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''Originally posted by '''tsiya''''' | ''Originally posted by '''tsiya''''' | ||
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[[Category:Birds]] | [[Category:Birds]] | ||
Revision as of 17:29, 19 May 2007
- Ajaia ajaja
Description
The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja, sometimes separated in the monotypic genus Ajaja) is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. It is a mainly resident breeder in South America, the Caribbean, and the Gulf coast of the USA.
Roseate Spoonbill nests in mangrove trees, laying 2-5 eggs. It does not usually share colonies with storks or herons.
This species is unmistakable. It is 80cm tall, with a 120cm wingspan. It is long-legged, long-necked and has a long, spatulate bill. Adults have a bare greenish head, white neck, breast and back, and are otherwise a deep pink. The bill is grey.
Sexes are similar, but immature birds have white feathered heads and the pink of the plumage is paler. The bill is yellowish or pinkish. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. In 2006, a banded bird 16 years old was discovered, the oldest known individual.[1]
This species feeds in shallow fresh or coastal waters on fish, frogs and other water creatures, swinging its bill from side to side as it steadily walks through the water, often in groups
Identification:
30-32" (76-81 cm). W. 4'5" (1.3 m). Bill long and straight with broad spatulate tip from which the bird gets its name. Mainly white, with brilliant pink wings and flanks, and orange tail; shoulder rich crimson. Immature pale pink and white.
Habitat:
Mangroves and saltwater lagoons.
Nesting:
2 or 3 dull-white eggs, with dark spots and blotches, in a bulky nest of sticks built in a low bush or tree. Nests in colonies.
Range:
Resident locally on coasts of Texas, Louisiana (rare), and southern Florida. Also in American tropics.
Voice:
Low croaks and clucking sounds.
Discussion:
These birds spend much time feeding in the shallow waters of Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on shrimp, small fish, snails, and aquatic insects, which they detect by their sense of touch as they rhythmically sweep their "spoon-shaped" bills from side to side. Early in the century their numbers were severely depleted by plume hunters, but with protective laws they have increased once again.
Identification
This photograph has been one of the most commented on pictures of the gallery.
Northeast Florida, St. John's County
Roseate Spoonbills are becoming more common in this part of the state, and breeding here.
Originally posted by tsiya
