Photo: peterichman / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Yellow-billed Spoonbill
Platalea flavipes
Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) — Herons, Pelicans & Ibises of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 1.7 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 flavipes
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.7 kg
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Threskiornithidae
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) is a member of the Threskiornithidae family, within the order Pelecaniformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Australia (except Tasmania).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.7 kg, with a wing length of about 37 cm and a tail of around 14.5 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 1.8 million km².
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Yellow-billed Spoonbill?
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is a very large bird that weighs around 1.7 kg.
Where does the Yellow-billed Spoonbill live?
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Australia (except Tasmania), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Yellow-billed Spoonbill belong to?
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) belongs to the Threskiornithidae family, in the order Pelecaniformes.
What does the Yellow-billed Spoonbill eat?
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Yellow-billed Spoonbill migrate?
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Yellow-billed 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.
How large is the Yellow-billed Spoonbill's range?
The Yellow-billed Spoonbill has a mapped global range of about 1.8 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.
Explore more birds
More in Threskiornithidae
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Herons, Pelicans & Ibises
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Critically Endangered