Roseate Spoonbill

Photo courtesy of National Parks Service

Scientific Name:  Ajaia ajaja 

Where Roseate Spoonbills Live:   

Mangrove swamps, mud flats and other marsh type habitat from southern Georgia and Florida, south through Central America down to Argentina. 

What Roseate Spoonbills Eat:   

The spoonbill wades and uses its bill to scoop fish, small crabs, plants and insects from shallow water.  

Why Roseate Spoonbills are Awesome:  

A spoonbill’s nostrils are located at top of the bill, making it possible to breathe while the bill is under water while hunting for food.  Hunting is done more by touch than sight, as the spoonbill quickly snaps its bill shut when it feels something within the bill.  Some experts say that any plants eaten by the spoonbill are purely accidental because of this feeding style.  

Of the six species of spoonbill in the world, the Roseate Spoonbill is the only one with pink plumage and the only spoonbill species found in the Americas.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Conservation of Roseate Spoonbills:  

This beautiful, large and gregarious bird was nearly hunted to extinction in the last part of the 19^th century.  Its pink plumage was used in ladies’ hats, and its wings sold as fans. By 1939, about 30 birds were all that remained in Florida.  Interestingly, the Roseate Spoonbill’s pink plumage color is maintained by a diet rich in crustaceans that provide the necessary pigment.  But the pink color quickly fades once the feathers are no longer attached to a living bird.

The good news is Roseate Spoonbills made a comeback and currently have many champions monitoring and advocating for them, particularly Audubon of Florida.  Watch this brief video for more of the story.