Limpkin

Limpkin

About the photographs

About the map

Play sound from this species

Menu

1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

An unusual bird of southern swamps and marshes, the Limpkin reaches the northern limits of its breeding range in Florida. There, it feeds almost exclusively on apple snails, which it extracts from their shells with its long bill. Its screaming cry is unmistakable and evocative.

Description

• Large.
• Long neck.
• Long bill.
• Long legs. 
• Brown with white spots.

• Size: 64-73 cm (25-29 in)
• Wingspan: 101-107 cm (40-42 in)
• Weight: 900-1300 g (31.77-45.89 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes similar, male slightly larger.

Sound

A loud, unmistakable scream, usually in series of four to ten at a time.

Conservation Status

Once abundant in Florida, the Limpkin was almost eradicated by humans hunting for food. Conversion of wetlands for agriculture, flood control, and development have further contributed to the species' decline in Florida, estimated at about 9.1 percent per year from 1966 to 1993.

Other Names

Courlan brun (French)
Carreo (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The Limpkin's bill is uniquely adapted to foraging on apple snails. The closed bill has a gap just before the tip that makes the bill act like tweezers. The tip itself is often curved slightly to the right so it can be slipped into the right-handed chamber of the snail.

• The Limpkin is the only member of its taxonomic family. Although it resembles herons and ibises in general form, the Limpkin is generally considered to be more closely related to rails and cranes.

• In the 1800s, European settlers noted that the Limpkin was so tame that it could sometimes be caught on the nest.

Sources used to construct this page:

Bryan, D. C. 2002. Limpkin (Aramus guarauna). In The Birds of North America, No. 627 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.