Roseate Spoonbill at Rest by Delores Knowles

Delores Knowles
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Added 26 Jan 2008
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©Delores J. Knowles 2008 -- The Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) that I posted yesterday was a young immature bird. This is a full mature adult in breeding season. Notice that the adult has lost the feathers on his head and it is a lovely greenish-blue color. The breeding season signs are the bright red patch on the wing shoulders and the yellowish patch on the chest. You can just see the edge of the yellow patch in this pose. Like most large waders, the Spoonbill prefers to rest standing on one leg with the second leg tucked up close to the body. They turn the head and bury their large spoon-like bills among their feathers. I was making so much noise walking around that this fellow gave me a one-eyed stare with his pretty red eye. The adult stands about two and a half feet high but has a wing span of up to 53 inches. To feed, he sweeps that big bill back and forth in the water scooping up whatever happens to be in the vicinity. Photographed in Sanibel Island, Florida.

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