Scientific Name:
Platalea leucorodia
Common Name:
Spoonbill
Family:
Plataleinae of the family Threskiornithidae (order Ciconiiformes)
Summary:
Spoonbills have long, flattened beaks and moderately long necks. They also have long, featherless legs, which they use to wade through shallow waters. Their feathers, also known as “plumage,” are mostly white across all species. The exception to this rule is the Roseate Spoonbill, which has pink feathers. Most species of these birds stand about two and a half feet tall.
Ecology:
These birds have highly specialized bills, which they use to catch food. While hunting, they wade through shallow waters and sway their bills back and forth through the water and mud. When they feel a potential meal, they snatch it up in their beak. these birds eat a variety of different foods, including small fish, snails, insects, shrimp, crabs, and some plants. Different species feed on different types of prey, but most Spoonbills are opportunistic and feed on just about anything they can catch.
Habitat:
They are aquatic birds, and usually inhabit shallow waters where they can wade in search of food.
Distribution:
Widely across Great Britian
Size:
60 – 80 cm tall