Royal Spoonbill
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| iRoyal Spoonbill | ||||||||||||||
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| Platalea regia Gould, 1838 |
The Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands. Feeds by sweeping bill from side to side. They always fly with their head extended.
Description: The Royal Spoon Bill has a black bill shaped like a spoon and very white feathers. It is a wading bird and has long legs for walking through water.
Voice: It is a very quiet bird out of the breeding season.
Food: It eats fish and other water animals, such as shellfish, crabs and frogs. It catches them by making a side-to-side movement with its bill.
Nest: Its nest is an open platform of sticks in a tree. The female lays two or three eggs. The chicks hatch after 21 days.
Habitat: The Royal Spoonbill lives in wetlands. It can be seen in the shallow parts of lakes and rivers.
Behaviour: When they are breeding, long white feathers grow from the back of their heads.
When breeding, coloured patches appear on the face, and plumes appear on the back of the head.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Platalea regia. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
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