Roseate Spoonbill (us-RGV)
From WikiBird
Contents |
Regional Information
Range, Abundance, and Seasonal Variations
Directions and Maps
General Information
Size
Length: 80cm (31.5in), Wingspan: 120cm (47.2in)
Field Marks
Large, long-legged wader with a long neck, long, spatulate bill, holds neck extended in flight. Adult:' Red eyes, bill grayish with dark mottling, head greenish and unfeathered with black nape band, white neck and back, pink back and wings, legs red, feet dark. Immature: Yellow eyes, yellowish bill, white or very pale pink body plumage, white feathered head. Sexes similar.
Similar species
No other bird has a similar bill. Flamingos are also long-legged pink wading birds but have short, thick, hooked bills and black in the flight feathers.
Sounds
Feeding & Behavior
Fly with their necks outstretched. Feeds in shallow fresh or coastal waters on fish, frogs and other water creatures, swinging its bill from side to side as it steadily walks through the water, often in groups.
Habitat & Nesting
Nests in mangrove trees, laying 2-5 eggs. It does not usually share colonies with storks or herons.
Range
Resident breeder in South America, the Caribbean, and the Gulf coast of the USA.
Resources
