Key information
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.
What they eat:
Mainly aquatic invertebrates and small fish.
Measurements:
- Length:
- 80-90cm
- Wingspan:
- 120-135cm
- Weight:
- 1.3-2kg
Population:
- UK breeding:
- 0-4 pairs
- UK wintering:
- 81 birds
Identifying features:
Spoonbill
