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WetlandPlatform nestHuge · 1.7 kg
ID tip
The royal spoonbill is a large, white bird with a black, spoon-shaped bill. It is approximately 80 cm (31 in) tall, 74–81 cm (29–32 in) and a weight of 1.4–2.07 kg (3.1–4.6 lb). It is a wading bird and has long legs for walking through water. It eats fish, shellfish, crabs and amphibians, catching its prey by making a side-to-side movement with its bill. The end of the bill of the royal spoonbill is broader and works more like a pair of tongs than the narrower bill of the yellow-billed spoonbill, which acts like a forceps.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Royal Spoonbill
One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is January, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Royal Spoonbill
The map shades 5 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
About the Royal Spoonbill
The royal spoonbill, also known as the black-billed spoonbill lives in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia. It is one of 6 spoonbill species world wide. The royal spoonbill lives in wetlands and feeds on crustaceans, fish and small insects by sweeping its bill from side to side. It always flies with its head extended. Widespread throughout its large range, the royal spoonbill is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
African SpoonbillPlatalea albaThe African spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae.
Yellow-billed SpoonbillPlatalea flavipesMeasuring around 90 cm (35.5 in), the yellow-billed spoonbill has all white plumage.
Black-faced SpoonbillPlatalea minorThe black-faced spoonbill is a species of wading bird in the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, found in eastern Asia.
Side by side: Roseate Spoonbill vs Royal Spoonbill · Eurasian Spoonbill vs Royal Spoonbill · Bare-faced Ibis vs Royal Spoonbill · Royal Spoonbill vs Yellow-billed Spoonbill
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