# Roseate Spoonbill (*Platalea ajaja*) The Roseate Spoonbill is a beautiful bird with bright pink feathers and a unique spoon-shaped bill. They love to wade in shallow waters to find food like fish and insects. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 14 - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Spoonbill ![Roseate Spoonbill](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Roseate_Spoonbill_-_Myakka_River_State_Park.jpg&width=800) Photo: User:Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roseate_Spoonbill_-_Myakka_River_State_Park.jpg) ## Appearance The Roseate Spoonbill has striking bright pink plumage with white on its neck and head, and pale green legs. Its most unique feature is its large, gray, spatulate bill, shaped like a spoon. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Pelecaniformes - **Family:** Threskiornithidae - **Genus:** Platalea ## Interesting facts - Baby spoonbills are born with straight bills that only flatten as they grow! - Roseate Spoonbills are related to ibises, which have long, curved bills instead! - The spoonbill's unique bill is actually gray, not pink, even on the pinkest birds! - They often roost together in large groups in trees over water at night for safety. ## Special abilities - **Sensitive Spoon:** Roseate Spoonbill can feel tiny movements in the water because its flat bill has sensitive nerve endings, helping it find hidden prey. - **Wading Legs:** Roseate Spoonbill has long legs that allow it to wade in shallow waters, keeping its body dry while searching for food. - **Group Feeder:** Roseate Spoonbill can feed in groups, sweeping their bills side-to-side together to stir up more food for everyone. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 71-86 cm - **Wingspan:** 120-133 cm - **Weight:** 1.2-1.8 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-17 years - **Speed:** 65 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 22-24 days - **Migration Distance:** 3000 km ## Diet & Feeding These pretty pink birds sweep their unique bills through shallow waters to catch small fish, shrimp, and insects. - **Primary Foods:** small fish, shrimp, aquatic insects, crabs, snails - **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Brown Shrimp (*Penaeus aztecus*) — A favorite food for spoonbills. - **Eats:** [Eastern Mosquitofish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-mosquitofish) (*Gambusia holbrooki*) — Eats these small fish. - **Eaten by:** [American Alligator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-alligator) (*Alligator mississippiensis*) — Predator of eggs and chicks. - **Symbiotic with:** [Snowy Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/snowy-egret) (*Egretta thula*) — Shares nesting sites and foraging areas. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance and be quiet so you don't scare them away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Roseate Spoonbill? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Roseate Spoonbill? 71-86 cm ### What is Roseate Spoonbill's wingspan? 120-133 cm ### How much does Roseate Spoonbill weigh? 1.2-1.8 kg ### How long does Roseate Spoonbill live? 10-17 years ### How fast can Roseate Spoonbill move? 65 km/h ### What does Roseate Spoonbill eat? These pretty pink birds sweep their unique bills through shallow waters to catch small fish, shrimp, and insects. ### Where is Roseate Spoonbill usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Brunswick Old Town Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brunswick-old-town-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Magnolia Plantation and Gardens (Charleston, South Carolina)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/magnolia-plantation-and-gardens-charleston-south-carolina) — South Carolina, US · Botanical Garden - [St. Augustine Town Plan Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/st-augustine-town-plan-historic-district) — Florida, US · Historic District - [Brevard Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brevard-zoo) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Disney's Animal Kingdom](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/disneys-animal-kingdom) — Florida, US · Zoo - [Florida Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/florida-aquarium) — Florida, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Roseate Spoonbill](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/roseate-spoonbill) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Roseate Spoonbill: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/roseate-spoonbill)