The roseate spoonbill is a large wading bird growing up to 34 inches long and weighing up to 4 pounds. Their colorful wings have a little over 4-foot span and their bills can grow 7 inches long! Males and females look virtually the same with no significant sexual dimorphism.

As the name suggests, the roseate spoonbill has different rosy colorations. Adults have a greenish-yellow head, white neck, back, and chest, and the rest is a mixture of colors. Their legs and wings and feathers underneath are a paler pink, with their eyes, tail, and upper wings being a deep red.

The lighter colored roseate spoonbills are the younger generation that will darken as they mature.

This large wading bird is 1 of 6 spoonbill species in the world and the only one found in America. They can be found hanging out in marsh-like areas and mangroves of the coastal lines of Louisiana and Texas, and in southern Florida.

Roseate spoonbills will feed in both fresh and saltwater during the early morning and evening competing with larger birds such as egrets, herons, and pelicans. They will slowly walk with their beaks dipped into the water slightly open allowing their bill to easily sift through the mud. Using their sense of touch more than sight, the roseate spoonbill will scoop up crustaceans, insects, newts, some plants, and more. Similar to flamingos, the canthaxanthin and astaxanthin in the spoonbill’s diet causes their pink coloration!

During mating season, a male roseate spoonbill will try to attract a female by bringing her nest materials while dancing and flying around. After mating, the females will construct an intricate nest in shrubs or trees to lay a clutch of two to three whitish eggs. Both parent roseate spoonbills participate in the month-long incubation. The chicks hatch with pink skin and white down. After six weeks, they’ll be able to leave the nest and fly away.