The pink wings of a roseate spoonbill drew birders and nature lovers from afar to Union Beach this week, but the bird's appearance also illustrated a growing trend -- that southern birds are becoming more frequent visitors to New Jersey, according to bird experts and scientists.
In addition to the roseate spoonbill's appearance along East Creek near the Henry Hudson Trail, another spoonbill was spotted in the Heislerville Wildlife Management Area in Cumberland County, according to multiple bird watchers.
Typically, roseate spoonbills are found in Florida, coastal Texas and southern Louisiana. Between 1992 and and 2023, just 15 sightings of the spoonbill have been recorded in New Jersey, according to the New Jersey Bird Records Committee maintained by the Audubon Society, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to protecting birds.
The spoonbills are not the only southern birds visiting New Jersey lately, said William Boyle, a bird expert and author of numerous books on birding, including "The Birds of New Jersey."
More: Pink bird rarely seen in New Jersey spotted in Monmouth County
"This is part of a trend we've been seeing in the last decade or more," said Boyle. "The most spectacular example is a bird called the white ibis, which is a close relative of the spoonbill. They're in the same family."
Prior to five years ago, the white ibis was uncommon in New Jersey, he said. But starting in 2020, the birds began to nest around Ocean City and Cape May County, Boyle said. Earlier this month, birders counted a flock of about 100 white ibis in Atlantic County, he said.
Other southern species are also becoming more common here, including the wood stork, the anhinga or "snake bird," and the limpkin, said bird watchers.
"It's always fun to see things that aren't routine," said Boyle. "We've had a lot of new birds come into New Jersey… We've seen 36 new species just in the last 12 years."
Why are southern birds visiting New Jersey?
More wading birds common in the southern United States are finding their way to New Jersey's wetlands, said Andrew Farnsworth, a expert in birds and bird migration at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology .
"We know climate is changing fast," said Farnsworth. "Roseate spoonbill, anhinga, wood stork and other related birds that are… southern swamp birds, southern wetland birds… are very common in the Caribbean and parts of Central and South America. We're starting to see these species occur in much larger numbers (in New Jersey) than in the past."
While the appearance of these birds here is not entirely unprecedented, the frequency of their sightings is up dramatically, he said. Warmer winters, hotter summers and increasing wetland areas that result from warming temperatures and environmental conservation efforts are bringing more of these birds north, Farnsworth said.
In addition, the birds' populations are growing at a time when they are being squeezed out of other wetlands areas, regions that are succumbing to human development pressure, he said.
"We're seeing distribution changes in these birds in real time… because of the way climate's changing, but also because of the way wetlands and… available habitat is changing and populations are increasing," Farnsworth said.
As a result, 1,000 to 2,000 white ibis now flock each year to areas outside of Ocean City and Wildwood, he said.
Farnsworth said more people than ever before are also bird watching and providing photographic evidence of their sightings, which is helping scientists keep track of the changes.
"We've got an enormous increase in the number of people that are observing (birds) and their ability to document things," he said. "One way to think of it is like the sensor network of humans is dramatically bigger."
Why are more people bird watching in New Jersey?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, bird watching took off in popularity across New Jersey, said Evan Cutler, president of the Montclair Bird Club. Now the club has more than 500 members, he said.
"Odds are, most experienced birders have seen a roseate spoonbill before, like in Florida. But… New Jersey birders are very passionate about finding a bird to add to the New Jersey list," Cutler said.
Those bird lists are a point of pride for bird watchers, but are also an integral piece of scientific data for researchers like Farnsworth.
Immediately after the Asbury Park Press published an initial story about the spoonbill's arrival , birders from around the state gathered to get a glimpse of it.
"If we gather data on where birds are, when, and how many of them are there, that's essential information," said the Cornell scientist. "It tells us a lot of different things, not just about the birds, but about the environment in which they're… present or not."
Bird watching also serves as a social purpose for those who participate, said Cutler.
"The nice thing about birding is it's so democratic," he said. "I bird with one of my bird buddies who's a UPS driver, and another is a retired a doctor… another is a former CEO… The one thing we all have in common is our passion for birds. But it's a really great way to meet people from all walks of life that you normally won't meet."
Amanda Oglesby is an Ocean County native who covers education and the environment. She has worked for the Press for more than 16 years. Reach her at @OglesbyAPP, aoglesby@gannettnj.com or 732-557-5701.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: A roseate spoonbill in Monmouth County? Why are southern birds traveling to NJ?
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