Photo: Creando / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Eurasian Spoonbill
Platalea leucorodia
Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Africa.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family found in Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 1.9 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Pelecaniformes
- Family Threskiornithidae Ibises, Spoonbills
- Genus Platalea
- Species leucorodia
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.9 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Threskiornithidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Eurasian Spoonbill hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Eurasian Spoonbill is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) belongs to the Threskiornithidae family of the order Pelecaniformes. It occurs naturally across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers AF, PAL, OR widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.9 kg, with a wing length of about 36.2 cm and a tail of around 11.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 6.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Eurasian Spoonbill?
The Eurasian Spoonbill is a very large bird that weighs around 1.9 kg.
Where does the Eurasian Spoonbill live?
The Eurasian Spoonbill is found across Africa, Europe & Northern Asia and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering AF, PAL, OR widespread, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Eurasian Spoonbill belong to?
The Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) belongs to the Threskiornithidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Eurasian Spoonbill eat?
The Eurasian Spoonbill hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Eurasian Spoonbill migrate?
The Eurasian Spoonbill is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Eurasian Spoonbill endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Eurasian Spoonbill make?
1 real field recording of the Eurasian Spoonbill — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Eurasian Spoonbill's range?
The Eurasian Spoonbill has a mapped global range of about 6.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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