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Birds
African spoonbill
African spoonbill · Platalea alba
With its bright white plumage and unique spoon-shaped bill, the African spoonbill roams along quiet shores and shallow lakes in Africa.
Fact file
- Size
- Around 90 cm in body length, wingspan almost 1.5 m, weight about 1.2 kg
- Males and females
- Females generally slightly smaller, bill shape and colour the same in both sexes
- Sounds
- Mostly silent, occasionally quiet grunts or loud scraping noises at the nest
- Diet
- Catches small fish, crustaceans, insects and aquatic plants
- Offspring
- Clutch usually made up of 3 to 5 eggs, breeding season during the rainy season in colonies
How to identify African spoonbill
The African spoonbill is unmistakable: its bright white plumage shimmers in the sunlight and its long legs have a slight pinkish sheen. Most striking is the broad, spatula-shaped bill, which gives the bird its name and is easy to see. During the breeding season the face and legs take on a deeper red.
It is medium-sized, with a length of around 90 centimetres. Its silhouette looks elegant and distinctive thanks to the long neck and the slightly downward-curving spoon-shaped bill. You only rarely see it in flocks – most of the time you encounter it as a solitary bird or in small groups.
More in the app
With Wildful Stories+ you also get in the app:
- general viewing tips
- one place where you can see African spoonbill
Where African spoonbill live
Namibia
South Africa
Discover African spoonbill on your trip.
The app shows you where and when to see wildlife along your route.
