We are just lucky to see the Roseate Spoonbill in one of several ponds around our neighborhood today.
Figure - The lonely Roseate Spoonbill
The bird is a master to search its food in the shallow water, since it has a unique spoon-shaped bill.
Roseate Spoonbill primary diets are small aquatic creatures such as:
- fish, like small minnows
- aquatic insects, include dragonfly and beetles.
- some small crustaceans, they are crabs, crayfish and shrimp.
Interestingly, diet of this bird contains both higher nutritious and pigments called carotenoids (contributes to its vibrant pink coloration).
Do you know about bird called Roseate Spoonbill?
# Previous postings:
Hello Tanza, The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) was seen once in 2016 on the island of Texel NL and that was the last time. Because they really occur here in the wild in the Netherlands. There is a colony living here, but they are all white. There must also be an explanation for the pink color. The spoonbills eat a lot of shrimp. And shrimp in turn eat algae, and algae in turn produce their own red and yellow pigments, which are called carotonids. These caratonids provide the pink color of the birds. It even seems to be the case that the more shrimp is eaten, the pinker the bird becomes. But I don't know if this is really true. A nice observation.
ReplyDeleteWish you a lovely day. Greetings, Tine
Elegant spoonbill there
ReplyDelete...thanks, this is a beauty that I would not see here.
ReplyDeleteIt does have a pinkish color and it makes sense with them eating such things as shrimp. We are too far North in Texas to see them. Interesting spoonbill. Wishing you a great day
ReplyDeleteOh, I dunno what we would do if one showed up in the back yard..but we have several deer that bed down there, at the moment. Interesting!
ReplyDeleteI have never seen one around here. Possibly, at the zoo. Great photo!
ReplyDeleteI have seen documentaries on these but never seen one in person. Sounds like an interesting bird!
ReplyDeleteGood photo -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteLovely capture of the beautiful bird!
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