African spoonbill

Description

The spoonbill’s plumage is completely white with a short crest on the head. Its legs are long and thin and have an intense reddish colour. It takes its name from the shape of its beak, as it has a very wide tip in the form of a spoon, being greyish with reddish borders. They have bare red areas on the face. The males are generally larger than the females.

Ethology

They nest in colonies together with other aquatic birds. Their nests are small platforms made of sticks and are placed on partially underwater trees. The clutch normally consists of 2-3 eggs and both parents incubate them for a period of 26-29 days. In addition, both feed the chicks by regurgitation. 

Interesting facts

Their unusual beak is a very useful tool when it comes to fishing; they swing it from one side to the other in the water, creating currents that bring the fish within their range. Thanks to the nerve endings they have in the beak, the moment any prey comes into the finest of contacts with its beak, the beak snaps shut suddenly, thereby trapping the prey. In Madagascar, these birds are severely threatened by the destruction of breeding colonies in various lakes.