A trio of Roseate Spoonbills was feeding in shallow water, weaving around a few Alligators.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
Roseate Spoonbill Walking Along
A trio of Roseate Spoonbills was feeding in shallow water, weaving around a few Alligators.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area, SC
April 2, 2023
The spoonbills seem to trust the aligators…. strange.
I think they just ignore them, Rudi, and don’t see them as any kind of threat. We of course tend to hold our breath, thinking something dramatic is going to happen. And yes, I’ve seen Alligators take a wading bird, but not very often.
What’s your theory on why they don’t seem to fear the alligators?
The alligators rarely make any threatening moves toward a wading bird so I don’t think they perceive any danger. In shallow water like that it would be hard for the alligator to actually catch a Spoonbill.
Twice I’ve seen alligators jump out of deeper water, unsuccessfully snapping at a Great Blue Heron. Once the GBH was flying over and the other time the heron was actively hunting. Both times I suspected there were juvenile alligators that the adult alligator was protecting.
A couple other times I’ve seen an alligator catch and eat a wading bird, once a Great Egret and once an Anhinga.
Interesting!
Oy!!!😳😬🫣
Sure makes me hold my breath sometimes 😨
Interesting pals (or not?) maybe the spoonies think the gators get a bad rap and are hoping to help improve their image 😉
A whole new career as influencers 💲