15 January 2006 - Aransas Bay Tour Boat, Rockport, Texas In 1947 R. P. Allen wrote a book about this species titled "The Flame Birds," an apt nickname I think. There are six species of spoonbills in the world, but this is the only one found in the Americas and it is the only one with a brilliant pink coloration. This species was formerly placed in the monotypic genus "Ajaja" but it is now in Platalea with the other spoonbills where it belongs. In reviewing my photos, I was surprised by the bright red eye of the adult (left) compared to the duller eye of the immature (right); a difference I did not notice in the field. The greenish color on the head of the adult is bare skin.