BY KC HUMPHRIES

GECKO ROAMIN'

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The Limpkin or, The Crying Bird, is my favorite bird to run into on the tour. This species is one of a kind. There are no sub-species or variations in color. And, it's the oldest species of bird in the Everglades. Fossils of this species date back to the Miocene Epoch. That's more than 5 million years ago!

They dine almost exclusively on apple snails and have adapted a slight right twist to their long curved beak to manage the curve of the snail's shell. 

To mark good hunting areas, they will pile empty snail shells on the bank next to the water. 

In April, we came across a family of 5 on Vulture Island. The 3 chicks were little puff balls. It has been magical watching them grow.