Roseate Spoonbill

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore?

Rare. Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Roseate Spoonbill sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 80th most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore?

January, March, June and August–September. In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–May, July and October–December, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Roseate Spoonbill?

Between 8 and 11 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Roseate Spoonbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Padre Island National Seashore the best place to see a Roseate Spoonbill?

18th of 36. Of the 36 parks where we can rate Roseate Spoonbill sightings, Padre Island National Seashore ranks 18th at under 5%. The best odds are in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 50%), Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Q: Where does the Roseate Spoonbill sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Roseate Spoonbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Padre Island National Seashore (48 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Platalea ajaja

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
FamilyThreskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
GenusPlatalea (Spoonbills)
SpeciesPlatalea ajaja (Roseate Spoonbill)

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

at Padre Island National Seashore

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

48 Verified sightings at Padre Island National Seashore From 2019 to 2026

18,453 In all 36 parks

August Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge Everglades Icons North AmericaMedium

About the Roseate Spoonbill

The roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) is a social wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo.

The roseate spoonbill was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Platalea ajaja. Linnaeus largely based his account on the "Aiaia" that had been described and illustrated over a century earlier by the German naturalist Georg Marcgrave in his book Historia Naturalis Brasiliae. Linnaeus specified the type locality as South America but this is now restricted to Brazil. The genus name Platalea is Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill; the specific epithet ajaja is from the name for the species in the Tupi language as reported by Marcgrave. The species is treated as monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

The roseate spoonbill is sometimes placed in its own genus – Ajaia. A 2010 study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills by Chesser and... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:06

United States · 2018

Call0:13

Brazil · 2020

Call0:52

Brazil · 2004

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 106 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
2	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~50%
3	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
4	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
5	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
6	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	~30%
7	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~30%
8	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
9	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~20%
10	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
11	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
12	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
13	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
14	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
16	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~10%
17	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	~10%
18	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
19	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
20	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
21	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
22	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
23	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
24	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
25	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
26	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
27	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
28	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
29	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
30	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
31	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
32	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
33	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
34	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
36	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Mesa	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
2	Guayaquil	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~20%
3	Santa Cruz de la Sierra	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~10%
4	Miami	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
5	Panama City	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
6	Houston	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
7	Curitiba	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
8	Barranquilla	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
9	Belo Horizonte	🇧🇷 Brazil	<5%
10	Havana	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Disney's Animal Kingdom	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	Busch Gardens Tampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
4	Pairi Daiza	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
5	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
6	National Zoological Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
7	ZooParc de Beauval	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
8	SeaWorld Abu Dhabi	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	In captivity
9	Dresden Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
10	Parque das Aves	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
11	Barcelona Zoo	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
12	Le Pal	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
13	Ostrava Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
14	Paris Zoological Park	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
15	Muséum de Besançon	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
16	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
17	Abilene Zoological Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Aquarium du palais de la Porte Dorée	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
19	Zoo Miami	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
20	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Minnesota Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Safari West	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	Yumka'	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
25	Brookfield Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
26	Sedgwick County Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
28	Parc zoologique de Lisieux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
29	Phoenix Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
30	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
31	Cape May County Park & Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
32	São Paulo Zoo	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
33	Rostock Zoo	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
34	Xcaret	🇲🇽 Mexico	In captivity
35	Audubon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
36	Granby Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
37	Saint Louis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
38	Berlin Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
39	Caldwell Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
40	Temaikén	🇦🇷 Argentina	In captivity
41	Brevard Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
42	Parque Zoobotânico Getúlio Vargas	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
43	ZooTampa	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
44	Dickerson Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
45	Fort Worth Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
46	Singapore Zoo	🇸🇬 Singapore	In captivity
47	Houston Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
48	San Antonio Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
49	Cameron Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
50	Cologne Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity

Show all 50 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Padre Island National Seashore

Eudocimus albus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Plegadis chihi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Pelecanus occidentalis

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Ardea herodias

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Egretta rufescens

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Pelecanus erythrorhynchos

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Ardea alba

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Egretta tricolor

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Egretta thula

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Egretta caerulea

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Nyctanassa violacea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Roseate Spoonbill sighting in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, based on 48 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 80th most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore?

January, March, June and August–September

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–May, July and October–December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Roseate Spoonbill?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Roseate Spoonbill sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Padre Island National Seashore the best place to see a Roseate Spoonbill?

18th of 36

Of the 36 parks where we can rate Roseate Spoonbill sightings, Padre Island National Seashore ranks 18th at under 5%. The best odds are in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 50%), Palo Verde National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%) and Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 50%). All parks ranked.

Where does the Roseate Spoonbill sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Roseate Spoonbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Padre Island National Seashore (48 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Padre Island National Seashore

Roseate Spoonbill

About the Roseate Spoonbill

Sounds

Recent sightings of Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Padre Island National Seashore

White Ibis

White-faced Ibis

Brown Pelican

Great Blue Heron

Reddish Egret

American White Pelican

Great Egret

Tricolored Heron

Snowy Egret

Cattle Egret

Little Blue Heron

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore?

When is the best time to see a Roseate Spoonbill in Padre Island National Seashore?

What time of day is best to see a Roseate Spoonbill?

Is Padre Island National Seashore the best place to see a Roseate Spoonbill?

Where does the Roseate Spoonbill sighting chance come from?