The Roseate Spoonbill: NARRATED

His prehistoric neck and head are ... inappropriate next to all that glorious pink plumage. PLEASE CLICK 'LIKE' IF YOU APPRECIATE THE MOVIE. Filmed at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida)

[@defyingravitythruHim]

The roseate spoonbill is truly unique Why, just take a look at that strange, rounded beak! He gives it a shake when his plumage he preens Just to entertain those who watch (in real life or through screens.)

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Okay, I have never had a comment in iambic pentameter before. Fun!! And what's more, I like your explanation. It serves me right for even raising the question.

[@marianafernandez8848]

great shots and very well researched! thank you for producing such high quality content with genuine curiosity and love for these creatures :)

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Mariana, that's an insightful compliment. Thank you.

[@IreneDowningNature]

Wonderful video Jo . Beautiful captures. Thank you for sharing. Enjoyed.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

My pleasure, Irene. Filming these beauties was definitely a pleasure.

[@Nerding4Nature]

Loved it. Always a fan of your narration.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for the "always a fan of your narration." Writing and recording good narrations is the most time consuming part of my process.

[@jackwood8307]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Cool bird! Great video!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Chuck, I spent ten days in Sanibel in January filming exotic birds like this one. It was a treat. The next movie from that trip will post in a couple of weeks: the Wood Stork. Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[@SUPERGENKI]

Thank you for another great video Jo! ^^ Best regards, Thomas

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thank you, Thomas. You were in Bangkok three weeks ago. Still there?

[@jdoutdoorsnature6460]

They are very interesting birds, thanks for sharing this.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I find all birds to be somewhere between pretty and gorgeous, and all of them turn out to be more interesting than they look like at first. Including the Roseate Spoonbill.

[@waywardmuse]

Fantastic, Jo! I'd love to see one of these -- we get them as migratory birds in some places here. I didn't know that fact about losing their feathers as they age - how bizarre!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Hi, Judy. Since I started filming wildlife, I've been bitten by the travel bug--went to Florida last month and to Arizona in November. It's amazing what's out there, and this Roseate Spoonbill is a beauty, with an interesting bill.

[@CruisingwithChooChoo]

Awesome video! I love it!

[@WanderingSoleTV]

Fascinating birds and fascinating video Jo! There sure was some great light that really made the color pop on their plumage in some of these scenes! I found the footage showing their style of walk the most interesting to see for some reason : )

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

If you liked watching them walk, Les, then I'm glad I included that shot--though I can't say it grabbed me more than anything else. It was the head shaking that riveted me. Yes, I had full sun almost every day I was there--plus, I've been concentrating on improving the light as much as possible in all my shots. Do you use Final Cut Pro by any chance? It can be very helpful on that score.

[@WanderingSoleTV]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME The head shakes were great for sure! I like the slo-mo shot of that at the end. I am using an old version of Sony Vegas at the moment. It does the job for now : )

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@WanderingSoleTV And the lighting looks fine in your videos. I only asked because Final Cut has a feature called Balance Color that adjusts the lighting on shots that aren't perfect. It brightens dark shots and gives for contrast and depth to footage that's a tad washed out. Using it has made me more aware of providing well lit movies.

[@jimflowers7242]

Nicely done Jo!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Thanks for your encouragement, Jim.

[@SamtheMan0508]

I was fortunate enough to see one and take pictures when it visited our pond for a few days.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They're so gorgeous that I'm sure you enjoyed it, Michele.

[@renaturezalife1001]

Very beautiful birds , wonderful movie , my friend JO🐸💚😍😘 Renato RS

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, Renato. Despite my making fun of the bird's neck and head, he is a dazzling beauty, isn't he?

[@renaturezalife1001]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME yes JO , i agree👍😊

[@phineassmith7625]

I love these videos ♥️♥️

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

And I love to hear it, Phineas. Thank you.

[@MHarenArt]

Another interesting and fun video! Love how you don't just stick to the "common" ones that we all see every day. Fun to learn more about the ones we don't know much about!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, I do aim for that mixture, Maggie. It gives me an excuse to travel to Florida and Arizona--not to mention Costa Rica and Trinidad. In May, I'll be going to Magee Marsh in Ohio where I hope to film lots of warblers close up. Hoo-wa, what fun!!

[@janetland4702]

I saw one at Sabal Course, Bonita Bay Golf Club. Thought it was a pink flamingo (I'm from Toronto, Canada, where we have neither), until your video confirmed it is a Roseate Spoonbill. I enjoy your commentary...somewhat cheeky.....very interesting information. Thanks Jo!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Cheeky? No one has applied that word to my scripts before this, but I like it, Janet. Cheeky. Yeah.

[@janetland4702]

​@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Hi cheeky! Glad you approve of my observation. I rewatched your wonderful video to cite you some examples of cheeky comments, but alas, there were too many to list easily. So amusing! You saved the best for last: "But obviously Dr. Suess isn't available."

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@janetland4702 I always appreciate it when a viewer mentions specific lines that grabbed them. I'd forgotten all about the Dr. Seuss bit. Thank you, Janet. I think I'll rewatch it myself.

[@spitfirebird]

I’ve seen scarlet ibises in-person at the Cincinnati Zoo before and WOW they have some amazing plumage! This is basically the North American equivalent of them, though they are much less captivating and more bizarre if anything.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Well, bizarre counts for something, don't you agree? As it happens, I saw Scarlet Ibises by the thousands when we visited a swamp in Trinidad. Mind blowing. But so's this bird.

[@quote_nature]

Great close-ups Jo and in beautiful early and late light. I was lucky to see them in Ding Darling as well but they were too far. I will never forget the quick spotting of a spoonbill flying alone against a blue sky - it was remarkable. As for the head shake - I think you're right as a way to get off excess water or possibly an internal discussion the spoonbill is having as to the best location for feeding ; )

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Isn't Ding Darling a fabulous place to film wading birds, Cathy?! I just put a film into the KZbin queue for three weeks from now about the Wood Stork, also filmed at Ding Darling; and I've got at least three more movies coming down the pike eventually from there. As for the head shaking, check out angelgeekh below for an explanation in iambic pentameter. The reason I got such closeups is that Nikon P1000. I own a Canon XF400, the smallest of the pro cameras, and it's a wonderful piece of equipment--that gives me basically no distance! For about a third of the price, I got the Nikon. It's not as good at autofocusing, but enables me to get footage I would have had to pass on two years ago. I use it ten times more than the Canon.

[@quote_nature]

Haha. What a great reply! Wish I had the Nikon - chose the canon sx70 instead and I regret it.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

All I can say is: your footage is beautiful. Apparently you do well even without the Nikon P1000. ... Maybe eventually.

[@quote_nature]

Thank you Jo : ) Capturing these fleeting moments with our camera and dealing with youtube issues can be frustrating but there you go. If it was easy it wouldn't be a challenge.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Yes, filming the birds is challenging enough--a joy, in fact--but then there are dozens of technical issues that arise into the bargain. Few things will start me cussing like those will. Dealing with changes in how KZbin organizes itself--always without explanation from them about what to do!--makes me grind my teeth. And the external hard drives where I store my film have been getting corrupted. It took me three months and several phone calls to Apple Tech Support to figure out what was causing it and try to correct it--still working on the latter. Hair tearing time.The challenge I love is getting the shot! THE SHOT! Those moments make it worth the teeth grinding and hair tearing episodes. In fact, The Shot makes it more than worthwhile to deal with the other nonsense. (It's nice to unload about those frustrations to someone who's been there.)

[@Adge771]

The beak looks prehistoric too

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

That it does.

[@edwardamosbrandwein3583]

Lovely bird!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I can't argue with the statement!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh, and may I suggest watching this less lovely but comical tropical bird: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2qtZKmvmbOfgdE

[@edwardamosbrandwein3583]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME What about the other spoonbill ie the white one with a feather tuft at the back of the head? Where is it native to?

[@edwardamosbrandwein3583]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Thx!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@edwardamosbrandwein3583 I don't know for sure which bird you mean. There's a Eurasian Spoonbill (gorgeous!), which is native to North Africa and much of Asia.

[@teresasimkins5518]

Hi Jo! Happy belated Valentine's Day!

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

They do look like Valentines, don't they, Teresa? !

[@teresasimkins5518]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Yes they do! They look like as if they are just "Shaking it Off!"

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@teresasimkins5518 Yes, and with all that plumage, it's a whole lotta shakin' going on.

[@mahnoorjadoon2674]

I have found one spoonbill today it has wound in its feather...so I bring it home can you plz tell what food should I give him

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I would help you if I could, but I wouldn't know what to feed him either. Shrimp? Is there a local bird rehab facility you could get in touch with?

[@mahnoorjadoon2674]

There is no such centre and I my self bandage his feather he is good now but he didn't eat since morning that's y I am worried...should I gave him chicken mince

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

@@mahnoorjadoon2674 I don't know any more about it than you do unfortunately. 🤷‍♀️

[@rachelofthewoods]

One of these days I'm going to visit my snowbird parents in Florida and we'll go birding, and I'll finally see these beauties in real life.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

If possible, get yourself to Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. You'll see lots of these, plus Wood Storks; Ospreys nesting up close; Tri-Colored, Little Blue and Yellow-crowned Herons; Reddish Egrets; Double-crested Cormorants; Pied-billed Grebes; Snowy, Cattle and Great Egrets; and dozens of different small shorebirds.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh, and I forgot to mention White Ibises.

[@rachelofthewoods]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME Thanks Jo. I passed this along to my mom (also a Jo) and now they are going there Thursday. I'm far away in Canada and jealous, haha.

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

I understand, but then again you get Crossbills, Evening Grosbeaks, and Redpolls. My husband is jealous of that.

[@michaelbusted4002]

I saw one at the loop road in the Everglades this weekend super cool bird

[@pamelakern2849]

I love pink so I think this bird is pretty. A combination of beautiful and not so beautiful. 😉 This bird reminds me of a flamingo. Where can we find these birds ?? I loved the narration and the video 👍💓

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

And I loved the chance to film this pink, pink, pink! bird. They're all over Florida. I filmed him at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.

[@pamelakern2849]

Thankyou 🙂

[@johnaustin6067]

Amature hypnotist or maybe even pro

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

Oh how I wish I had thought to say that in the movie! Great observation. May I send you my next script before I publish the movie in case you have more witticisms? 😉

[@TheGreenThunder1607]

This is torture for Brennan Lee Mulligan

[@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME]

You'll have to explain that one to me. I'm an old geezer and have never watched Brennan Lee Mulligan.

[@TheGreenThunder1607]

@@JoAlwoodBIRDSANDTHENSOME it was a reference to thos game show kzbin.info/www/bejne/eIibp6WXZ7VmjsU