Limpkin in Flight
by Dawn Currie
Title
Limpkin in Flight
Artist
Dawn Currie
Medium
Photograph - Digital
Description
Photographic artwork by Dawn Currie. Limpkin in flight photographed at TM Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area.
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Limpkin (Aramus guarauna): An unusual bird of southern swamps and marshes, the Limpkin reaches the northern limits of its breeding range in Florida. There, it feeds almost exclusively on apple snails, which it extracts from their shells with its long bill. Its screaming cry is unmistakable.
The Limpkin's bill is uniquely adapted to foraging on apple snails. The closed bill has a gap just before the tip that makes the bill act like tweezers. The tip itself is often curved slightly to the right so it can be slipped into the right-handed chamber of the snail.
The Limpkin is the only member of its taxonomic family. Although it resembles herons and ibises in general form, the Limpkin is generally considered to be more closely related to rails and cranes.
Once abundant in Florida, the Limpkin was almost eradicated by humans hunting for food. Conversion of wetlands for agriculture, flood control, and development have further contributed to the species' decline in Florida, estimated at about 9.1 percent per year from 1966 to 1993.
Where there are apple snails in Florida you will find Limpkin in the area. I have photographed these birds in the Orlando Wetlands near Christmas Florida, Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands in Viera Florida, Gatorland in Orlando Florida, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville Florida. This bird was heading to the nesting island in the T.W. Goodwin Waterfowl Management Area near Fellsmere Florida.
Uploaded
February 11th, 2014
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Viewed 4,122 Times - Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 05/28/2023 at 6:31 PM
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Comments (45)
Christopher James
One of your peers nominated this image in the 1000 views Groups nominated images by your fellow artist in the Special Features #12 promotion discussion. Please visit and pass on the love to another artist.
William Tasker
Masterful, Dawn! Thank you for submitting this fine natural shot of this identified wild bird. It is now featured on the homepage of Wild Birds Of The World - A Nature Photography Group. L/F
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