Description 30-32" (76-81 cm). W. 4'5" (1.3
m). Bill long and straight with broad spatulate tip from which
the bird gets its name. Mainly white, with brilliant pink wings
and flanks, and orange tail; shoulder rich crimson. Immature pale
pink and white.
Voice Low croaks and clucking sounds.
Habitat Mangroves and saltwater lagoons.
Nesting 2 or 3 dull-white eggs, with dark spots and blotches,
in a bulky nest of sticks built in a low bush or tree. Nests in
colonies.
Range Resident locally on coasts of Texas, Louisiana (rare), and
southern Florida. Also in American tropics.
Discussion These birds spend much time feeding in the shallow
waters of Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on shrimp, small fish,
snails, and aquatic insects, which they detect by their sense of
touch as they rhythmically sweep their "spoon-shaped" bills
from side to side. Early in the century their numbers were severely
depleted by plume hunters, but with protective laws they have increased
once again.
