Royal Spoonbill
Platalea regia
The Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) is a common ibises and spoonbill found in 5 countries, weighing about 1.7 kg. 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.
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.
How to identify it
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.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Royal Spoonbill can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Royal Spoonbill?
- The royal spoonbill is a large, white bird with a black, spoon-shaped bill. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Royal Spoonbill?
- The Royal Spoonbill is a huge sized bird weighing about 1.7 kg.
- Where can you see a Royal Spoonbill?
- The Royal Spoonbill occurs in 5 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
- What birds look similar to a Royal Spoonbill?
- The Royal Spoonbill is most easily confused with the African Spoonbill, the Yellow-billed Spoonbill and the Black-faced Spoonbill.
- Is the Royal Spoonbill endangered?
- The Royal Spoonbill is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Royal Spoonbill for real
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