Tropical Bird Spotted in Michigan for the First Time in History

A Michigan resident captured several images of a tropical bird documented in Michigan for the first time ever.

In a first in state history, residents of Michigan have spotted multiple Roseate Spoonbills. The Roseate Spoonbill is an eye-catching bright pink, similar in color to a Flamingo. Roseate Spoonbill spends its year in South America and can be seen along the Gulf Coast and coastal regions in Central America.

They can reach a height of up to 2.5 feet tall and the Roseate Spoonbill's wingspan can stretch 1.5 times as wide, reaching up to 4 feet. Their diet mostly consists of small fish such as minnows and killifish, also shrimp, crayfish, crabs, aquatic insects (especially beetles), mollusks, slugs. Roseate Spoonbills also eat some plant material, including roots and stems of sedges.

Ellen Richards is just one of the eager bird watchers who captured several images of the rare sighting in Saline, Michigan. The visit has caused a bit of a commotion for the community. The Saline Police Department took to social media to address concerns and noted that MDNR Biologists believe the bird was either a zoo escapee or very confused while asking visitors not to block area roads.

In the days since that social media post, there have been other sightings of multiple Roseate Spoonbill together, making a zoo escape less likely.

This is not the first time Roseate Spoonbills have made their way this far north. In 2018, they were recorded in Minnesota and Maine.

For those who won't be able to make the drive to Saline, Michigan in person, Ellen has been so kind to share her photos documenting the rare and first recorded visit to Michigan.