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Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) Alternate name(s): "Black-billed Spoonbill" Size: 75-80 cm; wing span ca. 1.2 mm Body mass: 1.4-2.1 kg

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Royal Spoonbills are medium-sized aquatic birds with an all-white plumage. Their most distinguishing feature is the spoon-shaped bill. Bill, legs and feet are black. During the breeding season they have a white nuchal crest. A red skin patch on the cap of the head and orange patches above the eyes also become much more pronounced than in eclipse. The irises are dark. The bill and facial skin are dark-grey to black, as are the legs and feet. While in adults the bill is structured, it is smooth in juveniles. The latter do not have a crest yet and their bare skin is dark.

Taxonomy, classification See Royal Spoonbill at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Royal Spoonbill is available HERE . Royal Spoonbills populate parts of eastern Indonesia, southern New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand. Royal Spoonbills are found in large parts of the Australian continent, with the exception of the most arid parts of the interior of the continent, i.e. - except for the coastal regions - all of WA, the western half of SA and the southern half of the NT. In other parts of the semi-arid interior and most of the coastal parts of WA they are present only when there is sufficient surface water, normally after major rainfall events. They are also present in Tasmania. Royal Spoonbills are found in both freshwater and saline habitats, such as e.g. freshwater lakes, estuaries, intertidal wetlands and saltmarshes. Where to look? How to find this species? If not perched in a (usually dead) tree near water, Royal Spoonbills are usually found sifting through shallow water along the edges of wetlands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We see Royal Spoonbills semi-regularly in wetlands in inland NSW. For example, Royal Spoonbills are seen by us often, but not always, at Narrabri Lake, where they tend to appear in groups of up to 6 birds. They were found by us nesting in an ephemeral wetland near Pilliga, NSW, in May-December 2022. Although there are no major water surfaces in the area, other than farm dams, they occasionally also show up at Eulah Creek, 20 km East of Narrabri. The species has also been seen by us in several wetlands in the area of Moree, NSW, in April 2012. B. Kinross reports spotting Royal Spoonbills occasionally in wetlands around Beachmere, QLD, and M. Eaton reports spotting them near Anstead, QLD. P. Brown reports finding Royal Spoonbills in Palmerston, near Darwin, NT, in November 2017. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours reports finding Royal Spoonbills in various locations along the East coast of QLD.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Frontal view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Clarendon, Gatton, QLD, January 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Clarendon, Gatton, QLD, January 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage; note the characteristic nuchal plume, yellow patches above the eyes, and the red forehead patch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Clarendon, Gatton, QLD, January 2018]

Near-lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

Close-up lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Hasties Swamp, Tablelands, QLD, November 2020]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage; note the characteristic nuchal plume, yellow patches above the eyes, and the red forehead patch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Clarendon, Gatton, QLD, January 2018]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2006]

Lateral/dorsal view of two Royal Spoonbills in breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2011]

Lateral view of a small mob of Royal Spoonbills resting on a mudbank
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, September 2011]

Frontal view of a Royal Spoonbill in direct comparison with a Yellow-billed Spoonbill (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, July 2020]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage, left, resting together with a Yellow-billed Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage
[Pilliga, NSW, July 2019]

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage; note the absence of a red patch on the forehead
(photo courtesy of B. Kinross)
[Beachmere, QLD, February 2012]

Close-up frontal view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Close-up near-frontal view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of C. Pears)

Close-up near-lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2012]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage
[Narrabri, NSW, August 2012]

Near-dorsal view of a Royal Spoonbill in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Anstead, QLD, June 2017]

Near-lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage, left, and a juvenile Yellow-billed Spoonbill,
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, July 2017]

Lateral view of three Yellow-billed Spoonbills roosting together with a Royal Spoonbill
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, May 2013]

Comparison between a Great Egret and a Royal Spoonbill, both in non-breeding plumage
[Pilliga, NSW, May 2018]

Close-up lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, October 2012]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2011]

Landing gear out, full flaps... (photo courtesy R. Druce)

... and touchdown! (photo courtesy R. Druce)

Lateral view of three Royal Spoonbills in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, December 2010]

For those who like diversity: Adult Pacific Black Duck (front left), Royal Spoonbill (right) and Masked Lapwing (rear left)
[20 km South of Narrabri, February 2006]

Direct ventral comparison of a Royal Spoonbill with two Australian White Ibises in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2011]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Royal Spoonbill looking sideways
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree River, QLD, January 2023]

Close-up lateral portrait of a juvenile Royal Spoonbill (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Nerang, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2020]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Royal Spoonbill
[Yarrie Lake, NSW, January 2018]

Frontal view of two dependent Royal Spoonbills (left and right) begging for food
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, April 2011]

A young Royal Spoonbill can open its bill THAT far...
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, August 2011]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jul - Nov

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 26 - 31 days

Fledging age: ca. 49 days

The breeding season depends significantly on geographical latitude. In the tropical north Royal Spoonbills breed Feb - May. Given the right conditions, Royal Spoonbills can breed any time of the year. They breed in colonies, together with other aquatic birds.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Basket

Material: Sticks, lined with leaves

Height above ground: 0 - 20 m

Royal Spoonbills can nest in trees or just above water level, e.g. on lignum.

Near-lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill on its nest
[Near Pilliga, NSW, December 2022]

Lateral view of a Royal Spoonbill on its nest
[Near Pilliga, NSW, December 2022]

Royal Spoonbill chick that has just left its nest
[Near Pilliga, NSW, December 2022]

Royal Spoonbill chick that has just left its nest begging for food
[Near Pilliga, NSW, December 2022]

Royal Spoonbill resting on its nest
[Near Pilliga, NSW, May 2022]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 69 x 42 mm

Colour: White, with tiny red-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Pair/family/mob

Like many other aquatic bird species, Royal Spoonbills like resting in the safety of numbers, often in mixed flocks
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2016]

While in the photo above Royal Spoonbills are resting by standing on one leg, like many other birds, here they are seen "on their haunches"
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2016]

Food, Diet

Royal Spoonbills feed on small animals, such as crustacians, snails and insects, but also fish, caught in their bill while sifting through shallow water.

Royal Spoonbills in non-breeding plumage foraging in muddy water (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Chatsworth Park, Gympie, QLD, August 2018]

Royal Spoonbills sifting through in shallow water
[Fogg Dam CR, NT, August 2014]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

ryspbill_aa_20181211.m4a

(SE NSW)

?

© AA

More Royal Spoonbill sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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