Roseate spoonbills
| Roseate spoonbills | ||||||||||
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Roseate spoonbill ( Platalea ajaja ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Platalea ajaja | ||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The roseate spoonbill ( Platalea ajaja , syn .: Ajaia ajaja ) is a species of bird from the genus of the spoonbill ( Platalea ) within the family of ibises and spoonbills (Threskiornithidae).
Appearance
The roseate spoonbill reaches a size of about 86 cm and is thus slightly larger than its relative, the spoonbill . The color of the plumage is also different. The back parts of the roseate spoonbill are white, the wings and chest side have a strong red color. The long stilt legs, which are typical of walking birds, are brightly scarlet in color, similar to the scarlet ibis . The bill and head are gray to black, the base of the beak has a yellow spot. Typical for spoonbills is the shape of the beak, which is shaped like a spoon .
Occurrence
Roseate spoonbills prefer the warm, sunny wetlands of Florida, especially the Everglades . You can see it in the same area as alligators or Florida panthers , whose prey also includes it. Roseate spoonbills do not overwinter in Florida , but move to southeast Mexico , Chile or Argentina .
Social behavior and brood care
Roseate spoonbills live in large colonies and practice brood care . The female lays 3 to 5 eggs in a nest up to 30 cm high . The young hatch after an incubation period of 21 days. They are first supplied with gagged and pre-digested food by the parent animals until they can actively take the food from the parents' beak. After eight weeks the animals have fledged and can fly.
Danger
The roseate spoonbill was previously considered threatened. A hundred years ago it was on the verge of extinction. The feathers of this beautiful animal were used by fashion designers for their creations and paid for with three times the gold value. Today it is threatened by hunting in its winter quarters, but is protected in the USA.
The total population is estimated at 100,000 to 250,000 animals. The IUCN classifies the species as not endangered ( least concern ).
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Web links
- Platalea ajaja onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species .
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Platalea ajaja in the Internet Bird Collection
- Page about the roseate spoonbill
- Photo gallery about birds in Florida, also about the roseate spoonbill
literature
- National Geographic (Ed.): Field Guide to the Birds of North America . Washington, DC 2002, ISBN 0-7922-6877-6 .