Eurasian Spoonbill Identification
Its scientific name is 'Platalea leucorodia', from the family Threskiornithidae (order Pelecaniformes)
What I look like
The Eurasian Spoonbill resembles a stork, but is recognized by its spoon-shaped bill.
It is slightly smaller than a heron.
From a distance, it can be confused with the Great Egret due to its white plumage and long black legs.
In breeding plumage, it has a crest on its head, an ochre patch on its chest, and a black bill with a yellow tip.
The crest of the males is larger.
In non-breeding plumage, it has no crest and its bill is completely black.
Juveniles resemble adults in non-breeding plumage but with black wingtips, especially visible in flight.
They also have flesh-colored legs and bill, which darken progressively.
My songs, my calls
The Eurasian Spoonbill is mute.
Except during breeding, when one can hear begging calls (very high-pitched and vibrato) and some grunts in the colony.
How I behave
The Eurasian Spoonbill is often seen feeding in groups.
It flies with its neck extended like a stork.
Its wingbeats are faster than a heron's and are interspersed with some gliding.
At rest, it can be confused with the Great Egret, but the posture is different.
The Eurasian Spoonbill holds its body close to horizontal. This is well observed here, in the center.
The Great Egret tends to hold its body on a vertical axis. As observed here in the center.
How I reproduce
The Eurasian Spoonbill nests in colonies, often in trees.
Before building the nest, the pair engages in mutual preening, with crests raised. This is the "courtship display".
The nest is made of twigs in trees or reeds, generally away from other species.
It lays one clutch per year of 3 to 5 eggs in April-May.
What I eat
The Eurasian Spoonbill feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, small fish…
To feed, it moves its bill submerged in water, sweeping its head from side to side.
It finds its food in large, open, shallow waters.
Its spoon-shaped bill allows it to filter water and retain prey.
Where to find me
The Eurasian Spoonbill lives in inland wetlands… (marshes, reedbeds with shrubs, trees, shallow and sheltered water areas)
and in coastal wetlands, such as salt marshes.
It is a migratory bird that winters in Africa.
A few pairs nest in France, on the Atlantic coast and in the Camargue.
It can live around twenty-eight years.