Spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird that has a spoon-shaped bill. The bird swings its bill from side to side in the water to search for food. Spoonbills usually eat fish, water insects, and small crabs. Most spoonbills are white. The color of the bill, face, and legs varies with the species. These birds live in warm wetlands (marshy regions), and some migrate to nest. Spoonbills are related to herons, storks, and flamingos.
The roseate spoonbill is the most colorful spoonbill. Its neck and upper back are white. The other feathers are rosy-pink, turning to red on the wings. Roseate spoonbills nest in colonies and return year after year to the same place. The nest is a platform of sticks placed in low trees or shrubs. Females lay three or four eggs, which are white spotted with olive-brown. The roseate spoonbill lives in warm areas of the Americas.
Several other species (kinds) of spoonbills live in Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe. The black-faced, or lesser, spoonbill is endangered.
