Roseate Spoonbills forage in shallow waters typically less than 5 inches deep. They sweep their partly opened spoon-shaped bill through the water, feeling and looking for crustaceans such as shrimp, prawns, aquatic insects, and fish. Once they feel the prey on their bill they snap it closed, often swallowing the item whole. Their pink coloring is derived from feeding on crustaceans like flamingoes. Roseate Spoonbills nest in colonies with egrets, ibises, and herons, typically on islands or over standing water. They nest in mangroves, Brazilian pepperbush, willows, sea myrtle, and other shrubs near the water. They tend to put their nests in the shadiest part of the tree or shrub, up to 16 feet high. They sleep while standing, often on one leg with the head tucked under a shoulder. Spoonbills are social birds that gather in small to large (anywhere from 2 to around 400) groups when feeding and roosting. They fly to and from feeding and roosting areas with slow and deep wing beats with their legs and neck fully extended. When foraging spoonbills spot a group of spoonbills flying overhead, they stick their necks and bills straight up into the air in a posture called sky gazing. Spoonbills share the roosting and nesting colony with egrets, herons, and ibises. At colonies males bob their heads up and down while shaking nearby twigs to get the attention of a female. Interested pairs may bite each other's bills or may raise their outstretched wings above their body. Once paired, males present females with sticks, which they shake while holding them in their bills. Pairs generally stay together only for one breeding season. (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
