Roseate Spoonbill

Overview

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a social wading bird belonging to the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder across both South and North America.

Identification

• Body length of 71–86 cm with a wingspan of 120–133 cm, featuring an elongated neck, legs, and spatulate bill.
• Plumage ranges from pale pink to bright magenta depending on age and breeding status, with a bare greenish head that turns golden buff when breeding.
• A white neck, back, and breast, often with a central tuft of pink feathers during the breeding season, and a grey bill.
• Flies with necks outstretched, alternating groups of stiff, shallow wingbeats with glides.

Habitat

The species occurs in South America, mostly east of the Andes, as well as in coastal regions of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and the Gulf Coast of the United States. In the United States, it is locally common in Texas, Florida, and southwest Louisiana, with its range expanding significantly in the 21st century due to conservation and climate change.

Diet

Feeds on crustaceans, aquatic insects, mollusks, frogs, newts, and small fish by swinging its bill side to side while walking through shallow fresh or coastal waters. This foraging method creates a commensal 'beater-follower' relationship with egrets, which benefit from the stirred sediment.

Did you know?

In 2022, an 18-year-old banded bird was discovered, making it the oldest known wild individual of the species.