I took this shot of a roseate spoonbill landing at the Smith Oaks rookery in High Island, Texas. Few birds are more colorful in flight. Roseate spoonbills have bright reddish pink wings that stretch three to four feet. They are extremely strong, fast fliers and can stop quickly by putting on their air brakes … i.e., by forming a basket with their wings to catch the wind. Unlike most birds that land with their heads upright, the roseate spoonbill almost always lands with his/her neck stretched forward and down. I suspect they do this for balance. They seem to have a harder time gripping limbs than other birds and, when stationary, rock back and forth to maintain their perch in the wind.
