Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja)

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A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Ibises

Color Photographs: Copyright Corel Corp.

Color Photograph: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaja ajaja)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 30 to 32 inches.

Adult: Bill elongate, straight, flattened, with a distinctive spoon-shaped apex. Body mostly white, but with deep pink wings and belly. Front half of head naked. Legs red.

Immature: Similar to adult, but with much less pink.

Similar Species:  The elongate, spoon-shaped bill is distinctive.

Breeding Range (see map below): The Roseate Spoonbill is resident in southern Florida and along the Gulf Coast from Louisiana to southeastern Texas. The species is also found in much of the tropical New World.

Overwintering Range:  See above.

Habitat: The Roseate Spoonbill is found in mangrove swamps and coastal lagoons.

Food: This species feeds on invertebrates, small fish, and snails.

Behavior:  The Roseate Spoonbill is a wader, walking through shallow water looking for its food. They search for food by sweeping their bills back and forth through the water. The species is a colonial nester.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 2 to 3 dull white eggs with dark blotches. The eggs are laid in a nest of sticks built in a low tree or bush.