{"id":7527,"date":"2013-02-15T05:30:19","date_gmt":"2013-02-15T12:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=7527"},"modified":"2025-09-21T05:33:56","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T10:33:56","slug":"roseate-spoonbill-and-wood-stork-size-comparison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/02\/15\/roseate-spoonbill-and-wood-stork-size-comparison\/","title":{"rendered":"Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork Size Comparison"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-154078 size-full\" title=\"Morning Roseate Spoonbill delight, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-7228.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-7228.jpg\" alt=\"Morning Roseate Spoonbill delight, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"607\" height=\"850\" data-id=\"10094\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27607%27%20height%3D%27850%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20607%20850%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27607%27%20height%3D%27850%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-7228-200x280.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-7228-400x560.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-7228-600x840.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-7228.jpg 607w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 607px) 100vw, 607px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #888888;\">Roseate Spoonbill in a lagoon &#8211; Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/750, ISO 250, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Roseate Spoonbills are large wading birds with distinctive pink plumage, long spoon-shaped bills, bald heads and brilliant red eyes.<\/p>\n<p>Their length is about 32 inches, wing span 50 inches and they weigh about 3.3 pounds.<\/p>\n<p>When you are up close to them; as I was when I photographed the Spoonbill above, they seem rather large.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-157211 size-full\" title=\"Wood Stork walking near a lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623.jpg\" alt=\"Wood Stork walking near a lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #888888;\">Wood Stork walking near a lagoon\u00a0&#8211; Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/1000, ISO 160, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Wood Storks are about 40 inches in length, have a wingspan of 61 inches and weigh in at 5.3 pounds.<\/p>\n<p>Wood Storks are also distinctive with white plumage, bald heads, and long bills that look like wood.<\/p>\n<p>The Stork above has not yet acquired full adult plumage, when it does its neck will be featherless, dark and have a scaly appearance.<\/p>\n<p>When they are close you get the impression of their large size.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-154082 size-full\" title=\"Wood Stork and Roseate Spoonbill size comparison, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598.jpg\" alt=\"Wood Stork and Roseate Spoonbill size comparison, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-8598.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #888888;\">Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork size comparison &#8211; Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1\/750, ISO 200, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 360mm, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n<p>This photo shows a Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork on the shoreline of a tidal lagoon at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.friendsofftdesoto.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Fort De Soto County Park<\/span><\/a> in Florida and it shows how the Wood Stork can dwarf the Roseate Spoonbill in height.<\/p>\n<p>I find both species fascinating, prehistoric looking, and unique.<\/p>\n<p>Life <em>is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/roseate-spoonbill-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to view more of my Roseate Spoonbill photos and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wood-stork-images\/\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Wood Stork images plus facts and information about both species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This photo shows a Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork on the shoreline of a tidal lagoon at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida and it shows how the Wood Stork can dwarf the Roseate Spoonbill in height. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":157211,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,25,704,2000,177,353],"tags":[4004,4039,5132,4982,3997,950,4266,1481,2129,4810,4811,5410,951,4140,4001,313,3996,4441],"class_list":["post-7527","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-pinellas-county-florida","category-roseate-spoonbills","category-wood-storks","tag-adult","tag-beach","tag-coastal","tag-comparison","tag-lagoon","tag-mycteria-americana","tag-platalea-ajaja","tag-roseate-spoonbill","tag-size-comparison","tag-spoonbill","tag-spoonbills","tag-stork","tag-storks","tag-tidal-lagoon","tag-wading-bird","tag-wading-birds","tag-water","tag-wood-stork"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/wood-stork-walking-mia-mcpherson-8623.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-1Xp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1661,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2010\/12\/19\/roseate-spoonbills\/","url_meta":{"origin":7527,"position":0},"title":"Roseate Spoonbills","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Cotton candy pink... are the descriptive words I thought of when I saw my first Roseate Spoonbill.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roseate Spoonbill feeding in a quiet lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5333.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5333.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-feeding-mia-mcpherson-5333.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34714,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/01\/05\/a-roseate-spoonbill-in-a-lagoon-with-a-young-mangrove\/","url_meta":{"origin":7527,"position":1},"title":"Roseate Spoonbill In A Lagoon With A Young Mangrove","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I can recall vividly the morning I photographed this Roseate Spoonbill in a lagoon with a young mangrove by its legs at Fort De Soto County Park.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roseate Spoonbill in a lagoon with a young mangrove in Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/roseate-spoonbill-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-7336.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/roseate-spoonbill-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-7336.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/roseate-spoonbill-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-7336.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/roseate-spoonbill-lagoon-mia-mcpherson-7336.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10181,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2013\/11\/07\/adult-roseate-spoonbill-on-the-gulf-coast\/","url_meta":{"origin":7527,"position":2},"title":"Adult Roseate Spoonbill on the Gulf Coast","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 7, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Of the six species of spoonbills only the Roseate Spoonbill is found in North America and it is the only Spoonbill that is so vividly colored.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Adult Roseate Spoonbill at the north beach lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roseate-spoonbill-adult-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roseate-spoonbill-adult-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roseate-spoonbill-adult-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/roseate-spoonbill-adult-mia-mcpherson-5335.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43255,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/11\/25\/juvenile-roseate-spoonbill-on-floridas-west-coast\/","url_meta":{"origin":7527,"position":3},"title":"Juvenile Roseate Spoonbill on Florida&#8217;s West Coast","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"November 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I photographed this juvenile Roseate Spoonbill in May of 2008 from inside a lagoon at Fort De Soto's north while the immature spoonbill and a few adults preened and rested on the shoreline.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Juvenile Roseate Spoonbill at the edge of a lagoon, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/roseate-spoonbill-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/roseate-spoonbill-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/roseate-spoonbill-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/roseate-spoonbill-juvenile-mia-mcpherson-7230.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":24063,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/05\/18\/roseate-sunset\/","url_meta":{"origin":7527,"position":4},"title":"Roseate Sunset","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 18, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I have always loved the pinks of the Roseate Spoonbills and the evening sun just made the colors even more delightful looking.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roseate Sunset, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/roseate-spoonbill-sunset-mia-mcpherson-6528.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6867,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/22\/roseate-spoonbill-in-evening-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":7527,"position":5},"title":"Roseate Spoonbill In Evening Light","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 22, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Evening can have marvelous light too though as shown in the Roseate Spoonbill image above that I photographed in Florida as it hunted for prey in a tidal lagoon.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Roseate Spoonbill in evening light, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-6232.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-6232.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/roseate-spoonbill-mia-mcpherson-6232.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/157211"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}