The roseate spoonbill was almost extinct by the mid-twentieth century, but the bird is bouncing back quite strongly. Its broad, flattened beak, whose tip is not too different from the shape of a manatee's tail, is characteristic of birds young and old. The bill is important in feeding, where the bird moves its bill from side to side underwater in search of shrimp and small fish. The flat bill also comes in handy for searching soft shallow muddy areas for insects and crustaceans.