In the United States, the beautiful, pink and white roseate spoonbills typically live in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. In mid-July of 2025, three of the birds were spotted along the shores of Forked River, New Jersey. Since then, throngs of birders and photographers - dubbed the Pink Paparazzi - have flocked to a salt marsh, to admire and photograph the stunning birds.
Josh Gant, president of the Atlantic Audubon Society, explains that climate change is likely responsible for these juvenile birds wandering so far north. For more than a decade, in this area, at least one spoonbill has been spotted as far north as Delaware.
By the early 1900s, roseate spoonbills were among the bird species on the brink of extinction, after being hunted for their feathers used to make women's hats.
Protections for the birds and their habitat have helped populations rebound. Gant says all the attention the spoonbills are receiving here is serving as an important reminder to the birds' fans of the importance of protecting habitat and respecting wildlife.
Special thanks to Kelly Lombardi for sharing her amazing photographs for this story.
Atlantic Audubon Society https://www.atlanticaudubon.org/
Sandra Levine Productions https://sandralevine.com/
Watch Still Time for Joy as a video podcast on YouTube @SandraLevineProd
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