GREEN BAY, Wis. — Many bird enthusiasts are calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime” occasion.
The year 1845 saw the last recorded sighting of the roseate spoonbill in Wisconsin. It’s been 178 years.
(Courtesy of Brent Balken Photography)
More typical in southern states, the pink-shaded spoonbill is drawing outside lovers to a Green Bay wetlands location, intending to capture a glance and photo of the uncommon bird.
“I definitely try to go after some of these type of sightings because I may never see it again,” wildlife professional photographer Brent Balken said. “I heard about 178 years, so the chances are pretty slim that we’re going to see it happen again.”
Those observing the bird think it to be a juvenile, and some believe it might have moved north with pelicans or egrets.
Balken said he searches for the very best shot with the very best lighting.
“I’m always thinking about that shot that potentially could come,” he said. “Some days I’m out there and I never get it because it goes the other direction.”
The bird is pink and looks like a football on brief stilts. Six kinds of spoonbills are discovered around the globe however just the roseate exists in North America. It’s normally discovered in Gulf Coast states, and Central and South America.
(Courtesy of Brent Balken Photography)
It’s uncertain how this bird reached Green Bay. Birders and researchers think it might have just gotten lost or blown off course by a storm. Climate modification and loss of environment likewise are requiring birds north.
Tom Prestby, Wisconsin preservation supervisor at Audubon Great Lakes, which works to secure birds throughout the area, informed Wisconsin Public Radio that the bird headed to Escanaba, Michigan, after landing in Green Bay on July 26, however that it went back to Green Bay on Saturday. He said he thinks the bird might spend a number of weeks in Green Bay prior to circumnavigating the Midwest and ultimately going back to the Gulf Coast.
The Associated Press added to this report.
