Gordon Leggett · CC BY-SA 4.0Roseate spoonbill
Platalea ajaja · ajaja
A pink bird with a spoon-shaped bill that “sweeps” the mud of the marshes for food.
What it is
It has pink wings with touches of red and a long, flattened bill that widens at the tip like a spatula. It feeds by wading through shallow water and swinging its bill from side to side to filter out crustaceans, insects and small fish. It usually moves in groups, alongside herons and storks, in marshes and lagoons.
Did you know…?
Its species name, ajaja, is of Tupi-Guaraní origin, and that is still what it's called in Guaraní.
Where
The salt lagoons of the Central Chaco, marshes along the Transchaco Highway, the Pantanal, Ñeembucú and Lake Ypoá.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.