The Tampa Bay spoonbill rookery is located on an island near St. Petersburg in Tampa Bay, Florida. Spoonbills are large wading birds with long, spatulate bills that they use to feed by swinging their heads back and forth in shallow water. They build nests and form breeding colonies called rookeries. The Tampa Bay spoonbill rookery is an important site for these unique birds.
Spoonbills are a type of wading bird found in coastal areas in North America, South America, and Europe. There are 6 species worldwide, but only 2 are found in North America – the roseate spoonbill and the white spoonbill. The roseate spoonbill is the more widespread of the two and the species found at the Tampa Bay rookery. Roseate spoonbills get their name from their uniquely shaped bill that resembles a spoon or spatula. They sweep this specialized bill back and forth in shallow water to catch small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. Their bills allow them to feed very effectively in their wetland habitat. In addition to their distinct bill, roseate spoonbills are identified by their bright pink feathers and red legs and feet. They grow to 28-32 inches in height with a wingspan around 50 inches.
Spoonbills breed and nest in colonies called rookeries that are located on small coastal islands. Often these islands provide protection from predators. Breeding season runs from late February through July as the birds build nests, lay eggs, and raise chicks. Rookeries can host from several dozen to hundreds of nesting pairs of spoonbills. The birds construct nests out of sticks and reeds piled together treetops or shrubs. Females lay 2-5 eggs per clutch. Both parents help incubate the eggs for around 3 weeks before they hatch. Once hatched, the young chicks stay in the nest for about a month before they are ready to fly off on their own.
Tampa Bay Spoonbill Rookery Details
The main spoonbill rookery in the Tampa Bay area is located on Terra Ceia Island, a small island on the south side of the mouth of Tampa Bay near St. Petersburg. This rookery is one of the largest breeding sites for roseate spoonbills in Florida. It provides ideal habitat with shallow saltwater flats for feeding and mangrove trees for nesting sites. Terra Ceia Island is uninhabited by humans and part of the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve, offering protection for the birds.
The spoonbill rookery on Terra Ceia Island has been utilized by these birds since at least the 1930s. Bird surveys and counts over the years have estimated the rookery’s population from around 40-60 nests in the 1930s up to over 600 nesting pairs by the late 1990s. Since that time, the population has declined somewhat but the island continues to host 300-400 nesting pairs during breeding season.
Spoonbills arrive at the rookery site in February to start the nest building process. Most egg laying happens in March and April. Incubation lasts around 3 weeks before the young hatch out in May. The chicks stay in the nest for about a month while both parents help feed and care for them. By late June or July, the juvenile spoonbills leave the nest and start to fly and feed on their own. Not all the pairs successfully produce chicks each year, but the site’s large size makes it an important breeding grounds for maintaining roseate spoonbill numbers.
Threats to the Rookery
Although the Terra Ceia Island rookery is protected, outside threats still impact the spoonbill population. Water quality issues such as pollution, sedimentation, and fluctuating water levels can reduce available food sources. Predators like raccoons, bobcats, and bald eagles may raid nests. Storms and hurricanes also take a toll on rookery sites during the breeding season. Habitat loss has had one of the biggest impacts on spoonbill numbers over the decades. Coastal development has eliminated or disturbed many traditional nesting sites.
Conservation efforts by wildlife agencies and protected status for sites like Terra Ceia Island are critical for allowing these specialized birds to continue thriving. Ongoing management, monitoring, and protection of rookery sites will help provide the habitat conditions spoonbills need to successfully nest and breed each year.
Other Nearby Spoonbill Rookeries
In addition to the Terra Ceia Island rookery, there are a handful of other significant spoonbill nesting sites around the Tampa Bay area and along Florida’s Gulf Coast. These other rookeries also host 100-300 nesting pairs each season.
St. Petersburg Rookery
Located in Bayboro Harbor in downtown St. Petersburg, this rookery started up around 1990 on a small island in the harbor. It reached a peak of over 300 nests but has declined some in recent years due to disturbance and habitat changes in the harbor. Ongoing management will be needed to protect this unusual urban rookery location.
Cockroach Bay Island Rookeries
In Hillsborough County just south of Tampa, Cockroach Bay includes a chain of uninhabited mangrove islands that have hosted spoonbill rookeries since at least the 1950s. Four of the islands have had recent nesting activity in the 100-300 pair range.
Alafia Bank Rookery
Located offshore from the mouth of the Alafia River near Gibsonton, this rookery occupies an oyster bar island about 1 mile offshore. Around 100-200 pairs nest here each season.
Carlton & Popash Islands Rookeries
These two small mangrove islands are located just north of the main Terra Ceia rookery in lower Tampa Bay. Each site hosts between 100-200 nesting spoonbill pairs each year.
Cabbagehead Bayou Rookery
This rookery is situated just east of Terra Ceia on the eastern shore of lower Tampa Bay in Cabbagehead Bayou. Around 100 pairs nest annually in the mangroves here.
Conclusion
Tampa Bay is a spoonbill hotspot, hosting Florida’s largest breeding population of roseate spoonbills. Terra Ceia Island is the most significant rookery in the region, providing nesting habitat for 300-400 pairs annually. This and a handful of other nearby rookeries along Tampa Bay and the Gulf Coast maintain critical breeding grounds for spoonbills as part of a statewide network of colonies. Ongoing conservation and management efforts focused on protecting habitat, managing threats, and guarding against disturbance will be key to ensuring the future of these unique spoonbill nesting sites.
Location | Estimated Nesting Pairs |
---|---|
Terra Ceia Island | 300-400 |
St. Petersburg Rookery | 100-300 |
Cockroach Bay Islands | 100-300 |
Alafia Bank | 100-200 |
Carlton & Popash Islands | 100-200 |
Cabbagehead Bayou | Around 100 |
As this table shows, Terra Ceia Island supports the largest concentration of nesting spoonbills in the Tampa Bay region with several hundred pairs. But a number of other rookeries in the area host significant breeding populations as well, mainly in the 100-300 pair range.
In addition to these major spoonbill rookeries, there are several smaller breeding sites along Florida’s Gulf Coast that may have up to several dozen nesting pairs. And new temporary rookeries may pop up in some years while others are abandoned if habitat conditions change. But Terra Ceia Island and the other Tampa Bay sites profiled here form the heart of spoonbill breeding activity, making Tampa Bay the epicenter of roseate spoonbill nesting in Florida.
Continued preservation and management of these crucial rookery islands and wetland ecosystems will be essential for the future of the region’s iconic spoonbills. These amazing birds have been nesting on Tampa Bay’s mangrove islands for decades, and with ongoing conservation efforts, the spoonbills’ unique bills will keep sweeping through the bay’s shallows for years to come as new generations hatch each spring at these critical rookeries.
The Tampa Bay spoonbill rookeries showcase the intimate connections between specialized wildlife and the distinct habitats they depend on. Spoonbills need particular conditions to thrive – shallow, calm waters protected from disturbance and predators. Tampa Bay’s remote islands offer sanctuary that allows these spectacular birds to eat, breed, nest, and raise their chicks safely so they can continue propagating the species. Providing ongoing protection for important sites like Terra Ceia Island benefits both the roseate spoonbills that rely on these places and the overall health of the bay’s ecosystems.
Rookeries illustrate the delicate balances of nature. By studying spoonbill habits and monitoring population numbers, conservationists can assess the bay’s environmental health and pinpoint areas that need more habitat protection or restoration. And ecotourists who get a chance to observe spoonbills in their natural breeding grounds can experience the wonder of these unique birds firsthand. As sentry species for coastal ecosystems, the future of spoonbills and the future of Tampa Bay are deeply intertwined.