Roseate Spoonbill

The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja ) is one of 6 species of spoonbills in the world and the only one in North America. It foragesin shallow aquatic habitats and feeds 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 Spoonbill are believed to forage more during the day than night. Our study hopes to determine which areas at Ft. De Soto are the most important for this imperiled species.