Spoonbill (genus)
| Spoonbill | ||||||||||||
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Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Platalea | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The spoonbills ( Platalea ) are one genus of birds within the family of ibises and spoonbills (Threskiornithidae) in the order Pelecaniformes . They are named after their typical beak shape .
distribution and habitat
Spoonbills are usually inhabitants of tropical and subtropical regions, but the common spoonbill occurs in Eurasia northwards to the German North Sea coast and into Manchuria . Habitat are swamps, lakes or mangroves . All species are strongly tied to the water and, apart from the train , can never be seen away from the water. Spoonbills mostly overwinter in northern Africa . Around 94 percent of all specimens fly over the south-west of Spain and take a last break on the beaches of the Costa de la Luz before crossing the continents.
features
Spoonbills are 60 to 100 cm in length. They are slightly longer-legged and long-necked than the related ibises , so they vaguely resemble storks . The characteristic and name-giving feature is the flat, straight beak, which is widened like a spoon at the end.
The plumage of the spoonbill is predominantly white. Many species also have yellow or pink-red plumage. In addition, the face is shaped to varying degrees by unfledged areas of skin, which take on a bright color during the breeding season.
nutrition
Spoonbills eat water insects , insect larvae , small crustaceans and molluscs , and more rarely small fish and amphibians . By waving their beak back and forth, they stir up the water and the ground in order to scare away their food.
Reproduction
Because of the great correspondence with the reproduction of the ibis, this topic is dealt with in the article Ibises and Spoonbills .
species
- Narrow- beaked spoonbill ( Platalea alba )
- Roseate spoonbill ( Platalea ajaja , Syn . : Ajaia ajaja )
- Yellow-billed spoonbill ( Platalea flavipes )
- Spoonbill ( Platalea leucorodia )
- Black- fronted spoonbill ( Platalea minor )
- King spoonbill ( Platalea regia )
literature
- Josep del Hoyo et al .: Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Ostrich to Ducks. Lynx Edicions, 1992, ISBN 84-87334-10-5 .