March 4, 2012 - Limpkin

This week I have some photos from my photography workshop of one of my favorite birds, the Limpkin. They are found throughout the American Tropics but in the United States, they are found only in Florida. Limpkins are large birds, about 26–28 inches tall. This photo was taken at Lake Marion, near Kissimmee, Florida.

LimpkinLakeMarionKissimmee20120127

The Limpkin’s favorite food is the Florida Apple Snail. These snails are quite large and, of course, have slippery shells. One of my books mentions that the Limpkin’s bill has a slight gap between the mandibles, near the tip of the bill. It’s just enough of a curve to help them grip the snails. You can see the gap in this photo, taken at Three Lakes WMA, also near Kissimmee.

LimpkinThreeLakesWMAKissimmee20120127

We spent two days of the workshop on Lake Toho (short for Tohopekaliga). This is a very large lake (22,700 acres) and many Limpkins live there. Florida Apple Snails have been displaced in Lake Toho by a large exotic snail. The exotic snail is very prolific; fortunately, the Limpkins seem to find it a good substitute.

LimpkinflightLakeTohoKissimmee20120129

This Limpkin was calling and I thought it had a stick caught in its mouth. Jim Neiger, our workshop leader, told me I was seeing the Limpkin’s tongue. The Limpkin’s call has been described as a “piercing banshee wail.” Its call is one of the “jungle sounds” that was left in the soundtrack of the early Tarzan movies filmed in Florida.

LimpkintongueThreeLakesWMAKissimmee20120127

I was glad to see Limpkins doing so well in the Kissimmee area. In the Florida Panhandle, where we stay in the winter, Limpkins are hard to find. This is due to the decline of the Florida Apple Snail. At Wakulla Springs State Park, near Tallahassee, we were told that Apple Snails were being reintroduced in the Wakulla River. One Limpkin was seen there this winter and hopefully more will follow. This photo was taken at Lake Toho.

LimpkinLakeTohoKissimmee20120129