The extraordinary rose-colored plumage of the Roseate Spoonbill, absolutely astonishing to the first-time observer, is accentuated by its white head and chest, dark pink fringe, and long pink legs. So exquisite are its striking pink feathers that the Spoonbills were hunted to near extinction during the 1800s when the feathers were used to embellish women’s hats and fans. In the early 1900s, there were only a few dozen nesting pairs of roseate spoonbills on this continent, but conservation efforts were successful and they began to re-colonize along the Gulf Coast. Today, they flourish all along the Gulf of Mexico, and one can find hundreds of them at the Smith Oaks Rookery at High Island, near Bolivar Peninsula. Photos by Barbara Frazier
