The royal spoonbill (Platalea regia) 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. (In New Zealand, it is also known by the Māori name kōtuku ngutupapa.) 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.
The renowned ornithologist John Gould first described the royal spoonbill in 1838, naming it Platalea regia and noting its similarity to the Eurasian spoonbill (P. leucorodia).[2] A 2010 study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills by Chesser and colleagues found that the royal and black-faced spoonbills were each other's closest relatives.[3]
Descriptionedit
The royal spoonbill is a large, white bird with a black, spoon-shaped bill. It is approximately 80 cm (31 in) tall, 74–81 cm (29–32 in) and a weight of 1.4–2.07 kg (3.1–4.6 lb).[4][5] It is a wading bird and has long legs for walking through water. It eats fish, shellfish, crabs and amphibians, catching its prey by making a side-to-side movement with its bill.
The end of the bill of the royal spoonbill is broader and works more like a pair of tongs than the narrower bill of the yellow-billed spoonbill, which acts like a forceps.[6]
The royal spoonbill is carnivorous, catching small animals by sweeping its bill through shallow water and swallowing prey once detected. When slow sweeping, the spoonbill walks slowly with the bill perpendicular to the water surface (i.e. vertical) with the bill tip open about 2 to 4 cm (1 to 1.5 in), sweeping an arc of around 100 degrees in front of the bird. The bird walks slowly, kicking up debris and small animals from the bottom of the body of water, which it senses and catches with its bill. When an item is sensed, the spoonbill switches to intensive sweeping of a small area.[6] Royal spoonbills also probe submerged plants directly for prey, and seize prey such as spiders above ground. They have also been observed dragging their bills through shallow water alongside them while walking.[6]
When they are breeding, long white plumes grow from the back of their heads and coloured patches appear on the face. The nest is an open platform of sticks in a tree in which the female lays two or three eggs. The chicks hatch after 21 days. The birds are highly sensitive to disturbance in the breeding season. In Australia, whole colonies have been known to desert their eggs after a minor upset.
Galleryedit
Referencesedit
^BirdLife International (2016). "Platalea regia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22697561A93620678. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22697561A93620678.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^Gould, John (1865). Handbook to The birds of Australia, Volume 2. self. p. 287. Gould regia.
^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. S2CID 33352904.
royal, spoonbill, royal, spoonbill, platalea, regia, also, known, black, billed, spoonbill, occurs, intertidal, flats, shallows, fresh, saltwater, wetlands, australia, zealand, indonesia, papua, guinea, solomon, islands, zealand, also, known, māori, name, kōtu. The royal spoonbill Platalea regia 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 In New Zealand it is also known by the Maori name kōtuku ngutupapa 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 Royal spoonbill Royal spoonbill with open beak Conservation status Least Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Aves Order Pelecaniformes Family Threskiornithidae Genus Platalea Species P regia Binomial name Platalea regiaGould 1838 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Feeding 4 Breeding 5 Gallery 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksTaxonomy editThe renowned ornithologist John Gould first described the royal spoonbill in 1838 naming it Platalea regia and noting its similarity to the Eurasian spoonbill P leucorodia 2 A 2010 study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills by Chesser and colleagues found that the royal and black faced spoonbills were each other s closest relatives 3 Description editThe royal spoonbill is a large white bird with a black spoon shaped bill It is approximately 80 cm 31 in tall 74 81 cm 29 32 in and a weight of 1 4 2 07 kg 3 1 4 6 lb 4 5 It is a wading bird and has long legs for walking through water It eats fish shellfish crabs and amphibians catching its prey by making a side to side movement with its bill The end of the bill of the royal spoonbill is broader and works more like a pair of tongs than the narrower bill of the yellow billed spoonbill which acts like a forceps 6 Feeding edit nbsp Spoonbills feeding at Pauatahanui inlet New Zealand The royal spoonbill is carnivorous catching small animals by sweeping its bill through shallow water and swallowing prey once detected When slow sweeping the spoonbill walks slowly with the bill perpendicular to the water surface i e vertical with the bill tip open about 2 to 4 cm 1 to 1 5 in sweeping an arc of around 100 degrees in front of the bird The bird walks slowly kicking up debris and small animals from the bottom of the body of water which it senses and catches with its bill When an item is sensed the spoonbill switches to intensive sweeping of a small area 6 Royal spoonbills also probe submerged plants directly for prey and seize prey such as spiders above ground They have also been observed dragging their bills through shallow water alongside them while walking 6 Prey items recorded at Lake Cowal include freshwater crustaceans such as the common yabby Cherax destructor shrimp of the genus Macrobrachium and family Atyidae insects particularly aquatic bugs of the families Notonectidae and Corixidae fish such as mosquitofish Gambusia affinis and goldfish Carassius auratus and occasionally freshwater snails and plant material such as medic burr Medicago polymorpha 6 Breeding editWhen they are breeding long white plumes grow from the back of their heads and coloured patches appear on the face The nest is an open platform of sticks in a tree in which the female lays two or three eggs The chicks hatch after 21 days The birds are highly sensitive to disturbance in the breeding season In Australia whole colonies have been known to desert their eggs after a minor upset Gallery edit nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp References edit BirdLife International 2016 Platalea regia IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016 e T22697561A93620678 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2016 3 RLTS T22697561A93620678 en Retrieved 19 November 2021 Gould John 1865 Handbook to The birds of Australia Volume 2 self p 287 Gould regia 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 S2CID 33352904 1 2011 CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses by John B Dunning Jr Editor CRC Press 1992 ISBN 978 0 8493 4258 5 a b c d Vestjens W J M 1975 Feeding behaviour of Spoonbills at Lake Cowal NSW Emu 75 3 132 136 doi 10 1071 MU9750132 Further reading editKahl M Philip February 1987 The Royal Spoonbill National Geographic Vol 171 no 2 pp 281 284 ISSN 0027 9358 OCLC 643483454 External links edit nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Platalea regia nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Platalea regia category BirdLife Species Factsheet Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Royal spoonbill amp oldid 1189356781, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
