Royal Spoonbill

1. Large, white waterbird with a flat, spoon-shaped black bill

2. Long white crest plumes at the back of the head in breeding adults

3. Sweeping side-to-side feeding motion in shallow water

Royal Spoonbills feed mainly on fish, shrimp, crustaceans, and aquatic insects, using their sensitive bill to detect prey by touch, even in murky water. They sweep their bill from side to side while walking through shallow water, sometimes running or probing for food. Breeding occurs in colonies, often with other waterbirds, from October to March in southern Australia. Nests are solid bowls of sticks and leaves, built in trees over water or among reeds. Females usually lay two to four eggs per clutch, and both parents share incubation (about 2–25 days) and feeding duties for the chicks. Chicks fledge after about 49 days and remain dependent for several weeks.

Royal Spoonbills inhabit a wide range of shallow wetlands, including swamps, lagoons, lake edges, mudflats, estuaries, and artificial wetlands such as sewage ponds and flooded paddocks. Their range extends across eastern and northern mainland Australia, from the Kimberley region through the Top End, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and southeastern South Australia. They are rare in Tasmania and absent from the southwest and central arid regions. Look for them wading in groups or alone, often alongside other waterbirds.