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ROSEATE SPOONBILL  Platalea ajaja 71–79cm. Stunning pink wading bird

of wetlands, coastal marshes and lagoons, mangroves. No similar species.

Associates readily with other wading birds, especially White Ibis. Feeds by

filtering food with its bill tip. Flies with neck and legs outstretched, wingbeats

fairly quick and shallow, interspersed with brief glides; regularly soars, at times

in kettles with vultures and Wood Storks. Juv. much paler pink, with fine dusky

wing-tips, feathered head that changes to naked pale greenish over 1st-year;

2nd-year like duller version of adult; attains adult appearance in 3rd year.

SOUNDS: Mostly quiet except when nesting; colonies produce low clucking and

chuckling calls. STATUS: Uncommon to fairly common locally in nw. lowlands, irregular s. along Pacific

coast and on Caribbean slope, rare inland to 1200m. (Americas.)

STORKS (CICONIIDAE; 2+ SPECIES) Mainly Old World family of large to very

large wading birds with stout pointed bills, long broad wings often used for soaring. Ages differ,

sexes similar; adult appearance attained in 2–3 years. Build bulky stick nests high in trees; Wood

Stork usually colonial. Utter low grunts and hisses, also bill-rattling noises; mostly silent away

from nest.

WOOD STORK  Mycteria americana 89–101cm. Fresh and brackish wetlands,

from flooded fields and roadside ponds (especially when drying up) to

mangroves, lakes, wooded swamps. Feeds by wading and probing, often in

association with other waterbirds; perches readily in trees. Often soars on mid–

late morning thermals, at times high overhead, with vultures, other large birds;

flocks tend to wheel in somewhat disorganized kettles, not strongly syn­

chronized. Juv./1st-year has creamy bill, downy head feathering; head becomes

naked and attains adult pattern over 2 years. STATUS:  Fairly common but

nomadic year-round in nw. lowlands; irregular wanderer elsewhere on both

slopes, occasional inland to 1200m. (Americas.)

JABIRU  Jabiru mycteria 130–153cm. Huge, the largest flying bird in the

Americas, and difficult to misidentify. Singles or locally small groups forage in

open wetland habitats, savannas, flooded rice fields, often in areas with aggre­

gations of egrets, herons, other wading birds, when large size usually obvious;

also adjacent swampy woodland and forest patches in wetlands. Nests high in

emergent, often bare trees. Flight strong, with smooth wingbeats, neck out­

stretched; soars occasionally. Juv./1st-year has upperparts edged silvery gray-

brown and mixed with blackish feathers, but looks largely white at any distance;

red on neck duller than adult, often some downy whitish feathering on head.

2nd-year like dull adult, with scattered brownish feathers on upperparts. STATUS: Uncommon to locally/

seasonally fairly common but nomadic in nw. lowlands, where breeds Nov–Apr; very rare wanderer

elsewhere, mainly in n. lowlands. (Mexico to S America.)