why they are called Spoonbills
A couple of photos of Roseate Spoonbills that show their strange shaped bills.
I found a good article on them:
http://www.audubon.org/magazine/may-june-2013/roseate-spoonbills-send-warning-signs-about
And, a quote from the article:
Among Allen’s findings was the answer to how spoonbills feed—by using what’s called “tactile location,” keeping their bills slightly open as they wave them back and forth through the water. When they hit a fish, the bill snaps shut. “They can collect a fish every three seconds,” says Lorenz. “They are fish vacuum cleaners.”
By the way, a group of Roseate Spoonbills is called a “bowl” of Spoonbills.
Neil Murray 