People come to Florida asking about "the pink bird," and most of the time the bird they're picturing is the roseate spoonbill. It's one of the strangest and most beautiful birds we have, and it's on a lot of photographers' wish lists, mine included. Here's what I've learned about finding them.

Spoonbill or flamingo?

First, the mix up. Two pink birds get talked about here:

• Roseate spoonbill: pink, with a flat, spoon shaped bill it swishes side to side through the water. Medium sized, often in small groups in the shallows. This is the one you'll actually run into.
• Flamingo: taller, deeper pink, with a bent bill and that famous long neck. Genuinely rare in the wild here, so if you think you're seeing lots of "flamingos," they're probably spoonbills.

The spoon shaped bill is the tell. Nothing else here has it.

Where they turn up

Spoonbills like quiet, shallow water with plenty to eat, so they show up around the same wetlands and estuaries as the other waders, often mixed in with egrets and ibis. They move around and they aren't guaranteed on any given morning, which is part of why catching one feels like a win. Dry season, when the water drops and birds concentrate, gives you the best odds, so it helps to know the seasonal rhythm.

Photographing them

That pink lights up beautifully in early morning light, and it can also blow out fast in harsh sun, so soft light is your friend. Give them room, because a feeding spoonbill that gets nervous will just move off, and let a long lens keep your distance for you. The classic shot is that bill sweeping through the water with a little spray coming off it, which is worth waiting for.

An honest note

I'll be straight with you: the spoonbill is still a bird I'm chasing the perfect frame of. Some mornings one glides in, and plenty of mornings none do. That's the pull of it. Meanwhile there's a whole cast of easier subjects to enjoy, and you can see how I sort the trickier ones in my white birds field guide.

See the rest of the work in the galleries, or check the FAQ for more South Florida bird questions.