| Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
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Scientific name: Platalea leucorodia (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Eurasian Spoonbill French name: Spatule blanche Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Threskiornithidae Size: Body size: 80 to 90 cm; Weight: 1200 to 1700 g; Wingspan: 115 to 130 cm. Females are slightly smaller than males. Habitat: Coastal regions with zones of shallow water, lagoons, reed beds, etc. Food: The Eurasian Spoonbill looks for food in shallow water by moving its bill from side to side. It feeds on plankton and small aquatic preys. Nesting: The nest, made up of small branches, is located among reeds or in a tree. Females lay 3 to 5 eggs between April and May. Migration: Eurasian Spoonbills move southwards to winter on the western African coasts. A few of them winter in Spain or in France. Geographic area: Western Europe, Central Asia and east to Japan, Persian Gulf, India, Sri Lanka. Western African coasts south to Mauritania, eastern African coasts south to Somalia. |
The Eurasian Spoonbill is a medium size white Heron which is easily recognized with its long black, yellow-tipped and spatulate bill. During the nuptial period, the white plumage is decorated with an orange yellow collar especially visible on the throat and on the chest. There is a patch of bare orange yellow skin under the bill. The back side of the head bears a crest of long and thin white feathers with some yellow colour. The Eurasian Spoonbill flies with its neck outstretched. Then you can easily tell it apart from the Little Egret and from the Great White Egret which fly with their neck retracted. |
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I have shot this picture in the park of Marquenterre in the Somme bay. Eurasian Spoonbills fly back and forth to transport nest building materials. You just need to stand under their usual path to shoot one picture each time they pass. |
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I have observed Eurasian Spoonbills several times during my one-day visit on the Texel island. However, they were always far from me, busy feeding in small channels crossing fields or meadows surrounded by fences. I was going to leave without any picture when, about one hour before the departure of the last ferry boat, a small flock of Eurasian Spoonbills passed in flight over my head. |
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The Eurasian Spoonbill flies with its neck outstretched. |
André Bon January 2017