Click here to learn more about Roseate Spoonbills:
Roseate Spoonbills are a rare visitor to the rookery, and a rare bird in general in this part of Georgia. When seen at the rookery, they have been flocked with juvenile/immature Ibis.
Neck: White.
Head: Featherless, yellow/green.
Other feathers: Very light pink to bold red.
Legs: Pink/red.
Feet: Pink/red.
Bill: Spoon-shaped.
Eyes: Red.
The Roseate Spoonbill's most distinguishing feature is their spoon-shaped bill. They are hard to confuse with any other bird that visits the rookery.
Roseate Spoonbills are typically just short of 3 feet tall, with wingspans up to about 4 feet.
Roseate Spoonbills primarily eat small fish, shrimp, and other crustaceans. Their diet dictates how pink/red they are. Like the American Flamingo, their pink color is derived from the carotenoid pigments in their diet. The same pigment that makes shrimp and crabs turn red when cooked is responsible for the pink/red feathers of the Roseate Spoonbill.