Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Platalea flavipes
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) is a uncommon ibises and spoonbill found only in Australia, weighing about 1.7 kg. The yellow-billed spoonbill is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae.
About the Yellow-billed Spoonbill
The yellow-billed spoonbill is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is native to Australia, and is a vagrant to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Measuring around 90 cm (35.5 in), the yellow-billed spoonbill has all white plumage. The long spoon-shaped bill, bare-skinned face, legs and feet are all yellow, while the iris is pale yellow. The sexes are similar in plumage and coloration. In the breeding season, the face is lined with black, long hackles develop on the chest, and the wings have black tips. The bill of the yellow-billed spoonbill is narrower and works more like a forceps than the larger-ended and more spoon-like bill of the royal spoonbill, which acts like a pair of tongs.
Where it lives
When to see it
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill can be seen all year round, with peak activity in October. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Yellow-billed Spoonbill?
- Measuring around 90 cm (35.5 in), the yellow-billed spoonbill has all white plumage. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Yellow-billed Spoonbill?
- The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is a huge sized bird weighing about 1.7 kg.
- Where can you see a Yellow-billed Spoonbill?
- The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is endemic to Australia, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Yellow-billed Spoonbill?
- The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is most easily confused with the African Spoonbill, the Black-faced Spoonbill and the Royal Spoonbill.
- Is the Yellow-billed Spoonbill endangered?
- The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Yellow-billed Spoonbill for real
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