Photo: User:Mwanner / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Roseate Spoonbill
Platalea ajaja
Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family found in Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Adults weigh 1.5 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Threskiornithidae Ibises, Spoonbills
- Genus Platalea
- Species ajaja
Where it lives
Southern USA to northern Argentina
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.5 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Threskiornithidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Roseate Spoonbill hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Roseate Spoonbill is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family, within the order Pelecaniformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America. Its distribution covers NA, MA, SA s USA to n Argentina.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.5 kg, with a wing length of about 34.9 cm and a tail of around 9.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Roseate Spoonbill?
The Roseate Spoonbill is a very large bird that weighs around 1.5 kg.
Where does the Roseate Spoonbill live?
The Roseate Spoonbill is found across Central America & Caribbean, North America and South America with a range covering NA, MA, SA s USA to n Argentina, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Roseate Spoonbill belong to?
The Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) belongs to the Threskiornithidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Roseate Spoonbill eat?
The Roseate Spoonbill hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Roseate Spoonbill migrate?
The Roseate Spoonbill is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Roseate Spoonbill endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Roseate Spoonbill make?
1 real field recording of the Roseate Spoonbill — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Roseate Spoonbill's range?
The Roseate Spoonbill has a mapped global range of about 7.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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