Roseate Spoonbill vs Plumbeous Ibis
Platalea ajaja compared with Theristicus caerulescens
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Roseate Spoonbill | Plumbeous Ibis |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Platalea ajaja | Theristicus caerulescens |
| Order | Pelecaniformes | Pelecaniformes |
| Family | Threskiornithidae | Threskiornithidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 81.0 cm (31.9 in) | — |
| Wingspan | 127.0 cm (50.0 in) | 81.6 cm (32.1 in) |
| Weight | 1500.0 g (52.91 oz) | 1500.0 g (52.91 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
Shared Habitats
Roseate Spoonbill only
Plumbeous Ibis only
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.
Plumbeous Ibis
Geographic Range & Migration
Roseate Spoonbill
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Central America, and South America to Argentina.
Plumbeous Ibis
Conservation Status
Roseate Spoonbill
Plumbeous 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
Plumbeous 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.
Plumbeous Ibis
73 cm. Pale grey-blue with white underparts; bare blue-grey facial skin; yellow bill. Resident in South American wetlands from Bolivia to Argentina. Feeds on fish, frogs, and invertebrates in shallow marshes and river margins. Near Threatened; affected by wetland drainage and hunting.