Looking royally graceful and badass at the same, royal spoonbill definitely deserves its name. It also goes by another name, black-billed spoonbill, obviously. At a glance, you probably have a lot of questions about the life of this waterbird. The combination of black and white colors that this bird has is one of the distinctive features. But there are so many more, and we shall find out below.
1Appearance
By the look, you can probably already tell that this bird is pretty large. A royal spoonbill stands about 80 centimeters tall, with a completely white body and head, and black bill and legs. The end of its bill is broader, and it works like a pair of tongs when it comes to feeding. This unique-looking bill is around 13 to 22 centimeters long, and it is so helpful for feeding. And just like other wading birds out there, this one also has long legs for walking through water. Females are slightly smaller than males, and they also have shorter bills and legs.
The majestic part is during the breeding season when long white plumes grow from the back of their heads. This crest can be up to 20 centimeters long in males, and it is usually shorter in females. During the mating display, they can also erect the crest to reveal bright pink skin underneath. At the same time, there are also colored patches appear on their faces and creamy-yellow wash across their lower neck and breast. The facial skin becomes black, and there is a yellow patch above each eye and a red patch in the middle of the forehead. And when the breeding adults open their wings, there is a strip of bright pink skin along the edge of the underwings.
2Behavior
Royal spoonbills form monogamous pairs during the breeding season, and they nest in colonies alongside many other waterbirds. The pair builds a solid bowl-shaped nest from sticks and twigs, and they line it with leaves and water plants. Their breeding sites can be in the canopy of tall kahikatea trees, and on the ground near estuaries, harbors, and rivers. They may also reuse their nest sites year after year from October to March. After the mother lays the eggs, both parents take turns incubating them and feeding the young after they hatch. The parents will feed their young for several weeks after fledging. After that, young birds will forage alongside their parents for some time before parting ways. When the nest is threatened, the parents will raise all their feathers to appear much larger and crouch over the nest.
3Feeding & Habitats
The distribution of this waterbird is in Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. They inhabit intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands where they feed on amphibians, crustaceans, fish, and small insects. The way that a royal spoonbill feeds is also unique, it simply sweeps its bill from side to side. Once it detects prey, it will swallow the meal whole. In case it catches a shrimp, it will bash the poor thing against hard objects to remove the shell.
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