Bird · GBIF taxon 2480803
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajajaAlso known as Rosy Spoonbill, Pink Curlew
Vibrant pink plumage and a distinctive paddle-shaped bill make the Roseate Spoonbill instantly recognizable across tropical and warm temperate wetlands. These social waders feed by stepping slowly through knee-deep water, sweeping open spatulate bills side to side to snap up prey by touch. Nesting colonies form in dense mangroves and coastal thickets, where monogamous pairs construct bulky stick platforms to raise their chicks.
Pink PlumageWading BirdWetland Species
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Small Fish
- Aquatic Insects
- Crustaceans
Predators
- Alligators
- Bald Eagles
- Raccoons
ThreatsHabitat loss, coastal development, wetland degradation, and sea-level rise
HabitatsCoastal marshes, mangrove swamps, mudflats, and shallow lagoons
Life span10 to 15 years in the wild
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyThreskiornithidae
- SpeciesPlatalea ajaja
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe from a respectful distance with binoculars.
- What to notice
- Recognizable by bright pink wings, spatulate bill, and unfeathered yellowish-green head.
- Support conservation
- Keep at least 300 feet away from breeding rookeries and use telephoto lenses or spotting scopes.
Responsible observation
- Feeding Behavior: Look for side-to-side head sweeps in shallow murky water where tactile feeding occurs.
- Rookery Etiquette: Maintain extra distance around nesting islands to avoid disturbing brooding parents.
- Distinguishing Features: Check for bare greenish head skin and spatulate bill tip to rule out flamingos.
Dietary Cousin "American flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber" by Paul and Jill is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Frequent Companion (c) unnormalized, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Nesting Neighbor (c) Jessica, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative Chuck Homler, Focus On Wildlife / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
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