The Limpkin is one of the Bird’s on the Florida Birdwatching List that can be difficult to find. They seem to blend right into the background and can be hard to spot until they move. They get their name from the slight limp they appear to have when walking. There is no other wading bird that looks quite like this one.

I have seen many of them along Alexander Spring’s canoe run. They are always wading along the shore looking for their favorite meal. The Apple Snail.

If you happen to be in or near a swamp or marsh at night, the Limpkin’s cry will give you quite a scare. It has an unmistakable night-time wailing scream that sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie. It can be heard in the early Tarzan Movies. They were filmed in Silver Springs and the producers of the movie thought the sounds were so creepy that they left them in.

I happened to snap a few pictures of this Limpkin at one of my favorite bird sites. The Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge.

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