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With her two tiny chicks nestled beside her, patiently waiting to be fed, a spoonbill mother appears as the perfect beak-on of joy.
And it was the trio's warm embrace that prompted Jon Burket to snap the cheerful image after spotting the pink-and-white plumed bird while visiting Orlando Wetlands Park, Florida.
The 43-year-old former television producer watched in awe as the two-week-old roseate spoonbills - nicknamed 'teaspoons' for their age - impatiently waited for their mother to regurgitate their next meal.
Fascinatingly, their nest is located in an alligator-filled swamp - and while that might seem a little risky, their snappy neighbours act as a useful deterrent against other predators.
The birds are a common sight in coastal Florida, but are considered a state-designated threatened species due to loss of habitat, pesticides and illegal hunting.
The pink cosy club: Jon Burket snapped this photograph of a roseate spoonbill feeding her two-week-old 'teaspoon' chicks
Share or comment on this article: One family who don't mind their bills getting bigger! Mother spoonbill feeds her chicks in alligator-infested Florida swamp