Eurasian Spoonbill
A species of Spoonbills Scientific name : Platalea leucorodia Genus : Spoonbills
Eurasian Spoonbill, A species of Spoonbills
Botanical name: Platalea leucorodia
Genus: Spoonbills
Content
Description People often ask General Info
Description
This species is almost unmistakable in most of its range. The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. The Eurasian spoonbill differs from the African spoonbill with which in overlaps in winter, in that the latter species has a red face and legs, and no crest. They are mostly silent. Even at their breeding colonies the main sounds are bill snapping, occasional deep grunting and occasional trumpeting noises. 
Size
95 cm
Colors
Yellow
White
Life Expectancy
28 years
Feeding Habits
Eurasian Spoonbill primarily consume aquatic insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish. They exhibit unique sweeping beak motions to filter prey from the water, showcasing an adaptation for filtering feeding.
Habitat
Eurasian Spoonbill favors expansive shallow wetlands with soft substrates such as mud, clay, or fine sand. The species' natural habitats span across various water bodies including marshes, rivers, lakes, flooded regions, and mangrove swamps, irrespective of the salinity levels from fresh to brackish or saltwater. Key characteristics of preferred areas include the presence of islands for nesting and dense vegetation like reed beds intermixed with scattered trees or shrubs, such as willows, oaks, or poplars. During winter, eurasian Spoonbill often occupies sheltered coastal environments like deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks, and lagoons. Its breeding grounds are typically in regions with dense emergent plants and are commonly situated on islands within wetlands.
Dite type
Aquatic invertebrate eater
People often ask
General Info
Distribution Area
This is a Palearctic species, breeding from the United Kingdom and Spain in the west through to Japan, and also in North Africa. In Europe, only the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations. Most birds migrate to the tropics in winter, with European breeders mainly going to Africa, but a few remaining in mild winter areas of western Europe south to the United Kingdom. It was extirpated from the United Kingdom in the later part of the seventeenth century, although in the previous century it had been a widespread breeding species in the south-east, even near London. Sporadic breeding attempts in the early 21st century culminated with the formation of a colony at Holkham in Norfolk in 2010. In 2011, 8 breeding pairs nested, successfully fledging 14 young. Eurasian spoonbills show a preference for extensive shallow, wetlands with muddy, clay or fine sandy beds. They may inhabit any type of marsh, river, lake, flooded area and mangrove swamp, whether fresh, brackish or saline, but especially those with islands for nesting or dense emergent vegetation (e.g. reedbeds) and scattered trees or shrubs (especially willow Salix spp., oak Quercus spp. or poplar Populus spp.). Eurasian spoonbills may also frequent sheltered marine habitats during the winter such as deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks and coastal lagoons.
Species Status
Threats to the Eurasian spoonbill include habitat destruction by drainage and degradation by pollution, It is especially adversely affected by the disappearance of reed swamps. In Greece, over-fishing and disturbance have caused the population to decline, and human exploitation of eggs and nestlings for food has threatened the species in the past. As stated above it has recently started to breed in the United Kingdom from where it was extirpated in the 17th century. The Eurasian spoonbill international expert group (ESIEG) is one of the first research network created on a waterbird species. It was formed in 1991 and then linked to Eurosite until 2013 when the group became an AEWA International Species Expert Groups. An international action plan for the Eurasian Spoonbill was adopted in 2008. ESIEG is in charge of its implementation.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Pelicans and Relatives Family
Ibises and spoonbills Genus
Spoonbills Species
Eurasian Spoonbill 
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