The Roseate Spoonbill

One of Florida's Most Elegant Birds

The Roseate Spoonbil

The roseate spoonbill, known for itsr bright pink color and sometimes mistaken for a flamingo, was over hunted in the late 1800s when the bird's bright plumes sold for $2 each to be used as hand fans.

The colorful pink roseate spoonbill is unquestionably the emblematic bird of Florida. Therefore, by all rights, it ought to be the official state bird, but it is not.

Instead, the 1927 legislature chose the mockingbird, a year around resident whose Latin name means "a bird of many tongues," something old-time politicians themselves were often quite adept at.

The roseate spoonbill was almost extinct by the mid-twentieth century, but the bird is bouncing back quite strongly. Its broad, flattened beak, whose tip is not too different from the shape of a manatee's tail, is characteristic of birds young and old.

The bill is important for feeding, when the bird moves its bill from side to side underwater in search of shrimp and small fish. The flat bill also comes in handy for searching soft shallow muddy areas for insects and crustaceans.

Preservation of the bird's shallow feeding areas in Florida Bay and elsewhere is paramount to the roseate spoonbill's survival.

Roseate Spoonbill Nesting Season

In Florida Bay, the Everglades and other parts of South Florida, roseates nest during November and December. In Central Florida, breeding occurs several months later, around April.

In all areas, the nests are built in low, dense mangroves or trees, often sharing the same territory as herons and ibis. Roseate spoonbills, which normally lay three eggs, build sturdy, deep nests made of sticks.

Immature birds display a soft pink on their wings and back that darkens with age. They attain their bright pink, mature colors at about three years of age. The pink is accented by a distinctive orange tail and shoulders, rump, and chest patch that are all bright red. The skin on the sides and back of the neck is a dark black.

A little gaudy overall, perhaps, like the dresses of French can-can girls, but it's no wonder plume hunters wanted these birds so badly they almost completely exterminated them.

Go To Where To See Nesting Roseate Spoonbills

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