Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), Glendale Recharge Ponds, Maricopa County

These Roseate Spoonbills were discovered by Jennie MacFarland on 11 September 2020 and photographed by Levi Plummer the same day.

Although considered a regular visitor to the state through the 1970's, it has been much rarer and less regular since, probably associated with the decline of waterbird habitat in the Colorado River Delta in nearby Mexico. However, an increase in records in recent years led the ABC to remove this species from the Review List in 2014.

This summer has been excellent for Roseate Spoonbill in southern Arizona, with at least seven different individuals found in August.

11 September 2020, photo by Levi Plummer

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