Devon Wildlife Trust The spoonbill is a relative of the ibises, a group of long-legged birds with curved bills. Almost as big as a grey heron, the spoonbill feeds on shrimps and other aquatic invertebrates which it catches while sweeping its bizarre, spoon-shaped bill from side to side in the water. Seen most regularly in Britain at coastal sites in the east and south-west, it mainly breeds in southern Europe and North Africa and as far east as India and China. In recent years breeding birds have become established in England.
How to Identify
A tall, white bird, the spoonbill is easily recognised by its long, black, spoon-shaped bill. During the breeding season, adults develop some yellow on their bill tip and breast along with a crest of white feathers.
RSPB Spoonbills are tall white waterbirds with long spatulate black bills and long black legs. In flight they fly with necks and legs extended, in the water they feed with elegant sideward sweeps of their bill. In the breeding season adults show some yellow on their breast and bill tip. The species is of European conservation concern and a very rare breeding bird in the UK. They are listed are listed on Schedule 1 of The Wildlife and Countryside Act. Most birds migrate south in the winter, but numerous individuals remain and winter in Western Europe.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/spoonbill/
Devon Birds: Search the Devon Birds website for recent sightings of Spoonbills in Devon.
Wikipedia: The Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), or common spoonbill, is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The genus name Platalea is from Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill, and leucorodia is from Ancient Greek leukerodios "spoonbill", itself derived from leukos, "white" and erodios "heron". In England it was traditionally known as the "shovelard", a name later used for the Northern Shoveller.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurasian_spoonbill
National Biodiveristy Network Platalea leucorodia
The NBN Atlas is a collaborative project that aggregates biodiversity data from multiple sources and makes it available and usable online. It is the UK’s largest collection of freely available biodiversity data.
With its spoon-shaped bill, brilliant white plumage and long legs, the spoonbill is an elegant bird to spot. It 'spoons' food out of the water by sweeping its bill back and forth. In 2011, around 2300 pairs were breeding in the Netherlands, with the majority found on the Wadden Islands. Spoonbills prefer to breed in undisrupted areas within 50 kilometers from their foraging grounds. 'Undisrupted' in this case means specifically: out of reach from predators.
https://species.nbnatlas.org/species/NBNSYS0000000255
eBird: Distinctive, large white wading bird with a spatula for a bill. Adult has short crest, yellowish breast patch. First year has paler bill, with fine black wingtips visible in flight. Sleeping birds have horizontal posture and bulging neck, vs. more vertical stance of egrets. Found in wetlands with shallow water (including tidal flats), where feeds by sweeping its bill side-to-side for crustaceans and small fish. May be confused with egrets when sleeping, but note stockier, more thickset overall appearance.
