Orlando, FL. – What’s soft, pink and surrounded by alligators? The answer can be found nestled in the foliage of the Gatorland Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary as a pair of wild Roseatte Spoonbills, rare to this area, have nested at the theme park producing two delicate offsprings covered in downy pink feathers.
The nesting, first of its kind in the theme park’s history, is even more special since one of the two parents, the female bird, is a spoonbill being monitored as part of the Audubon of Florida’s Roseatte Spoonbill Monitoring and Banding Project. “This is the first documented record of one of the Audubon’s banded Spoonbill’s reaching reproductive maturity, breeding, and raising young,” states biologist Brynne Langan, coordinator of the Spoonbill Project. “The female bird, designated M5 by the Florida Audubon’s Spoonbill Monitoring and Banding Project, was banded on April 16, 2003 as a nestling in Tampa Bay’s Alafia Banks.”
Alligators and birds form a unique partnership in the Florida ecosystem, with colonies of birds frequently nesting above alligator habitats. Alligators help protect the birds from their natural predators, such as bobcats, raccoons, snakes, and other animals that could eat the eggs, chicks, or even adult birds. In return, the alligators are occasionally rewarded by sick or injured birds, as well as any chicks that fall… or get pushed out of their nests. This symbiotic relationship between birds and alligators can easily be seen at the Gatorland Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary, one of the largest and most accessible native wading bird rookeries in Central Florida.
With the arrival of the Roseatte Spoonbills, the Gatorland Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary provides vacationers and birding enthusiasts alike a rare glimpse into the breeding and nesting habits of the mysterious Spoonbills. The nest is even visible with a click of the mouse at www.gatorland.com, just click on the Gator Cam icon to take a quick peak at the family.
Established in 1991 as a natural breeding marsh for alligators, the 10-acre Breeding Marsh & Bird Sanctuary quickly became home to numerous species of native Florida birds. Egrets, Herons, Ibis, Cormorants, Anhingas, and even endangered Wood Storks breed or rest in the branches above the alligators. In November 2000, the Gatorland Rookery was recognized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a prominent site of special interest to birdwatchers, and was one of the few areas within Central Florida to be featured in the Great Florida Birding Trail.
Gatorland is a 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve, combining “Old Florida” charm with exciting, new exhibits and entertainment. The park opened as a roadside attraction in 1949. Today, it provides affordable family fun with thousands of alligators, crocodiles, breeding marsh with observation tower, aviary, petting zoo, nature walk, educational wildlife programs, gift shop, Florida’s best train-ride, restaurant, the new Gator Gully Splash Park and much more. One-of-A-Kind reptilian shows include the Gator Wrestlin’ Show, Gator Jumparoo and the Up-close Encounters Show.
To find out more about “Orlando’s only Theme Park with Bite and Attitude”, visit us online at www.gatorland.com or call 1-800-393-JAWS.
