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- [Allyn] The Atchafalaya comes from the Choctaw word
for long river.
It is aptly named as the river basin is 20 miles in width
from east to west, and 150 miles long.
The Basin is the largest existing wetland
in the United States, with an area over 1,400,000 acres.
For such an incredibly large land mass,
it is sparsely inhabited by humans,
but the wildlife here is abundant and amazing.
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With an abundance of nutrient-rich water
flowing through the basin from the Mississippi River,
the Atchafalaya is one of the most diverse
and ecologically expansive areas in the country.
And while this one is just an adolescent,
given the opportunity, he will grow into an apex predator
of these waters.
His chances are better than ever as the population rebounds
with numbers in the millions in Louisiana today.
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Almost reminiscent of their ancestors, when annoyed,
they have a guttural call.
These are truly the giants of the herons in North America.
They stand almost four feet tall,
and in flight have a wing-span of over six feet.
These gangly wading birds are precise predators,
stabbing larger prey with their dagger-like beak.
They mostly eat fish, but really anything is on the menu.
From baby alligators, to small nutria or muskrat,
even insects and other birds.
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One of the most colorful
if slightly comical looking species of the waterway,
is the Roseate Spoonbill.
Unbelievably, there are six species of spoonbill birds
found throughout the world.
However, the Roseate is the only one with pink plumage,
and is the only one found here in the Americas.
Amazingly, they're not born with the spoon shaped bill,
the beaks of chicks are straight
and the spoon-shape grows as the chick develops.
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The Osprey is an ancient species,
over 11 million years as a matter of fact.
And it is so well adapted to fishing
that it has evolved unique characteristics
that set it apart from other raptor species,
like nostrils that can close during dives,
and an outer toe that can be angled backwards
to better grasp fish.
The species is so unique,
it is listed in its own genus, Pandion.
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Now a common site on Lake Verret,
the Osprey was once on the brink of possible extinction.
Since the ban of the pesticide DDT
in the United States in 1972,
the Osprey population has made a tremendous come-back.
Osprey are amazing fishermen and amazing parents.
The female will typically lay three eggs in April or May,
and incubates them for about a month.
The male will defend the nest and do the hunting,
bringing food back to the nest for the female
during that time.
Within 60 days of hatching,
they young Osprey make their first flight.
After fledging, the young remain with their parents for
up to two months, and stay in the area for up to two years.
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The Anhinga, sometimes called snakebird,
darter, or water turkey,
is named from the Brazilian Tupi language
and it means snake bird.
Their feathers provide less buoyancy than ducks,
so they are able to dive under the water to hunt,
and swim with just their thin necks above the water,
earning them the name, "snake bird"
although snakes never swim that way.
The Anhinga is known for its highly aquatic nature
and propensity to perch for long periods of time
with its wings outstretched to dry in the sun.
They often crawl out of the water to find a high perch
so they can sun themselves, which dries their plumage,
and absorbs heat from the sun,
helping them maintain body temperature.
You see, they lose heat quickly in the water
as they have no layer of body feathers
to provide insulation.
An unusual but amazing bird of the Atchafalaya.
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If you watch the Anhinga while soaring,
you'll notice it holds its wings flat and straight,
with its neck outstretched,
and its straight tail held conspicuously behind.
Anhingas often use thermals for soaring
and may achieve altitudes of several thousand feet.
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Cormorants are amazing fishing birds.
They can dive up to 100 feet deed,
and they can stay underwater for more than a minute
in pursuit of their prey, fish.
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The Great Egret is an elegant wading bird
that is the third tallest bird species in Louisiana,
slightly smaller than the Great Blue Heron,
and both of these are smaller than the Whooping Crane
recently re-introduced to the Louisiana.
They are a tall species,
often standing stock still as they wait for fish,
or really any small prey to move past.
They can frequently be seen gently waving
their delicate sinewy neck,
as if putting their prey in a trance.
In flight, they will form an S-curve with their neck
and are distinctive as they fly past.
This amazing and graceful species
is an awesome symbol of conservation success.
In the last century, their numbers declined by over 95%
to provide plumage for women's hats.
But with protection, they have recovered
and are once more a welcome site along our waterways.
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Black Vultures provide an invaluable service
of cleaning up our roadsides and forests
of dead animal carcasses,
and helping to stop the spread of diseases like rabies.
They are the ultimate recyclers.
Well adapted to recycling, their powerful bills
can make quick work of a tough hide,
and their gut contains special acids
that can dissolve anthrax, botulism,
salmonella, and cholera bacteria.
There is research that they may be utilizing strains
related to flesh-eating bacteria
to help break down their meals more completely.
Come fall in love with the Atchafalaya,
because as Baba Dioum pointed out,
"In the end, we will conserve only what we love."
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