Natives of tropical South America, Central America, the Caribbean, South Florida and the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, roseate spoonbills are distinctive waders that are sought by birders and photographers alike. They favor shallow, coastal bays where they feed on small fish and marine invertebrates, grasping prey with their sensitive, paddle-shaped bills. Due to their bright pink plumage and long, reddish legs, roseate spoonbills are often mistaken for flamingos; in fact, they are closely related to ibis and, like their cousins, fly in linear squadrons with necks outstretched.
Roseate spoonbills nest in mangroves or on offshore islands with low vegetation, often in large, mixed colonies that include herons, egrets, ibis, cormorants and pelicans; 1-4 eggs are incubated by both parents and the young will fledge within two months of hatching. Juvenile spoonbills often wander farther north in summer, appearing along the upper Gulf Coast and, occasionally, in the lower Mississippi Valley.
Threatened by both plumage hunters and the use of DDT in the early 20th Century, roseate spoonbills have since made a comeback; however, they, like other waders, now face habitat loss due to coastal development, pollution and the drainage of wetlands. On the other hand, these once rare birds have become quite common in some areas, turning up along golf course ponds and other man-made waterways.
