The Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is a wading bird belonging to the family, Threskiornithidae.
Distribution
The Eurasian spoonbill is distributed in Europe and Asia. There are three recognized subspecies. The subspecies P. l. leucorodia occurs in Europe and Asia, including Persian Gulf, India and Sri Lanka. These spoonbill winter in Africa and China.The subspecies P. l. balsaci occurs in islands off coast of Mauritania. The subspecies P. l. archeri occurs in coasts of Red Sea and Somalia.
IUCN status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these spoonbill species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".Description
These species of spoonbill are medium sized birds, measuring 70 to 100 cm in length and weighing 1,100 to 2,000 grams. They have a wingspan of 120 to 140 cm. They have a long spoon-shaped black bill and long blackish legs. |
| Indian birds - Eurasian spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia |
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| Artemy Voikhansky | License: CC BY-SA 4.0 as on 8/1/18 |
Breeding habits
In the breeding season the tip of the bill is colored orange-yellow. The Eurasian spoonbill have a crest in the breeding season. The plumage is white with yellow breast patch appears during breeding season.Habits and Habitat
They inhabit shallow, wetlands, marshes, rivers, large water bodies with muddy, clay or fine sandy beds. They feed on insects, small fish, molluscs, crustaceans and frogs. The nest is a platform constructed on the tree or shrub tops.| Biological classification of Platalea leucorodia | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Threskiornithidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Platalea |
| Species: | P. leucorodia |
| Binomial name: | Platalea leucorodia |
| Distribution: | Europe, Asia, Africa; |
| Feeding habits: | insects, molluscs, crustaceans, frogs and small fish; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Eurasian_Spoonbill-2.jpg
Author: Andreas Trepte, www.photo-natur.de | License: CC BY-SA 2.5
Current topic in Birds of India: Eurasian spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia.