The roseate spoonbill is a brightly colored, long-legged water bird which uses its broad bill to catch fish and shrimp in shallow waters. It had nearly been exterminated by hunters seeking the plumage and now is protected by federal law. Spoonbills are a group of large wading birds named for their bills. The roseate spoonbill is about 32 inches (80 cm) long and is found from Argentina to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Adults are mostly pink, with traces of crimson on the shoulders and white on the back and neck. They breed in colonies, where the female lays two or three eggs.