#TIDAL POOLS CHARLESTON FULL#

After about six weeks, the hatchlings develop wing feathers ready for test flights. The parents take turns sitting on the nest during incubation (about 22 days), and once the chicks hatch, they share the responsibility of feeding them. The female builds the nest, while the male provides her with twigs, sticks, and other supplies. Love Birds Courtship displays include dancing clapping and “gifting,” a mutual exchange of nesting materials.

#TIDAL POOLS CHARLESTON FULL#

A chick isn‘t born with the namesake bill, but at about nine days old, its beak starts to flatten, and 30 days later, it is almost full size. They establish their rookeries in low trees and shrubs overhanging ponds or lagoons.Ĭreek Sweeper When feeding, the birds work in groups, swinging their spoon-shaped bills from side to side as they steadily walk the shallows, snapping up small fish, crabs, and shrimp. Through preservation efforts, the roseate spoonbill has made a remarkable rebound with a population that is steadily spreading across the coastal Southeast.īirds of a Feather Spoonbills are social and often seen feeding in groups flying in formation and nesting with kindred species, such as herons, ibis, and storks. Take a closer look at these lovely, long-legged wading birds that are increasingly making Charleston their full-time residenceĬomeback Kids By the early 1900s, the species was almost extinct in the US due to over-hunting for its colorful plumes and the loss of the bird‘s natural wading and nesting environments.

Roseate spoonbills (Platalea ajaja) are a delight to watch as they gracefully sweep their bills back and forth, foraging in tidal pools and creeks for a tasty dinner. Once rare in the Lowcountry, these pink-feathered birds with spoon-shaped bills have become a more common sight in recent years, thanks to preservation efforts and, surprisingly, climate change, which is expanding their breeding range.

Tidal pools charleston