Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

Roseate Spoonbills at Fort De Soto

What are we studying?

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja ) is one of 6 species of spoonbills in the world and the only one in North America. Our study hopes to determine which areas at Ft. De Soto are the most important for this imperiled species.

About Roseate Spoonbills

⭐ Fun Fact: Roseate spoonbills get their pink color from the food they eat! The more they eat, the pinker they get! They are also the only spoonbill that is brightly colored! ⭐

Identification

Aside from its bright pink feathers, the roseate spoonbill can be identified by its unmistakable spoon-shaped bill. It is also the only spoonbill whose head loses its feathers as it matures leaving behind a pale green head. Their legs are red. The roseate spoonbill is rather small reaching about 80cm (or 2ft) tall.

⭐ Fun Fact: There are only 6 spoonbill species in the world, and the roseate spoonbill is the only spoonbill in North America!⭐

Habitat

Roseate spoonbills are found in the United States on the Gulf coasts of Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. On the Atlantic coast of Florida, they are found from the Florida Keys to about West Palm Beach. They are found across the Caribbean, both coasts of Mexico and Central America, and the north coasts of South America. They are also found inland in South America and some Pacific coasts in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Roseate spoonbills are found in all water habitats along the coast. They nest primarily on islands or above standing water.

Foraging

Roseate spoonbills forage in shallow aquatic habitats and feed by "tactolocation" which means it walks through the water swinging its head and its spoon-like bill from side to side. When it gets prey (fish and aquatic invertebrates) it snaps its bill shut. Roseate spoonbills are believed to forage more during the day than at night. They eat small aquatic animals such as fish, crustaceans, and insects.

Conservation

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016, the roseate spoonbill is listed under least concern. Unfortunately, in Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lists roseate spoonbills as state-designated threatened. The good news however is that the Tampa Bay region has the most significant breeding population!

Historically, these birds were hunted for their beautiful feathers; today, hunting is not illegal which has allowed their population to rebound! Habitat degradation and destruction are the biggest threats to roseate spoonbills today. Coastal habitats are being developed causing breeding sites to move. Estuaries have been degraded and are no longer able to support large abundances of wading birds. The increased freshwater flow from the Everglades in the Florida Bay may affect prey availability. Boat traffic has also caused a decline in spoonbill nests and an increase in colony abandonment.

Florida has protected many of their nesting sites and continues to manage the Roseate Spoonbill population. Florida has proposed to 1) protect the mangrove estuary east of U.S. Highway 1 on the southern mainland, 2) restore the ecosystem of the coastal mangrove estuary, 3) continue to monitor spoonbills, and 4) identify and monitor sources of mercury contamination.

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