Spoonbills (Les Spatules)

      The world of birds is the most enduring aspect of my life, and from my earliest days of going to the library and borrowing books about the birds of exotic lands, I have been fascinated by their variety, colour and form. One might advocate for numerous families as being the most appealing or unique, and there can be no definitive answer to such questions of course, but I think a case could be made for Spoonbills (family: Threskiornithidae). They certainly have made an impression on me, and when I first saw one "in the feather" so to speak, my sense of wonder was only magnified.

     There are six species of Spoonbill in the world and it has been a crowning achievement to have seen them all. Miriam has been with me for five of the six, and the accounts below use her pictures and mine, even when they are not of the greatest quality. They do add authenticity, however. 

     I will cover them taxonomically, as currently classified in IOC World Bird names, Version 12.1 (20 January 2022).

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

     

      I have but three pictures of this species, none are great, and one is even quite dreadful! The best of the three, taken at La Réserve Ornithologique du Teich is shown above. Le Teich is situated in the Arcachon Basin along the southern Atlantic coast of France, a fabulous reserve I have only visited once, to which I would gladly return for several days given the chance.

     In common with all spoonbills the male is indistinguishable from the female, although the female is usually smaller than her mate. The bird above can be seen sweeping its bill from side to side in characteristic spoonbill fashion where special sensory organs in its mouth enable it to differentiate between edible and non-edible items.

Additional picture courtesy of John "By Stargoose and Hanglands"

Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor)

     This is the rarest spoonbill in the world; population estimates vary, but there is certainly less than a thousand birds remaining. Fortunately, around a third of the world population spends the non-breeding season in Hong Kong, which is where I saw them, at the renowned Mai Po Marshes and adjacent Deep Bay, overshadowed by the city of Shenzhen, China.

     Black-faced Spoonbill is a medium-sized wading bird, standing around 60 - 83 cm tall.

     Before the breeding season males and females both begin to develop patches of yellow on the head, nape and upper breast and you can see the beginning of this transformation in the picture below.

     I visited Hong Kong in late February, before the birds left for their breeding grounds on the Korean Peninsula. 

     An individual seemed to feed purposefully in one area before striding off to another place in the bay.

     The bird below has caught a sizeable fish, which it swallowed head-first.

     Unfortunately, many industrial pollutants are discharged into Deep Bay from the industrial complex of Shenzhen, so the prey captured by the spoonbills and other birds contains harmful toxins in varying degrees.

     It is a sad reminder of our neglect and abuse of the environment and its sensitive ecosystems, that a bird whose numbers have already been reduced to precarious levels is forced to feed on contaminated organisms, jeopardizing its breeding potential and further threatening its future on Planet Earth.

     Does mankind care? Of course not!

African Spoonbill (Platalea alba)

     African Spoonbill is a medium-sized, rather stocky bird, with all white plumage, a grey spoon-shaped bill and a red face.

     Our records indicate that we came across this species on several occasions, but the only picture we have is from the Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve in Mpumalanga Province in South Africa.

Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia)

     One of two spoonbills found in Australia, Royal Spoonbill is exceptionally handsome, especially in the breeding season when its nuptial crest becomes gloriously luxuriant. Unfortunately, although the breeding season is quite variable in southern Australia, from August through January, we did not see a bird in high plumage.

     The bird is crisp white and the sexes are slightly dimorphic with males being larger with longer legs and bills.

     Our first birds were encountered in Centennial Park in Sydney, NSW.

     On this individual you can see the patch of ochre-yellow that develops above the eye.

     The next time we met up with this species it was at the Tamar Wetland near Launceston, Tasmania, where a small group congregated close to a reed bed. 

     Such gatherings are often referred to as bachelor clubs, even though both sexes may be included.

     In addition to the yellow patch above the eye, birds develop a patch of dull red skin at the top of the forehead and this may be seen below on the bird on the right.

     Chestnut Teal (Anas castanea) and Australasian Swamphen (Porphyrio melanotus) were not reluctant to join the spoonbills.

     Formerly quite rare in Tasmania it is now a breeding species in the island state.

     We were fortunate indeed to view this group at close quarters.

Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes)

     The second of Australia's spoonbills is every bit as splendid as the first. 

     We saw a small group of them on Philip Island in the state of Victoria. 

     These birds were transitioning into breeding plumage with a ruff of pale yellow feathers around the base of the neck. More than a hundred feathers may comprise a typical ruff. A thin line of black skin frames the face - very attractive in my estimation.

     Yellow-billed Spoonbill is quite tall as spoonbills go with mature males up to 92 cm.

     Generally feeding is accomplished in a sweeping motion with the bill slightly below the surface, but sometimes a deeper exploration is called for.

     Aquatic invertebrates and small fish comprise the principal part of the spoonbill diet. 

Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

     This is the most colourful of the spoonbills.

     It is widespread from Florida, USA south through Central America and as far south as northern Argentina. It is also found on Cuba, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and adjacent islands.

     We have seen this bird in several different countries, the above picture being taken in Costa Rica, along the Río Tarcoles, Puntarenas Province, where the bird is quite common.

     A flyover at Caño Negro, Alajuela Province was a spectacular sight.

     Of all the areas where we have located Roseate Spoonbill, the Ciénaga de Zapata, that great wetland in Cuba, second only to the Everglades in area in the Americas, contained the greatest population.

     There were times when a hundred or more birds would be present, often feeding in mixed parties of herons, egrets, ibises and other wading birds.

     An American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) can be seen above, seemingly watching two Roseate Spoonbills performing their toilette!

    A spoonbill is both elegant and bizarre at the same time!

     Roseate Spoonbill was at one time emblematic of the Florida Everglades; sadly this is no longer the case. While it still may be found there, changes to the hydrology of the region, increasing saline levels in the water, and increasing depth of coastal feeding areas rendering them unsuitable for spoonbills, have all combined to reduce the population dramatically. 

     Enjoy another picture from Cuba!

     I have fond memories of my last visit there, staying in small Cuban homes with friendly people who were willing to share their scarce resources with us. These people have been impacted by the embargos for so long that many commodities are almost impossible to find. Clothing left behind is greatly appreciated; we have so much, they have so little.

     Cuban friendship, fresh seafood, rum at $4.00 a bottle, and Roseate Spoonbills. Maybe it's time to think about a return visit!