Species BirdsRoseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

UncommonBird
Illustration of Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

The Roseate Spoonbill is one of the most spectacular wading birds in North America, its shocking pink plumage rivaling flamingos. It feeds by sweeping its unique spatula-shaped bill through the water from side to side, snapping it shut on any small organism it contacts. Its pink coloration comes from carotenoids in the crustaceans it eats.

Habitat
Coastal mangroves, estuaries, and shallow lagoons
Diet
Small fish, crustaceans, and aquatic invertebrates
How common
Uncommon

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