74 Birds of Colorado 



b^ Long plumes on the crown and neck as well as the 

 back. Egretta, p. 84. 



b^ Plumage not white. 



a^ Larger — wing over 17 ; a white line on the throat. 



Ardea, p. 82. 

 b^ Smaller— wing under 15 ; no white on throat, but plu- 

 mage sometimes entirely white. Dichromanassa, p. 86. 

 c^ Smallest — wing under 8 ; prevailing colour green. 



Butorides, p. 86. 

 b^ Naked portion of the tibio -tarsus much shorter than the 

 inner toe and claw. 

 a* Tarsus short, about equal to middle toe and claw. 



Nycticorax, p. 87. 

 b^ Tarsus longer, exceeding the middle toe and claw. 



Nyctanassa, p. 88. 



Family PLATALEDiE. 



The Spoonbills are so closely allied to the Ibises in 

 all essential anatomical characters, that they have often 

 been all placed together in one family ; the curious 

 spoon-shaped bill, however, at once distinguishes these 

 birds from all others, and constitutes their claims to 

 family distinction. 



Genus AJAJA. 



In addition to the spoon-shaped bill, these birds have the head bald 

 in the adult, and the throat somewhat pouched ; the nostrils are basal 

 and linear-oblong ; tail of twelve feathers ; tarsi reticulate with 

 hexagonal plates ; toes semipaknate ; plumage white and pink ; sexes 

 alike. 



Only one species is recognized. 



Roseate Spoonbill. Ajaja ajaja. 



A.O.U. CheckUst no 183 — Colorado Records — Morrison 89, p. 166 ; 

 H. G. Smith 96, p. 65 ; Cooke 97, p. 59. 



Description. — Adult — Head and throat bare of feathers, varied green, 

 yellow, orange and black ; neck and upper-back white, sometimes 

 tinged with pink ; sides of the breast and end of the tail ochraceous- 

 buS ; rest of the plumage pink to carmine ; iris pink, bill hke the 

 head, legs carmine. Length 32 ; wing 14-5 ; tail 5-0 ; culmen 6-25 ; 

 tarsus 4'0. 



