Roseate Spoonbill vs Giant Ibis
Platalea ajaja compared with Thaumatibis gigantea
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Roseate Spoonbill | Giant Ibis |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Platalea ajaja | Thaumatibis gigantea |
| Order | Pelecaniformes | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Threskiornithidae | Threskiornithidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Critically Endangered |
| Length | 81.0 cm (31.9 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 127.0 cm (50.0 in) | 106.6 cm (42.0 in) |
| Weight | 1500.0 g (52.91 oz) | 3515.0 g (123.99 oz) |
| Diet | Small fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and plant material filtered from shallow water by sweeping the … | -- |
| Clutch Size | 1-7 | 2-3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Roseate Spoonbill
Shallow coastal lagoons, estuaries, mangroves, and freshwater marshes. Nests in colonies in trees and shrubs.
Song & Call Comparison
Roseate Spoonbill
Low, grunting and guttural croaking sounds at nesting colonies. Generally quiet. Alarm calls are softer croaks. Vocalizations lack melodic quality; purely functional colony sounds.
Giant Ibis
Geographic Range & Migration
Roseate Spoonbill
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America to Argentina.
Giant Ibis
Conservation Status
Roseate Spoonbill
Giant Ibis
How to Tell Them Apart
Roseate Spoonbill
Vivid pink body plumage with darker carmine on the wings. Bare greenish-grey head. White neck and back. Intensity of pink depends on diet.
Long, flat, spatulate greyish bill used for sweeping through shallow water
Giant Ibis
About These Birds
Roseate Spoonbill
The roseate spoonbill is the only spoonbill species in the Americas and one of the most striking wading birds in the Western Hemisphere. Like flamingos, their pink color comes from carotenoid pigments in their crustacean prey. Nearly hunted to extinction for their plumes in the 19th century, they have recovered substantially.
Giant Ibis
102–106 cm. Massive; dark brown with naked grey head; heavy downcurved grey bill; red legs. Critically Endangered; world's largest ibis with fewer than 250 adults. Breeds in Cambodian lowland forests and adjacent Laos. Threatened by logging, hunting, and human disturbance near nests.