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.
Region
Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar
Typical Environment
Found widely across wetlands including shallow lakes, floodplains, marshes, estuaries, sewage ponds, and rice fields. It favors open water with gently sloping shores and patches of emergent vegetation. The species nests colonially in reedbeds or in trees and bushes near water, often with other waterbirds. It avoids dense forest and true desert far from permanent or seasonal water and moves locally with rainfall patterns.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
African spoonbills sweep their long, spoon-shaped bills side to side to detect prey by touch in murky water. In breeding season their bare facial skin and legs turn vivid red, and unlike the Eurasian Spoonbill they lack a crest. They often nest in mixed colonies with herons and ibises and track seasonal floods and receding waters.
African spoonbill in flight
Platalea alba - MHNT
Temperament
social and wary
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats and brief glides, neck and legs extended
Social Behavior
Breeds in colonies, often mixed with ibises, herons, and cormorants. Nests are platforms of sticks or reeds placed in trees, bushes, or reedbeds over water. Both sexes participate in nest building and chick rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Generally quiet; emits low grunts, bill-clattering, and nasal calls around colonies. Vocalizations increase during courtship and when alarmed.
Plumage
Entirely white plumage with smooth, sleek feathers; no crest.
Diet
Takes small fish, aquatic insects and their larvae, crustaceans, amphibians, and mollusks. Forages by sweeping its open bill side to side, snapping shut when it contacts prey. Often feeds in loose groups, sometimes alongside egrets and ibises. Will probe soft mud and glean from shallow margins when conditions suit.
Preferred Environment
Shallow water with soft substrates and exposed mudflats provides optimal foraging. Edges of lakes, seasonal pans, and flooded grasslands are frequently used. It also exploits man-made wetlands like sewage works and rice paddies.
