Identification
A large white wader with a broad, spoon-shaped bill. Breeding adults can have a small crest and warm breast patch; young birds show different details.
When to look
European populations include migrants and dispersing birds. Local presence varies with season and access to shallow feeding areas.
Where to look
Extensive shallow wetlands with soft substrates provide feeding habitat, including lagoons, marshes and suitable inland waters.
Behaviour and ecology
Food and nutrition
It sweeps its bill from side to side through water to find small aquatic animals, including fish and crustaceans.
Breeding and life cycle
Nests occur in colonies, sometimes among other waterbirds. Suitable low vegetation or woody supports provide nesting places.
A closer look
A sleeping Spoonbill may hide its most obvious feature. Body shape and posture can help before it reveals the bill.
Global conservation assessment
LC · Least Concern
Global category recorded from the linked assessment; it does not describe local abundance. Least Concern does not mean absence of threats.
View the source assessment ↗Observation and photography
Wait for a resting bird to wake naturally. Keep away from colonies and avoid interrupting a feeding line for close photographs.
Sources and further reading
Keep a distance that allows birds to feed and rest normally. Do not enter colonies, approach nests, flush roosts or use playback for photographs. Never publish precise nest locations of sensitive species. Follow reserve rules and your guide's advice.