Spoonbill

Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia )

The Spoonbill ( Plataleinae ) are a subfamily of the ibises and spoonbills in the order Ciconiiformes. They are named after the typical beak shape.

Features

Löffler have a length of 60 to 100 cm. They are a bit long-legged and long-necked as the related ibis, so they removed are similar to the storks. Signing and eponymous feature is the flat, straight beak, which is widened like a spoon at the end.

The plumage is predominantly white spoonbill. Many species also have yellow or pink plumage games. In addition, the face is affected to varying degrees of featherless skin, take the time to breed a bright color.

Distribution and habitat

Usually are Löffler inhabitants of tropical and subtropical regions, the common spoonbill comes in Eurasia but northward to the Netherlands and Manchuria before. Habitat is marshes, lakes, or mangroves; all species are strongly bonded to the water and, apart from the train, never to see off the water. Löffler overwinter in large part to the north of Africa. Around 94 percent of all copies on the fly while the southwest of Spain and lay on the beaches of the Costa de la Luz still a last break before they cross the continents.

Nutrition

Löffler eat aquatic insects, insect larvae, small crustaceans and mollusks, more rarely, small fish and amphibians. By swinging back and forth of the beak they touch water and underground to flush out their food.

Reproduction

Because of the large accordance with the propagation of the ibises this topic is dealt with together under ibises and spoonbills.

Species

• Ajaia Roseate Spoonbill (A. ajaja )

• Spoonbill ( P. leucorodia )
• Black-fronted Spoonbill ( P. minor )
• Yellow-billed Spoonbill ( P. flavipes )
• Royal Spoonbill ( P. regia)
• African spoonbill ( Platalea alba)