King spoonbill
| King spoonbill | ||||||||||
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King spoonbill ( Platalea regia ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Platalea regia | ||||||||||
| Gould , 1838 |
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The royal spoonbill ( Platalea regia ) is a species of bird in the family of ibises and spoonbills (Threskiornithidae).
The IUCN classifies the Königslöffler as not endangered ( least concern ).
features
The Königslöffler has a body length of 74 to 81 centimeters, reaches a weight of 1400 to 2070 grams and a wingspan of 120 centimeters. Males grow slightly larger and have longer bills and legs, and a feather bonnet during the breeding season. Outside of the breeding season, they lack the hood and the lower part of the neck is yellow. The beak and the bare skin of the face are black, there is a small yellow spot above each eye, and a red one on the crown. The beak and feet are black.
One of the typical behaviors of the king spoonbill is slow walking in an upright posture. King spoonbills also show a sideways head movement with which they search for food in the shallow water zone. In flight the neck is straight, the beak points straight forward, the feet are stretched back. The flight stroke is very fast, the flight is repeatedly interrupted by short gliding phases.
There is only a possibility of confusion with the yellow-billed spoonbill, which also occurs in Australia . However, this one has a yellowish beak and yellow legs and feet.
distribution and habitat
The king spoonbill occurs in the north and east of Australia , in New Zealand , in the extreme south of New Guinea , on the Solomon Islands Rennell and Bellona , the Moluccas , the Lesser Sunda Islands , Sulawesi and Java . It is a relatively rare bird in New Zealand. Before 1940 it was restricted to a few stray visitors, towards the end of the 20th century it brooded in four places on the South Island. Non-breeding spoonbills, on the other hand, are more common on both of New Zealand's main islands along the coastline.
Its habitats are inland wetlands, floodplains, estuaries and protected coastal areas. In the arid zones of Australia, it also inhabits permanent or short-term waters. Due to its beak shape, which allows it to search for food only in shallow water zones up to a depth of forty centimeters, it is dependent on extensive shallow water zones.
Most of the coastal birds in Australia make migrations. Flights between Australia and New Zealand have also been observed. Whether and how far the Königslöffler fly depends on the weather conditions. A ringed young bird was found 1400 km from its birth nest.
Food and subsistence
King spoonbills feed mainly on small fish such as gambus or gobies in the inland wetlands . On the coast, shrimp and other crustaceans make up a large part of the diet. It also eats molluscs , aquatic insects and plant matter. They look for their food alone or in groups of up to 50 birds, both during the day and at night.
When looking for food, the tip of the beak is two to four centimeters open. In the most common form of foraging, king spoonbills swing their almost horizontally held beak in shallow water with a sideways head movement. The movement is arcuate and reaches almost 100 degrees. If the beak is at the extreme end of such an arch, the king spoonbill puts its foot forward on the other side of the body and stirs up the substrate. The beak is wholly or partially in the water, and sometimes the head is also partially inserted into the water. Underwater plants are occasionally examined for prey with quick, poking movements. Occasionally they grab prey with the tip of their beak, but the beak is usually only closed when a prey touches the inside of the beak. Since most of the food is felt, they are able to look for food both during the day and at night.
Reproduction
King spoonbills breed in southeast Australia from October to March, in northern Australia from March to May, in New Zealand in November. The breeding season varies depending on local weather conditions. King spoonbills are monogamous, but the pair bond presumably only exists for one reproductive period.
They nest alone or in loose colonies of up to 50 pairs. Breeding colonies often exist for many years. The nest is a loose platform made of twigs, branches and soft vegetation. It is usually built in trees, but nests can also be found in reeds. A radius of about one to two meters is defended against conspecifics. Two to four, usually three eggs are laid and incubated for 20 to 25 days. Both parent birds are involved in the brood. The chicks have white down plumage. The beak is straight at the beginning and without the typical spoon shape at the end of the beak. Both parent birds feed the young birds, the duration of the nestling period is not known.
Web links
- Platalea regia in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2009. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2009. Retrieved on January 29 of 2010.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Platalea regia in the Internet Bird Collection
literature
- PJ Higgins (Ed.): Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds. Volume 1: Ratites to Ducks. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1990, ISBN 0195530683 .
- Josep del Hoyo et al. a .: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, 1992, ISBN 84-87334-10-5 .