Spoonbills
Roseate Spoonbill
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Threskiornithidae Subfamily: Plateinae
Genera and Species
See text. Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Traditionally the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large long-legged wading birds with large bills Storks Herons Egrets The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 Species of large terrestrial and wading Birds falling into two subfamilies the Ibises

"Spoonbill" could also mean Northern Shoveler. The Northern Shoveler ( Anas clypeata) sometimes known simply as the Shoveler (ˈʃʌvələr is a common and widespread Duck.

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 Species of large terrestrial and wading Birds falling into two subfamilies the Ibises The ibises (pronounced /ˈaɪbɪsɪz/ are a group of long-legged wading Birds in the family Threskiornithidae.

All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly-opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described Structure of crustaceans As Arthropods crustaceans have a stiff Exoskeleton, which must be shed to allow the animal to grow ( Ecdysis or molting Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day.

Spoonbills are monogamous, but, so far as is known, only for one season at a time. Most species nest in trees or reed-beds, often with ibises or herons. A tree is a perennial Woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or The herons are wading Birds in the Ardeidae family Some are called Egrets or Bitterns instead of herons The male gathers nesting material—mostly sticks and reeds, sometimes taken from an old nest—the female weaves it into a large, shallow bowl or platform which varies in its shape and structural integrity according to species.

The female lays a clutch of about 3 smooth, oval, white eggs and both parents incubate; chicks hatch one at a time rather than all together. In most Birds and Reptiles an egg ( Latin ovum) is the Zygote, resulting from Fertilization of the Ovum. The newly-hatched young are blind and cannot care for themselves immediately; both parents feed them by partial regurgitation. Chicks' bills are short and straight, and only gain the characteristic spoonbill shape as the they mature. Their feeding continues for a few weeks longer after the family leaves the nest. The primary cause of brood failure appears not to be predation but starvation.

The spoonbill family is one of the families in the order Ciconiiformes.

Species and distribution

The six species of spoonbill in two genera are distributed over much of the world. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic

• Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia): This is the most widespread species, which occurs in the northeast of Africa and much of Europe and Asia across to Japan. The Yellow-billed Spoonbill ( Platalea flavipes) is common in south-east Australia not unusual on the remainder of the continent vagrant to New Zealand Lord Howe The Common Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia) is a wading Bird of the Ibis and Spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, breeding in southern For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Adults and juveniles are largely white with black outer wing-tips and dark bills and legs. Breeds in reed-beds, usually without other species.
• Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor): Found in Taiwan, China, Korea and Japan. The Black-faced Spoonbill ( Platalea minor) has the most restricted distribution of all spoonbills and it is the only one currently regarded as endangered Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
• African Spoonbill (Platalea alba): Breeds in Africa and Madagascar. The African Spoonbill ( Platalea alba) is a wading bird of the Ibis and Spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern A large white species similar to Common Spoonbill, from which it can be distinguished by its pink face and usually paler bill. Its food includes insects and other small creatures, and it nests in trees, marshes or rocks. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described
• Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia): Most common in south-east Australia, but regularly found in smaller numbers on other parts of the continent when temporary wetlands form; in New Zealand, particularly the South Island, and sometimes as stragglers in New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Pacific Islands. The Royal Spoonbill ( Platalea regia) also known as the Black-billed Spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. Its food is aquatic life, and it nests in trees, marshes or reed-beds.
• Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes): Common in south-east Australia, not unusual on the remainder of the continent, vagrant to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. The Yellow-billed Spoonbill ( Platalea flavipes) is common in south-east Australia not unusual on the remainder of the continent vagrant to New Zealand Lord Howe Lord Howe Island (ˈhaʊ is a small island in the Pacific Ocean east of the Australian mainland Norfolk Island ( Norfuk: Norfuk Ailen) is a small inhabited island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand Its food includes aquatic life, and it nests in trees, marshes or reed-beds.
• Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja or Ajaia ajaja): Adults are largely pink. The Roseate Spoonbill ( Platalea ajaja, sometimes separated in the Monotypic Genus Ajaja) is a wading Bird of the Ibis They occur in South America, the Caribbean, Texas and southern Florida USA. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the They nest in Mangrove trees and feed on aquatic life. Mangroves (generally are Trees and Shrubs that grow in saline coastal habitats in the Tropics and Subtropics.

External links

• Spoonbill videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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