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Audubon calls on bird enthusiasts across Florida to search for and report banded roseate spoonbills

A Roseate Spoonbill with leg band.
Mark Rachal/Audubon
A Roseate Spoonbill with leg band.

Audubon’s Everglades Science Center team is calling on bird enthusiasts across the state to search for Roseate Spoonbills and report banded birds on this form.

Nearly 3,000 birds have been banded since 2003. Each band sighting will win a special sticker and contribute to critical population data for this iconic Florida species.

To participate, locals and visitors alike should:

1. Look for Roseate Spoonbill in public parks or on public lands (they can be entered from private property if respondents have permission to enter those areas).

2. Photograph or note any bands seen on spoonbills.

3. Enter data into this special form: https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/a6aa769fc0ad4524bef19e4a26e95fe5

4. From now through the end of 2025, respondents will receive a special “I saw a banded Roseate Spoonbill” sticker!

Audubon has studied Roseate Spoonbills since 1939.

“Understanding spoonbills’ behavior gives us clues to changes in water quality and quantity in the Everglades,” said Audubon Florida’s Director of Everglades Policy Kelly Cox. “Spoonbills can also provide warning signals for upcoming changes or shifts to an ecosystem, including rising seas,” she added.

Note: Give birds their space when trying to read a bird band. Use binoculars or a long zoom lens to avoid spooking or flushing the birds.

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