REFUGE/DDWS

During a J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge bird rookery survey this week — the first of the 2024 season — biologists spotted a group of American flamingos on Skimmer Island in the Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge, part of the Sanibel complex. Although many mistake roseate spoonbills for American flamingos, they are rare at the refuge but have become more common since Hurricane Idalia in 2023. American flamingos have curved bills, whereas roseate spoonbills get their name from their flat, spatulate bills.