Roseate spoonbills can be identified by their name alone. Creative huh? If you are still having a hard time understanding, they are pointed out by their rosy color appearance and spoon-like bills. As a Merritt Island, Fla. resident, you probably have come across them very often. According to Audubon, they are habituated in marshes, ponds, wetlands, and forested swamps. Populations are not only distributed on the southern half of Florida, but are also found in Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Roseate spoonbills mainly feed on fish, crustaceans, and insects. Their coloration is obtained by the crustaceans that they consume. They eat by standing on shallow water and plunging their heads in with their beaks forward. Their beaks then snap around their pray immediately.
Breeding season for roseate spoonbills begin around December and end on June the latest. When a female finds a pair, she begins to construct her nest with materials that the male gives her. Both parents alternate their responsibility in caring for the clutch, which includes an average of three eggs. Once eggs are hatched, both mother and father continue their job in feeding and brooding. When eight weeks have passed, the young are ready to fly and be on their own.
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