Eurasian spoonbill

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Eurasian spoonbill
Eurasian Spoonbill-2.jpg
Adult in breeding plumage
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Platalea
Species:
P. leucorodia
Binomial name
Platalea leucorodia
Platalea leucorodia.PNG
Breeding range in Europe in blue (also in Asia and Africa, not shown)
in breeding plumage, Spain Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) breeding 2.jpg
in breeding plumage, Spain
Eurasian spoonbill video
Common spoonbill in Danube Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine Kosari v del'ti DUnaiu.jpg
Common spoonbill in Danube Biosphere Reserve, Ukraine

The Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), or common spoonbill, is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The genus name Platalea is from Latin and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill, and leucorodia is from Ancient Greek leukerodios "spoonbill", itself derived from leukos, "white" and erodios "heron". [3] In England it was traditionally known as the "shovelard", a name later used for the Northern Shoveller.

Contents

Taxonomy and systematics

A study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills found that the Eurasian spoonbill is sister taxon to a clade containing the royal and black-faced spoonbills. [4]

The Eurasian spoonbill has three subspecies: [5]

Birds in Asia are sometimes separated as P. l. major.

Description

This species is almost unmistakable in most of its range. The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched. The Eurasian spoonbill differs from the African spoonbill with which in overlaps in winter, in that the latter species has a red face and legs, and no crest.

They are mostly silent. Even at their breeding colonies the main sounds are bill snapping, occasional deep grunting and occasional trumpeting noises.

Distribution and habitat

This species is found widely in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Europe, it breeds from the United Kingdom and Portugal in the west, locally through the continent; ranging north to Denmark and east to the Balkans and the Black Sea. In Asia, it breeds in a broad band across the central part of the continent, from the Black Sea to the Korean Peninsula, as well as Kuwait, southern Iraq, Iran, southern Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. In Africa, it breeds locally in coastal Mauritania, but more widely along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coasts. Compared to birds breeding in warmer parts of Asia, in Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, they are largely residential birds or only move short distances locally; more northern breeders generally migrate south to overwinter in the northern half of Africa or warmer parts of Asia. However, some northern birds do remain in the general region during the winter, including the United Kingdom, Iberian Peninsula, France, the Mediterranean and other European areas. [1] [6]

Eurasian spoonbills show a preference for extensive, shallow wetlands with muddy clay and/or fine, sandy beds. They may inhabit any type of marsh, river, lake, floodplain, bog or mangrove swamp, be it fresh, brackish or saline water. They are especially attracted to locations with undisturbed islets (for nesting), with dense, riparian-emergent vegetation (e.g. reedbeds) and scattered trees/shrubs, especially willow Salix spp., oak Quercus spp. or poplar Populus spp. Eurasian spoonbills may also frequent sheltered marine habitats during the winter, such as deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks and coastal lagoons. [1]

Behaviour and ecology

Breeding

More northerly breeding populations are fully migratory but may only migrate short distances while other, more southerly populations are resident and nomadic or partially migratory. In the Palearctic, the species breeds in spring (e.g. from April) but in tropical parts of its range it times breeding to coincide with rainfall. Breeding is normally in single species colonies or in small single species groups amidst mixed-species colonies of other waterbirds such as herons, egrets and cormorants. Outside the breeding season Eurasian spoonbills forage singly or in small flocks of up to 100 individuals. Migration is usually conducted in flocks of up to 100 individuals. Most activity takes place during the morning and evening (although in coastal areas foraging is governed by tidal rhythms), they often roost communally in roosts which are up to 15 km (9.3 mi) away from the feeding areas. [1]

The nest is a platform of sticks and vegetation which is either constructed on the ground on islands in lakes and rivers or in dense stands of reeds, bushes, mangroves or deciduous trees up to 5 m (16 ft) above the ground. Within colonies neighbouring nests are usually quite close together, no more than 1 or 2 m (3.3 or 6.6 ft) apart. Breeding colonies are normally sited within 10–15 km (6.2–9.3 mi) of feeding areas, often much less (although the species may also feed up to 35–40 km (22–25 mi) away). [1]

Feeding

The diet consists of aquatic insects, mollusks, newts, crustaceans, worms, leeches, frogs, tadpoles and small fish up to 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long. It may also take algae or small fragments of aquatic plants (although these are possibly ingested accidentally with animal matter). [1] They use sideways sweeps of their beaks to filter out the tiny fish and shrimps. [7]

Conservation

Overall, the Eurasian spoonbill is not threatened and the total global population was estimated at 63–65,000 mature birds in 2015. [1] In Europe, the population experienced a significant decrease between 1960 and 1990, [8] but since then it has been increasing and was estimated to number c. 29,000 mature birds in 2020. [9] For example, in the Netherlands, the population had reached a low point of less than 150 breeding pairs in 1968, but due to better habitat protection and bans of toxins like DDT it rapidly increased from the 1980s, reaching almost 3000 pairs by 2015. [10] [11] Up to the early 2000s, in Europe only the Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Hungary and Greece had sizeable breeding populations. [12] The northernmost part of the Eurasian spoonbill's range is in Denmark where the first known breeding was in 1900. Through the 1900s, this breeding population was small and highly irregular, including long periods with none. [13] [14] The species became more thoroughly established in Denmark in 1996 (where a few birds, likely from the Netherlands, arrived and began breeding) and its population has since rapidly increased with multiple colonies; first passing 100 pairs in 2011, [14] and with almost 600 pairs as of 2021. [15] It is likely that this northward spread has been aided by increasing temperatures. [16] In the United Kingdom, it was extirpated around 1668, although in the previous century it had been a widespread breeding species in southern England and Wales, even near London. [17] There were breeding attempts again in the mid-1990s, with the first successful breeding in 1998. [18] [19] This culminated with the formation of a small colony of 6 breeding pairs at Holkham in Norfolk in 2010. In 2011, 8 breeding pairs nested, successfully fledging 14 young, and in 2018 the colony had increased to 28 breeding pairs. [17] [19]

Threats to the Eurasian spoonbill include habitat loss and degradation by drainage and pollution, it is especially adversely affected by the disappearance of reed swamps. In Greece disturbance from fishing once caused the population to decline, and human exploitation of eggs and nestlings for food has threatened the species in the past. [1] Breeding colonies are highly vulnerable to general disturbances and predators like red fox. [16] [19] Consequently, colonies are often restricted to islands free of ground predators; [13] however, in some places, pairs in mainland colonies may breed successfully by nesting off the ground in trees and bushes. [11]

The research network Eurasian Spoonbill International Expert Group was formed in 1991. [20] It made an action plan for the bird in 2008. [21] In 2013 the group joined the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spoonbill</span> Genus of birds

Spoonbills are a genus, Platalea, of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name Platalea derives from Ancient Greek and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. Six species are recognised, which although usually placed in a single genus have sometimes been split into three genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser white-fronted goose</span> Species of bird

The lesser white-fronted goose is a goose closely related to the larger white-fronted goose. It breeds in the northernmost Palearctic, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe, with a reintroduction attempt in Fennoscandia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Threskiornithidae</span> Family of birds

The family Threskiornithidae includes 36 species of large wading birds. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and have found the spoonbills to be nested within the Old World ibises, and the New World ibises as an early offshoot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audouin's gull</span> Species of bird

Audouin's gull is a large gull restricted to the Mediterranean and the western coast of Saharan Africa and the Iberian Peninsula. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific audouinii and the English name are after the French naturalist Jean Victoire Audouin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glossy ibis</span> Species of bird

The glossy ibis is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great egret</span> Species of bird

The great egret (Ardea alba), also known as the common egret, large egret, or great white egret or great white heron, is a large, widely distributed egret. The four subspecies are found in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and southern Europe. Recently it is also spreading to more northern areas of Europe. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, it builds tree nests in colonies close to water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean gull</span> Species of bird

The Mediterranean gull is a small gull. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific melanocephalus is from melas, "black", and -kephalos "-headed".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common redshank</span> Species of bird

The common redshank or simply redshank is a Eurasian wader in the large family Scolopacidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red knot</span> Species of bird

The red knot or just knot is a medium-sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the great knot. Six subspecies are recognised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-tailed godwit</span> Species of bird

The black-tailed godwit is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the godwit genus, Limosa. There are four subspecies, all with orange head, neck and chest in breeding plumage and dull grey-brown winter coloration, and distinctive black and white wingbar at all times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruff (bird)</span> Species of bird

The ruff is a medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia. This highly gregarious sandpiper is migratory and sometimes forms huge flocks in its winter grounds, which include southern and western Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curlew sandpiper</span> Species of bird

The curlew sandpiper is a small wader that breeds on the tundra of Arctic Siberia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African spoonbill</span> Species of bird

The African spoonbill is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The species is widespread across Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roseate spoonbill</span> Species of bird

The roseate spoonbill is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is a resident breeder in both South and North America. The roseate spoonbill's pink color is diet-derived, consisting of the carotenoid pigment canthaxanthin, like the American flamingo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater crested tern</span> Seabird in the family Laridae

The greater crested tern, also called crested tern or swift tern, is a tern in the family Laridae that nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old World. Its five subspecies breed in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia, all populations dispersing widely from the breeding range after nesting. This large tern is closely related to the royal and lesser crested terns, but can be distinguished by its size and bill colour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pygmy cormorant</span> Species of bird

The pygmy cormorant is a member of the Phalacrocoracidae (cormorant) family of seabirds. It breeds in south-eastern Europe and south-western Asia. It is partially migratory, with northern populations wintering further south, mostly within its breeding range. It is a rare migrant to western Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banc d'Arguin National Park</span> Mauritanian National Park

The Banc d'Arguin National Park of Bay of Arguin lies in Western Africa on the west coast of Mauritania between Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and is the former mouth of the Tamanrasset River. The World Heritage Site is a major site for migratory birds and breeding birds, including flamingos, pelicans and terns. Much of the breeding is on sand banks including the islands of Tidra, Niroumi, Nair, Kijji and Arguim. The surrounding waters are some of the richest fishing waters in western Africa and serve as nesting grounds for the entire western region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-faced spoonbill</span> Species of bird

The black-faced spoonbill is a species of wading bird in the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae, found in eastern Asia. This species has the most restricted distribution of the six spoonbill species, and it is the only one regarded as endangered. Spoonbills are large water birds with dorso-ventrally flattened, spatulate bills. These birds use a tactile method of feeding, wading in the water and sweeping their beaks from side-to-side to detect prey. Confined to the coastal areas of eastern Asia, it seems that it was once common throughout its area of distribution. It currently breeds only on a few small rocky islands off the west coast of North Korea, with four wintering sites at Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Vietnam, as well as other places where they have been observed in migration. Wintering also occurs in Jeju, South Korea, Kyushu and Okinawa, Japan, and the Red River delta in Vietnam. More recently, sightings of black-faced spoonbill birds were noted in Thailand, the Philippines, and additional sites in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal spoonbill</span> Species of bird

The royal spoonbill also known as the black-billed spoonbill, occurs in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia. The royal spoonbill lives in wetlands and feeds on crustaceans, fish and small insects by sweeping its bill from side to side. It always flies with its head extended. Widespread throughout its large range, the royal spoonbill is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-billed spoonbill</span> Species of bird

The yellow-billed spoonbill is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is native to Australia, and is a vagrant to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 BirdLife International (2019) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Platalea leucorodia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T22697555A155460986. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22697555A155460986.en . Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  3. ↑ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  157, 309. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  4. ↑ Chesser, R. Terry; Yeung, Carol K.L.; Yao, Cheng-Te; Tians, Xiu-Hua; Li, Shou-Hsien (2010). "Molecular phylogeny of the spoonbills (Aves: Threskiornithidae) based on mitochondrial DNA". Zootaxa. 2603 (2603): 53–60. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2603.1.2. ISSN   1175-5326.
  5. ↑ Gill, F.; Donsker, D., eds. (2017). "IOC World Bird List (v 7.2)". doi:10.14344/IOC.ML.7.2 . Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Spoonbill". RSPB. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  7. ↑ Attenborough, D. 1998 The Life of Birds. BBC books. ISBN   0563 38792 0
  8. ↑ Birds in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status. BirdLife International. 2004. ISBN   9780946888528.
  9. ↑ "European Red List of Birds" (PDF). BirdLife Europe. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  10. ↑ Lok, T.; Overdijk, O.; Horn, H.; Piersma, T. (2009). "De lepelaarpopulatie van de Waddenkomt het einde van de groei in zicht?". Limosa. 82: 149–157.
  11. 1 2 Oudman, T.; de Goeij, P.; Piersma, T.; Lok, T. (2017). "Colony-breeding Eurasian Spoonbills in The Netherlands: local limits to population growth with expansion into new areas" (PDF). Ardea. 105 (2): 113–124. doi:10.5253/arde.v105i2.a2. S2CID   90180890.
  12. ↑ Overdijk, O. (2002). "Lepelaar Platalea leucorodia". Atlas van de Nederlandse Broedvogels 1998–2000[Atlas of the Breeding Birds of the Netherlands]. Nederlandse Fauna 5 (in Dutch). Leiden: Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum Naturalis, KNNV Uitgeverij & European Invertebrate Survey-Nederland. p. 88. ISBN   978-90-5011-161-4.
  13. 1 2 Nyegaard, T.; Meltofte, H.; Tofft, J.; Grell, M.B. (2014). "Truede og sjældne ynglefugle i Danmark 1998-2012". Dansk Ornitologisk Forenings Tidsskrift. 108 (1).
  14. 1 2 Holm, TS; et al. (2020). "Fugle 2018-2019, NOVANA" (PDF). Aarhus University . Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  15. ↑ "Varmere klima sender flere fuglearter nordpå til Danmark". Dansk Ornitologisk Forening (Danish Ornithological Society). 18 June 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Mange skestorke flokkes i det våde danske sommerland". Dansk Ornitologisk Forening (Danish Ornithological Society). 26 July 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Breeding spoonbills return to Holkham". 12 September 2011. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014.
  18. ↑ Unwin, Brian (27 August 2000). "Spoonbills return to breed in the UK after 300 years". The Independent. London.
  19. 1 2 3 "Focus on: Eurasian Spoonbill". BirdGuides. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  20. ↑ "AEWA International Species Expert Groups (ISEG) | AEWA".
  21. ↑ "International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the Eurasian Spoonbill (Complete) (TS No.35) | AEWA".
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