Thursday March 9th - Boca West Birds

 

Thursday March 9th – Boca West Birds

          We arrived in Florida last evening to spend a few days visiting Mike’s parents. Today we had a chance to see some of the usual suspects while relaxing in their beautiful backyard.  Here is a list of the FOY (first of the year) birds that we saw:

Boat-tailed Grackle

Purple Martin

Limpkin

Mottled Duck

Egyptian Goose

 Boat-tailed Grackles are found year around throughout Florida and along the gulf and southern Atlantic coast.  They are large, lanky birds with a long V-shaped tail, long legs and a long pointed bill.  The males are glossy black with an iridescent purple sheen on the head.  The females are dark brown above and russet below.  They are larger and have longer tails than a Common Grackle.

          The gangly, brown-and white Limpkin looks like a giant rail or a young night-heron.  Limpkins are widespread in Central and South American and range northward to parts of Mexico and most of Florida.  They specialize in eating apple snails and hunt both day and night.  The bird’s haunting cries, heard mostly at night are unforgettable.

          The Mottled Duck is closely related to a Mallard and Black Duck.  It is found extensively throughout Florida where the Mallard is uncommon.

                                           Limpkin

                                           Boat-tailed Grackle (male)

                                           Mottled Duck



 

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