crayfish.
Wood storks are mostly white with black wing tips and bare heads and necks. They nest in stick nurseries in colonies in trees in swamps from South Carolina to the Gulf Coast, and in much of South America.
Roseate spoonbills are uncommon in North America, but more abundant in South America. Young of the year are white, but adults have hot-pink wings that make the birds attractive. Birds of all ages, however, have long bills that are horizontally flattened at their tips. They swirl their beaks back and forth in shallow water to sieve out small marine life from the water and mud. Roseates nest in stick cradles in trees in Florida swamps.
Limpkins resemble herons, but are not in that family. This bird lives and nests mostly in Florida
swamps. This is a nocturnal species when it does most of its hunting of food. Then one might hear its loud "kr-ow". Limpkins are brown with white spots throughout their feathering for camouflage. They eat mostly snails and other little critters. And each pair builds a cradle of leaves and stems
attached to plants just above the water level or in vines low in shrubs along the water's edge.
These birds are somewhat alike in appearance because of similar habitats and life styles, which is called convergence. Habitats certainly do shape the creatures dwelling in them.
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