Platalea leucorodia
Eurasian Spoonbill
The Eurasian Spoonbill is a large, striking wading bird with predominantly white plumage. Its most distinctive feature is the long, flat, spatula-shaped black bill with a yellow tip. The bird stands tall on long, black legs.
During the breeding season, adults develop a yellowish breast patch, which may form a complete collar in some birds, and a crest of long, wispy feathers at the back of the head. Juveniles have a paler, pinkish bill and lack the yellow breast patch and crest.
Length
80cm to 90cm
Wingspan
120cm to 135cm
Weight
1.2kg to 2kg
Males and females have similar plumage
Primary Colour
White
Secondary Colour
Yellow
Beak Colour
Black Yellow
Leg Colour
Black
Woodland
Garden
Wetland
Coastal
Urban
Farmland
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
Rainforest
Mountain
Savanna
Eurasian Spoonbills inhabit shallow wetlands, estuaries, and coastal lagoons across Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa. They prefer freshwater and brackish environments with abundant aquatic vegetation.
They occur in many Western European countries, including the UK, Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Denmark. Their range extends eastwards through Asia to Japan, south to Sri Lanka, and in several North African countries surrounding the Sahara desert.
During breeding season, they are found in wetlands across Europe and Asia. In winter, many birds migrate to southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In the UK, they are increasingly seen year-round, with breeding populations established in recent years. Birdwatchers may spot them at the following reserves:
Up to 2,000 meters
Temperate, Subtropical, Tropical
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Eurasian Spoonbills are primarily carnivorous and feed on small aquatic animals. Their diet includes fish, crustaceans, frogs, molluscs, and aquatic insects. They also eat small amounts of aquatic vegetation and algae.
The Spoonbill’s immense bill is held slightly open as it searches for its prey in the water column. Prey is seized at the tip and deftly thrown upwards to the throat to be swallowed whole.
They often forage in groups, taking advantage of concentrated food sources.
Eurasian Spoonbills are often seen wading in shallow water, sweeping their distinctive bills from side to side to filter small aquatic animals.
They are generally social birds, often foraging and nesting in small groups. During flight, they extend their necks and legs, forming a characteristic straight line.
Eurasian Spoonbills are generally quiet birds. During the breeding season, they produce soft grunting or barking sounds, particularly in colonies. When alarmed, they may emit a harsh, guttural 'krek-krek' call.
Bill-clattering is also an important form of communication, especially during courtship rituals.
Eurasian Spoonbills typically breed in colonies, often alongside other wading birds. Pair formation begins in early spring, with elaborate courtship displays involving bill clapping and feather ruffling.
Nests are large platforms of sticks and vegetation, usually built in trees or dense reedbeds. Females lay 3-4 chalky white eggs with reddish-brown spots. Both parents share incubation duties.
Incubation lasts about 21-25 days. Chicks fledge after 6-7 weeks but remain dependent on their parents for several more weeks, learning essential foraging techniques.
The Eurasian Spoonbill typically lives for 10 to 20 years, with a maximum recorded lifespan of 30.1 years.
Like all birds, lifespan can be affected by factors including predation, habitat quality, disease, and access to food sources.
While currently listed as Least Concern globally, Eurasian Spoonbills face threats from habitat loss and degradation. Conservation efforts focus on protecting wetland habitats and managing water levels in key breeding areas.
In some regions, such as the UK, reintroduction programs have been successful in re-establishing breeding populations.
Global Population Estimate
63,000 - 65,000 individuals [3]
Global Population Trend
Trend data may be uncertain or fluctuating
Common Spoonbill
Adult Eurasian Spoonbills have few natural predators, but eggs and chicks are vulnerable to large gulls, ravens, and birds of prey. Foxes and other mammals may also pose a threat to ground-nesting colonies.
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Spoonbills are not closely related to herons, although they frequent similar habitats and bear a superficial resemblance. Herons are from the Ardeidae family, while Spoonbills are from the Threskiornithidae family.
A large group of Spoonbills would most accurately be described as a flock, although a more interesting collective noun has been proposed for the species. Many birdwatchers call a group of Spoonbills a ‘runcible,’ a word first coined by the English artist Edward Lear.
website: BirdLife International. 2019. Platalea leucorodia (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T22697555A155460986.
View sourcereport, 2015: Wetlands International