What does the spoonbill eat. spoonbill bird
Spoonbill - Ankle squad, Ibis family
Rosy spoonbill (Ajaia ajaia). Habitat - America Wingspan 1.3 m Weight 1.5 kg
Spoonbills live in Asia, America, Africa and Europe. A characteristic feature of all species of these birds is a flat beak, flattened at the end in the form of a spatula.
Such an unusual shape of the beak is connected with the way the bird feeds - it feeds in shallow water, looking for prey by touch. Spoonbills wield their beaks like spoons in soup - they drive it from side to side, immersing it in water. They catch various small aquatic animals. The menu includes dragonfly larvae, caddis flies, tadpoles, fish fry, water donkeys and other small fry. Like storks, spoonbills can also catch frogs. Aquatic vegetation comes as a side dish.
Its main prey is predatory insects that feed on caviar and fish fry. And, despite the fact that simultaneously with these pests of water bodies, the spoonbill also catches juveniles of valuable species of fish, the benefits of destroying insects exceed the damage caused to the fish population. Spoonbills nest in colonies, sometimes together with herons, loaves, cormorants. The clutch contains up to 7 spotted eggs incubated by both partners. The chicks begin to lead an independent life immediately after leaving the nest.
The most famous triptych of the famous medieval artist Hieronymus Bosch is called The Garden of Earthly Delights. It depicts many animals and birds. Including painted spoonbills. In some places they look quite believable, but somewhere they turn into strange monsters with an elongated spoon instead of a nose. Bosch's attention to spoonbills is understandable. These are strange birds. Their beak really resembles a scoop - it is widened at the end with a rounded shoulder blade. It is no coincidence that the name of the spoonbill in English is spoonbill, that is, “spoon beaks”. The shape of the beak of spoonbills is also similar to a long pointed cap. Perhaps this is where the word "spoonbill" comes from.
The most beautiful spoonbills are pink. They are thermophilic holiday-makers. Soak up the American Florida sun. When winter time comes according to the calendar, they migrate even further south. Fly to Chile or Argentina. In the 19th century the beautiful plumage of these birds nearly cost them their lives. Feathers of pink spoonbills adorned the exquisite outfits of ladies of high society. These feathers were very expensive. It is not surprising that a real hunt unfolded for pink spoonbills. As a result, almost everyone was killed. Then the Americans realized it and took these birds under the protection of the law. Now they are safe in Florida. Wintering in South America continues to be a risky business for roseate spoonbills. The wings and chest of this species are red, there is a yellow spot at the base of the neck, and the legs are crimson.
In Australia, in addition to yellow-billed spoonbills, there are also rarer royal ones. They have gorgeous long tufts at the back of their heads. They settled in New Guinea and New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.
common spoonbill
The common spoonbill is often referred to simply as the spoonbill. The color of these birds is white, the beak and legs are black. During the mating season, a crest is noticeable at the back of the spoon, as well as an buffy spot at the base of the neck. Spoonbill is a large bird, the size of a goose. Its wingspan varies from 115 to 145 cm. In flight, it stretches its neck forward. There are small webs between the front toes. For the characteristic movements of the beak during feeding, the spoonbill is sometimes called a mower. Common spoonbills nest in colonies; usually in reeds or trees. Birds found in southern Europe are sent to winter in Africa. Those living in Asia fly to India and China.
In the clutch at the spoonbill from 3 to 6 eggs; both parents incubate them for 21-25 days.
small spoonbill
On the territory of Russia, small spoonbills are occasionally found in Southern Primorye. Small spoonbill nests are built on the eastern coast of the Yellow Sea, on islands off the coasts of Korea and China. The life of the small spoonbill is in danger; at the end of the 20th century, the number of these birds did not exceed three hundred.
The small spoonbill looks the same as the common spoonbill - it has a black beak and black legs, only the dimensions are smaller. It is the smallest spoonbill in the Eastern Hemisphere. Its length does not exceed 73 cm. The manner of feeding is the same - during feeding, the small spoonbill waves its beak lowered into the water from side to side, as if "mows" it. The range of the species occupies the eastern and southeastern periphery of the Asian continent. Spoonbills winter in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, the Macau Peninsula and South Korea. The number of the small spoonbill is steadily declining. The bill is already in the hundreds. At the beginning of the 21st century, several dozen birds died from avian botulism. Will the little spoonbills survive?
Detachment - Cranes
Family - ibis
Genus/Species - Platalea leucorodia. common spoonbill
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Length: 88 cm
Wingspan: 130 cm.
BREEDING
Puberty: from 3 years old.
Nesting period: usually April-July.
Number of eggs: 3-4.
Incubation: 21 days.
Feeding chicks: 28-30 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: spoonbills (pictured) are migratory birds.
Food: aquatic insects, crustaceans and other invertebrates, fish.
Lifespan: the maximum age is 28 years and 2 months.
RELATED SPECIES
Five types of spoonbill are known, in particular, they are pink spoonbill, thin-billed spoonbill, small spoonbill and black-billed spoonbill.
The spoonbill is the only representative of the ibis genus that is found in Europe. Unfortunately, due to habitat destruction, the bird is becoming less and less common these days. Wetlands are being drained and polluted, and birds are losing nesting sites and sources of wholesome food.
WHAT DOES IT FEED
Spoonbills hunt at dusk. It is not uncommon to observe how a whole colony of these birds goes in a disorderly flock to the nearby shallow water. In the twilight, the white silhouettes of birds have a somewhat frightening look. Spoonbills feed in shallow water. Long legs allow spoonbills to enter the water to a depth of 50 cm. Birds walk slowly, carefully rearranging their limbs so as not to scare their prey. Spoonbills plunge their long beaks, resembling shoulder blades, into the water, moving them from side to side, and catch living creatures that swim in the water column. The movements of the beak from a distance resemble the movement of a mower, which is why the Ukrainian name of these birds is from here. Spoonbills usually feed in the water, but do not miss the opportunity to profit on the shore, catching up with prey with quick steps.
Spoonbills feed on a variety of foods. The composition of the menu depends on the habitat, region, season, and even the reservoir in which he hunts. The spoonbill catches aquatic insects in the water, such as swimming beetles, caddisflies and dragonfly larvae. In addition, this bird loves to eat mollusks, crustaceans and small fish, in particular thorns. Often the spoonbill's diet also includes worms, tadpoles, frogs, and algae.
WHERE Dwells
Spoonbills settle in thickets along the banks of bays and in the mouths of rivers. Sometimes solitary birds are found, but more often spoonbills are kept in colonies of up to 50 individuals. Birds hunt together in open shallow water. Long-legged spoonbills prefer shallow lakes and slow-flowing water bodies with a muddy or sandy bottom, where they find enough food and feel safe. In Western Europe, spoonbills nest in two isolated areas: in the Dutch IJsselmeer and in Coto Donana, a national park in southern Spain. Here they are protected. Spoonbills keep along the shores of both fresh and salt water bodies, birds give special preference to the waters of the sea coast, where a change of tides is observed. When nesting, spoonbills prefer coastal shrubs, in which they can safely incubate clutches and raise offspring. In spring, numerous flocks of spoonbills fly to nesting sites, which are located in estuaries suitable for these birds and on the banks of reservoirs protected from the wind. They also nest in swamps.
BREEDING
The nesting period of the spoonbill lasts from April to July. The courtship ceremony of these birds has not yet been thoroughly studied, however, it is known that spoonbills at this time fluff yellow feathers on their heads and clean each other's feathers. Spoonbill nests of various forms are built on the ground, in coastal shrubs and even on trees at a height of up to 5 m. Sometimes floating rafts become nests; there are also firmly fastened nests erected by them, which are able to withstand even a person. Sometimes spoonbills occupy nests. Spoonbills nest in colonies, with their nests spaced several meters apart. In difficult conditions, the birds nest almost close to each other. Spoonbills are not at all aggressive, however, during the nesting period they bravely defend their nests. In the prepared nest, the female lays eggs with a break of 3-4 days. Both partners incubate the clutch alternately. Spoonbills nest once a year, and females only re-lay if the clutch is destroyed by predators or flooding. Both the female and the male take care of the chicks that are born. Spoonbills feed them semi-digested food. Chicks that have reached four weeks of age no longer fit in the nest, so they stay close to it, waiting for their parents to return from hunting. At the age of seven weeks, the chicks fledge, but for some time they still continue to live with adult birds.
OBSERVATIONS
In Central Europe, with the exception of the Netherlands and Austria, the spoonbill is rare. This large white bird is highly visible from a distance. Usually the spoonbill feeds in shallow water and in the lowlands of rivers. In flight, it is easy to distinguish it from other birds by its long beak, which expands at the end and turns into a kind of shoulder blade. The spoonbill flies with its neck stretched out like a stork. In 1949 spoonbills nested in Moravia. In Central Europe (in Ukraine - in its south), spoonbills often stop during annual seasonal migrations. Spoonbills spend winter in Africa, in Hindustan and in China.
- Spoonbills in flight line up in rows and wedges in the shape of the Latin letter "V". They fly with their necks extended forward.
- During their annual migrations, spoonbills cover long distances, taking advantage of rising warm air currents and soaring, as birds of prey do.
- The spoonbill combines the features of many birds: it has legs like a stork, sits on a tree, like, and swims no worse.
- Until the 17th century, spoonbills also nested in Great Britain. Today, birds are protected in all parts of their range.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
Nest: built from reed stalks and other marsh plants, lined with leaves and grass. The parents feed the chicks semi-digested food.
Food search: the spoonbill leads a beak similar to a shoulder blade, extended at the end, through the water from side to side and catches small living creatures.
- Spoonbill Habitat
WHERE Dwells
The discontinuous range consists of isolated areas in the Netherlands, Central and Southern Europe, North Africa, southern Russia, India and Sri Lanka.
PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION
Spoonbill nesting sites are at risk, which are threatened by drainage. The IJsselmeer in the Netherlands and the Austrian lake Neusiedlersee are European nesting sites for the species and are protected.
Eurasian spoonbill. Spoonbill. Platalea leucorodia. Video (00:03:30)
Azerbaijan. Ag-Gol National Park. 2013-2014.
Spoonbills are another genus of birds belonging to the ibis family. At first glance, they can be mistaken for storks, if not for a funny beak - long, with a flat tip, shaped like a spoon or spatula.
Spoonbill (lat. Plateinae) (eng. Spoonbill). Photo by Nick Athanas
If other ibises use it to dig in liquid silt or where the earth is softer, then spoonbills “mow” them under water from side to side. As soon as some fish or bug touches the half-open beak, they instantly turn into food. For this, among the “people”, spoonbills received another unsuitable name - “mowers”.
There are 6 species in the spoonbill genus. Their habitat is the most diverse: Europe, Asia, Africa and even Russia. Most often they are found in the regions of the Black, Mediterranean, Yellow and Japan Seas. In Russia, they live in the regions of the Volga delta, in the lower reaches of the rivers of the Caucasus, Primorye, Amur Region and in the Primorsky Territory.
They live along the banks of various water bodies. During the day, they spend most of their time resting in secluded places, for example, in the reeds, and at dusk they go out in search of food, “combing” the shallow water with their super beak. They hunt small fish and amphibians, but they also do not disdain plant food.
They nest in the same place, among thickets of reeds or bushes. Moreover, for this period they unite in numerous colonies. The female equips a small nest where 3-4 large red-white eggs are laid.
The down of newly hatched chicks is white. Both parents take care of the offspring. They feed him for another 2 months. After that, he becomes independent.
Spoonbills begin to create their pairs at the age of 3-4 years, after the onset of puberty.
Well, now about each type in more detail:
1. Spoonbill (lat. Platalea leucorodia)- the most common type. In appearance, it has no beauty: plumage is white, legs and beak are black. The height of the bird reaches 1 meter, and the weight is 1.2-2 kilograms. With the onset of the mating season, they change a little: a crest grows on the back of the head, and a yellowish-red spot forms on the neck.
Common spoonbill (lat. Platalea leucorodia). Photo by Ahmet Karatash Distributed in southern Europe, Asia and North Africa. In Russia, it is found in the Krasnodar Territory, in the lower reaches of the Volga and Don rivers, in Khakassia and Tuva. For wintering, the common spoonbill goes to various regions: European residents go to Central and East Africa, and Asian ones go to India or China.
2. Small Spoonbill (lat. Platalea minor)- a very small species that lives in Southeast Asia.
Judging by the name, these are the smallest representatives among spoonbills. Their body length reaches 70-75 centimeters. The plumage color is white, but the beak, legs and face are decorated with black.
Small spoonbill (lat. Platalea minor). Photo by Robin Newlin In 1990, due to various irrigation works, uncontrolled shooting and environmental pollution, their number approached a critical level of 288 specimens. This forced the governments of many Asian countries to urgently introduce measures to save this bird species. As a result of the successful course of work, by 2005 their number increased to 1475 individuals.
3. White spoonbill (lat. Platalea alba)- inhabitant of the African continent. Distributed in southern Africa and about. Madagascar.
White spoonbill (lat. Platalea alba). Photo by Jastrow Medium sized bird. In length, they reach from 73 to 90 centimeters. Color, respectively, white, legs and beak are red.
4. Royal Spoonbill (lat. Platalea regia)- swamp dweller. It is found in the homeland of kangaroos, as well as in New Guinea and New Zealand.
Royal Spoonbill (lat. Platalea regia). Photo by Steven Kuiter Body length - 74-81 centimeters, wingspan about 1.2 meters. The plumage is white, the beak and legs are black, but the breast is decorated with a red spot, there are yellow spots under the eyes.
5. Yellow-billed spoonbill (lat. Platalea flavipes) is a large bird, reaching 1 meter in length. Males are larger than females and have longer bills and legs. During the nesting period, long elegant feathers appear on their chest. Light plumage has a yellowish color, plus the legs and beak are also painted in this color. Young birds have a black border at the ends of their wings.
It lives in the same place as the royal spoonbill. Inhabits freshwater and brackish waters within the continent. In the diet, the yellow-billed spoonbill differs little from other species.
Yellow-billed spoonbill (lat. Platalea flavipes) On the territory of the southeastern state of Victoria, they lead a sedentary lifestyle, and birds living in other areas make seasonal migrations: from September to April they settle in the south of the continent, and from March to May - in the north.
They nest alone (that is, in pairs) or in small colonies consisting of several pairs. The nest is a small area of a bunch of twigs located in the thickets of reeds. Females lay 2 to 4 eggs. Incubation lasts from 26 to 31 days.
6. Rose spoonbill (lat. Platalea ajaja)- Another rare type of spoonbill. Its main difference from other species is the color of plumage. The main color is pink, but there are white areas on the back, and the chest and wings are bright pink. The beak is grey, with a yellow spot at the base.
Rose spoonbill (lat. Platalea ajaja). Photo by Tobias The rose spoonbill lives on the territory of sunny Florida, and during the period of migration it moves further south - to Chile or Argentina. They live in large colonies.
This bird is under protection, since literally 100 years ago it was on the verge of extinction. Now its population numbers from 100 to 250 thousand birds.
In the southern regions of Russia there is a bird similar to a stork. She looks very beautiful and unusual. In fact, her name is spoonbill. What is this unusual spoonbill bird? What are its features?
The spoonbill is a large (up to 1 m tall, weighing about 2 kg) white bird with a yellow beak noticeably expanding at the end. This amazing beak is not like the beak of an ibis, nor the beak of a stork, nor the beak of a heron. Most of all, it resembles sugar tongs. The rest of the spoonbill looks like an ibis. On her head is a white or yellowish tuft of feathers. The spoonbill's neck is long, and so are its legs. By the way, the legs of the spoonbill are black, in some species (for example, the pink spoonbill) are red. On the paws there are membranes for swimming.
Despite its exoticism, it feels very comfortable even in a temperate climate. The similarity in appearance with the spoonbill is not without reason: this bird belongs to the Stork order. There are only six species of these beautiful birds in the world. The spoonbill flies, stretching out its legs and slightly bending its rather long neck. Sometimes when flying, the bird soars.
The range of spoonbills is very wide: these birds live in the tropics, subtropics and temperate latitudes. The common spoonbill, for example, is found in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Spoonbills living in the north of their range fly to its southern part for wintering. The royal spoonbill is found in Australia and Oceania. The pink spoonbill is the only species that lives in America. For wintering, the bird flies to South America.
You can see the spoonbill somewhere in the thickets of reeds or reeds. The bird can form its own small settlements, and sometimes it simply lives next to other wading birds.
Listen to the voice of the spoonbill
When there are few spoonbills compared to other birds, their nests are scattered throughout the territory of the entire bird colony. If, on the contrary, there are many spoonbills, then among other birds they form their own small colonies.
Most often, spoonbill nests are created on the crease of old swamp grasses. Sometimes these birds arrange a dwelling for chicks in trees or bushes at a considerable height. Spoonbill's nest is a bunch of dry reed leaves lying on the emersed thickets of swamp plants. Nests located in bushes or trees are usually made from dry reed branches.
Separate nests are located closer to the center and less often to the edges of the settlement. Sometimes the nests for the cubs are located so close to each other that they become literally solid islands where it is impossible to distinguish the boundaries of the nests. By the way, the nests of these birds are very similar to the nests of herons, they can even be confused with each other.
Spoonbills do not breed at the same time: nesting occurs earlier in the south, and later in the north. Usually they lay only 3-4 large white eggs with brownish spots. These birds incubate chicks for a little less than a month - about twenty-five days. When the chicks are born, feeding is very interesting: the bird puts its beak into the mouth of one of the parents, receiving food. Spoonbills usually hatch chicks in mid or late June. If for some reason the loss of the first clutch occurs, the reproduction of these birds may be very late.
Nestlings, not yet able to fly, create small groups on large nesting buildings. After the young spoonbills become capable of flight, they form more flocks and begin walking towards feeding areas.
The diet of spoonbills is quite varied. The main diet consists of dipteran larvae (mosquitoes) and aquatic insects (floaters, water lovers). Sometimes spoonbills eat tadpoles, small frogs, various mollusks and even small fish. When walking locusts, moving, fall into the water, spoonbills immediately flock there. These birds may eat some water plants.
It is interesting that spoonbills, when they get food, behave quite unusually. In closed reservoirs (lakes), birds, as it were, "mow" the water with their beaks, catching insect larvae from there. At the same time, spoonbills do not follow the formation, hunting in small groups or even alone. But in water bodies with a current (even if very weak), the birds stand in an oblique line and move in turn towards the flow of water. Each spoonbill, having taken one step, "mows" in one direction, taking another step - in the other.
Despite the fact that the spoonbill's nest is different from that of the heron, their footprints are completely different; but the trace of the stork is easily confused with the imprint of the paw of the spoonbill. It is especially noteworthy that a deep hole remains from the back finger of the spoonbill.
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You will not confuse this bird with anyone. White, long-legged, with a beak extended at the end. Only from a distance it looks a bit like a white heron, but the gait of the "mower" and the neck stretched out during the flight make it possible to recognize it even from a great distance.
The main habitat of spoonbills are salty reservoirs. Birds feed in shallow waters, and nests are built on islands and in extensive reed beds - floodplains. Its habitat covers the southern half of Europe, South Asia and North Africa.
AMAZING BEAK
The most surprising thing about the spoonbill, of course, is the beak - a textbook example of an adaptation for catching food from the water. Most of all, it resembles culinary tongs, which are used in pastry shops to impose cakes. When catching prey, spoonbills keep their beak ajar by 2-4 cm. Knowing this, it is not difficult to guess what size their food is.
These birds feed on small aquatic animals: insect larvae, side-floating crustaceans, shrimps, worms, and small fish. The beak of a spoonbill is not just tongs, but a complex dexterous device with a built-in sensor.
Its inner surface is covered with many tubercles, which, firstly, make it rough, secondly, sensitive - the beak instantly slams when touched by the tubercles, and thirdly, they help to grind food.
But for this, it is still necessary that the prey is between the wings of the beak, and if you just wait with your mouth open, then, as you know, you won’t catch much. And spoonbills really do not wait, but almost all the time wander through the shallow waters, shaking their heads from side to side, like mowers, to the beat of walking.
Their beak is ajar and lowered into the water. Watching spoonbills in captivity in clean water, you can see that when they walk, they stir up the ground. The disturbed benthic invertebrates rush in different directions, the bird manages to catch only those that are right in front of it.
When faced with larger prey, such as fish, the spoonbill stops mowing and rapidly shakes its head, trying to overtake the victim in an area convenient for capture.
If there are several spoonbills, they can keep at random, and on the current they line up towards him and walk in the same direction.
Observations on Australian yellow-billed and royal spoonbills, close relatives of the common spoonbill, have shown that the efficiency of "mowing" is very modest - only 1.5 objects per minute, which is only 90 pieces per hour.
By counting the food fragments in the stomach of a well-fed bird, scientists found out that hundreds are needed to saturate them, therefore, in order to fill
thread the stomach, spoonbills have to "mow" almost non-stop. They break only for a short time to rest on the shallows and clean their feathers - and again they get to work.
In the 1970s, the Australian zoologist W.J. West-Women watched spoonbills on one of the Australian lakes around the clock and was impressed: out of eight hours of food extraction, they gave seven and walked up to 12 km at the same time. Spoonbills fed not only all day, but also after midnight under the moon, and having crept up to their habitat with a night vision device in pitch darkness in the rain, the scientist found them, as usual, looking for food.
And even with the onset of frost, when thin ice grabbed the water, the Australian spoonbill did not stop the "mowing", breaking the ice with every movement of the beak and legs. Birds burdened with offspring feed longer than young and single ones. And this is understandable: they need not only to get enough, but also to bring food to the children in the form of parental belching.
Of the two Australian spoonbills, the yellow-billed bill is longer and narrower. As the analysis of the contents of the stomachs showed, she is better able to catch crustaceans and insect larvae. The wider beaked royal spoonbill had a lot of fish, plant debris and pebbles in its stomach.
According to the researcher, the beak of the yellow-billed spoonbill works like medical tweezers, while the royal spoonbill works like pastry tongs, and each tool has its own merits.
NESTING BIRD SPONNET
Spoonbills are colonial birds, keep in groups of 5-10 individuals and like to live in common colonies with herons, loafers and cormorants. Pairs mate upon arrival at breeding grounds and for only one season.
Nests are usually located on the ground in the form of a heap of last year's reed, cattail and quinoa, which grows on the salty shores of such reservoirs. Sometimes a dwelling is also equipped on trees, but not high, in which case branches are used.
During the mating season, a crest of elongated feathers appears on the back of the head. Both parents are busy building the nest, incubating and feeding the chicks. The clutch contains 3-5 white eggs with rare spots, thickening towards the blunt end. The chicks hatch blind, with a soft beak, without an extension at the end.
As they grow, they change two downy outfits before dressing in feathers. Parents feed their children for a long time, and not only their own, but also those of their neighbors, who unite in a kind of kindergarten.
They begin to fly at the age of two months. When it's time to fly away, the family breaks up: young birds are the last to leave the nests and travel separately from adults. Spoonbills from the Atlantic population in the first year of life go to the most distant Mauritanian wintering grounds, while adult birds prefer not to fly through the Sahara and stay north of it.
The flight is fraught with great dangers, many die, and one can only wonder why they still fly there, if it is possible not to do this?
First-year-olds from the Central European and South Russian groups also prefer to spend the first winter separately from adults. Young spoonbills from the Danube Valley - in Africa, on salt lakes and the coast of Tunisia and the upper reaches of the Nile. Older birds prefer to stay in Italy.
Young people from Manych winter in the north-east of Iran, while adults fly further. After the first winter, more than half of the young birds, instead of returning to their birthplace, remain where they wintered, and even in the third year of life, not all of them return to their homeland.
Upon reaching puberty, they will all return to their native limits to continue the race.
