Roseate spoonbill in flight

Here is a roseate spoonbill in flight. The pink color of its wings shows better here than in yesterday's photo of a flock of them perched in a tree. The rounded spatula-shaped bill is also evident in this photo.

The birds use their flat, rounded bills to swing from side to side in shallow water to stir up the little animals that they eat. Their wingspan reaches 1.3 m. (4.2 ft) and they are 80 cm (30 in.) in height.

Their scientific name is ajaia ajaia, and they are known locally as either espatula rosada or garza rosada, which translate as pink spatula or pink heron, respectively.