Spoonbills
The Spoonbill is an unmistakable wading bird. Breeding adults are all white except for dark legs, a black spoon-shaped bill with a yellow tip, a yellow breast patch and a crest. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, Spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. Feeding birds swing their heads and sweep their bills from side to side through the water.
The Spoonbill breeds from the UK and Spain in the west through to Japan and also in North Africa. In Europe, only the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations. Birds from north west and south west Europe winter mainly in west Africa whilst those from south east Europe winter in the Mediterranean and north Africa. Eastern European and Turkish birds appear to move to north east Africa, the Middle East and India.
The Spoonbill became extinct in the UK but sporadic breeding attempts in the early 21st century finally culminated with the formation of a colony at Holkham in Norfolk in 2010.
The Spoonbill can be found in extensive shallow, wetlands with muddy, clay or fine sandy beds. They may inhabit any type of marsh, river, lake, flooded area and mangrove swamp, whether fresh, brackish or saline but especially those with islands for nesting or dense emergent vegetation such as reedbeds and scattered trees or shrubs. The Spoonbill may also frequent sheltered marine habitats during the winter such as deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks and coastal lagoons. Threats to the Eurasian Spoonbill include habitat destruction through drainage of wetlands and habitat degradation by pollution.
Date: 2nd May 2012
Location: Trebujena marismas near Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain
The Spoonbill breeds from the UK and Spain in the west through to Japan and also in North Africa. In Europe, only the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece have sizeable populations. Birds from north west and south west Europe winter mainly in west Africa whilst those from south east Europe winter in the Mediterranean and north Africa. Eastern European and Turkish birds appear to move to north east Africa, the Middle East and India.
The Spoonbill became extinct in the UK but sporadic breeding attempts in the early 21st century finally culminated with the formation of a colony at Holkham in Norfolk in 2010.
The Spoonbill can be found in extensive shallow, wetlands with muddy, clay or fine sandy beds. They may inhabit any type of marsh, river, lake, flooded area and mangrove swamp, whether fresh, brackish or saline but especially those with islands for nesting or dense emergent vegetation such as reedbeds and scattered trees or shrubs. The Spoonbill may also frequent sheltered marine habitats during the winter such as deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks and coastal lagoons. Threats to the Eurasian Spoonbill include habitat destruction through drainage of wetlands and habitat degradation by pollution.
Date: 2nd May 2012
Location: Trebujena marismas near Jerez de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain
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Also in: South and west Spain - April and May 2012
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