Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
roseate spoonbill
References
Images
Roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) Roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja). Illustrations of eight bird heads, each showing a different bill shape adapted for feeding: a hooked bill for tearing flesh on a red-tailed hawk, a cone-shaped bill for cracking seeds on a northern cardinal, a flat bill for catching fish on a roseate spoonbill, a spear-like bill for jabbing prey on a great blue heron, a chisel-like bill for digging insects on a northern flicker, a large pouch bill for scooping fish on a brown pelican, a narrow bill with toothlike edges for catching fish on a hoo
Britannica AI Icon

roseate spoonbill

bird
Also known as: Ajaia ajaja
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja)
Roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja)

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a wading bird found from the southern United States to Patagonia. It is characterized by its distinctive pink plumage, white neck, and upper back. Spoonbills, in general, are long-legged birds belonging to the subfamily Plataleinae. They inhabit estuaries, saltwater bayous, and lakes, feeding by sweeping their long bills side-to-side in shallow water to catch small fish and crustaceans. When flying, they extend their necks and legs and maintain a steady wing flap. Spoonbills typically breed in colonies, constructing nests in bushes or trees and laying several white eggs blotched with reddish-brown. The roseate spoonbill, specifically, can reach about 80 cm in length.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. roseate spoonbill
  2. spoonbill

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.