Roseate Spoonbill

Description:

Spoonbills are fairly large and similar in size to their wading counterparts, great blue herons, great egrets and wood storks. They have a white body with wings in varying shades of pink. The other most notable feature other than their pink body (which comes from their consumption of carotenoid rich shrimp) is their spoon or spatulate shaped bill. Spoonbills will sweep back and forth across the water with their bills to collect shrimp, fish, insects, etc. This is a characteristic behavior that can help with identification.

Habitat:

Tidal Wetlands

Notes:

A large group of wading birds including other species of egrets, herons, ibises and storks. In a pool along side the road leading to Merritt Island, National Wildlife Refuge.