Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) - Roseate spoonbills grow to
a height of 32 inches (81 cm), with an average wingspan of 50
inches (127 cm). Their distinguishing characteristics include
their pink body and legs, white neck and breast. pale green bald
head, spoon-shaped bill, and bright red shoulder patch. - Life
History Roseate spoonbills eat primarily small fish and
crustaceans. Raccoons and coyotes eat roseate spoonbill eggs and
young. Spoonbills reach sexual maturity at approximately 16
weeks. In Texas, their mating season lasts from March through
June. Nests are built in thick vegetation above water; are well-
built, and deeply cupped. Females typically lay two to five
brown-speckled white eggs, which hatch after about 24 days. In
about eight weeks, the young roseate spoonbills are ready to
fly. Their life span is as long as ten years. Unlike most birds,
roseate spoonbills are silent and often solitary when they feed.
They swish their spoon-shaped bills back and forth in the water
to find small invertebr