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Roseate Spoonbill
Ajaia ajaja
Family: THRESKIORNITHIDAE
Order: Ciconiiformes
Spanish Common Name: Espátula Rosada
French Common Name: Spatule rosée
(c) Shawn Carey |
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Natural History
Appearance
The adult Roseate Spoonbill is among the most striking North American birds. Nearly three feet tall, adults have long reddish legs, a pink body, and pink wings with deep red highlights. The neck and breast are mostly white, and there are touches of orange on the rump, face, and shoulders. Most unusual is the unfeathered head, which can be yellow or greenish, and the long, spatulate bill, for which the species is named. With a wingspan of about 50 inches, adult spoonbills weigh over three pounds. Immature birds are paler overall, with feathered white heads.
Habitat
Coastal marshes, wetlands, and mangrove keys are the Roseate Spoonbills' preferred habitat. Away from the coast, the birds are found in a variety of areas, including ponds, marshes, and forested swamps. When feeding, they make use of either fresh or saltwater habitats. Nesting often occurs on islands or in small trees or shrubs surrounded by water.
Feeding
The Roseate Spoonbill feeds by wading through shallow water, head down, probing the bottom by sweeping its long, spoon-shaped bill back and forth in the water. Prey is detected by touch, and the bill snaps immediately shut around the small fish, crustaceans, and insects that make up the bulk of the diet. Roseate Spoonbills attain their pink coloration from the pigments attained from the crustaceans that they feed upon. The species also forages visually on land.
Reproduction
Depending on their location, Roseate Spoonbills may breed as early as December, or as late as May or June. Courtship often involves aggressive displays, but courting birds also sit close together, crossing or clasping bills. Once paired, the female builds a platform nest with materials supplied by the male, and lays her white, brown-streaked eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the clutch, which averages three eggs. The parents also share responsibility for feeding and brooding the young birds. Young can leave the nest by the sixth week, and are capable of flight by the eighth. Upon leaving the nest, juvenile birds flock together, but continue to be fed by the parents.
Migration
Some Roseate Spoonbill populations migrate. Inland populations often move toward the coast following the breeding season. The species may also disperse widely after breeding, based upon food, habitat, or environmental conditions. Immature birds are particularly prone to wander far from the breeding range. Texas birds may move south in the winter, while some Florida birds winter in Cuba. Much remains to be learned regarding this bird's migratory patterns.
References
Austin, Oliver L. Birds of the World. Golden Press, New York. 1961.
Bent, A. C. 1926. Life Histories of North American Marsh Birds. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 135.
Dumas, J. V. 2000. Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja). In The Birds of North America, No. 490 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 2003, January 6. Florida's breeding bird atlas: A collaborative study of Florida's birdlife: www.myfwc.com/bba/
Kaufman, Kenn. 1996. Lives of North American Birds. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York.
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