Wednesday 22 November 2017

Wild Bird Wednesday 278 - Royal Spoonbill

This weeks WBW is brought to you by one of the better beaks - or maybe bills - in the world of birds.  The Royal Spoonbill (Platalea regia) is generally spotless white, sports a 20cm long spatulate (spoon-shaped!) bill, and in breeding plumage also has a few patches of colour.  All in all its an impressive bird.

The breeding plumage a buff 'wash' on the breast - although this bird seems to have more than I would call a wash - long plumes off the back of the head and yellow patches of skin over the eyes and a pink patch in the middle of the forehead.  As far as I am aware, the male and females both have this set of colours.

This bird was loafing around in some shallow water near a boat ramp, which is not where I normally expect to see them.  My experience of these birds is that they are rather more shy than that.  As you may anticipate, I did not complain about its cooperativeness!








To join in with WBW just click the blue button below the thumbnails - SM.

21 comments:

  1. Gorgeous images of the spoonbill. I did se it in Cairns, The Esplanad and it did not seem shy at all. But the ones I did see was not in this plumage :)

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  2. I do like that yellow eye. It's very distinctive. Our European Spoonbills are also very shy - a family trait?

    Thanks for the link-up today Stewart.

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  3. This is one AMAZING bird! What a beauty!

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  4. How cool! Great bill and love that “doo”! They look like something out of a sci-fi movie.

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  5. gorgeous bird stewart and great shots of it. Thanks for hosting and have a good week.

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  6. Hari OM
    Definitely got it's eye on something other than the photographer! YAM xx

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  7. I'm pretty sure that's an alien cross-breed

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  8. What a fabulous bird! The bill is amazing and the glowing golden eye is out of this world!

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  9. Great photos of the Spoonbill and very interesting details of the plumage and colors.

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  10. What a character! Somehow, he seems weirder than our pink ones. In a good way.

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  11. Wow, beautiful shots of the Spoonbill. They are cool looking birds! Thanks for hosting. Have a happy day and week ahead.

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  12. You captured this spoonbill so well. Such a unique bird! Almost as if it were "designed by a committee."

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  13. The bill looks peculiar compared to the beauty of the rest of the bird. Thank you for sharing this unusual looking creature.

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  14. Wow, we have a spoon bill here, but it doesn't come close. What a magnificent bird and what luck for you to run across him so unexpectedly. He has an Egyptian God or Goddess look about him. I am impressed and I suppose this is yet another Australian bird that the rest of the world doesn't have .... hmmm. I am enjoying your Freda on Facebook ... if she is anything like our little females, good luck :) They are fun and funny , but also very snarfy at times. I love that you rescue your cats ... they are awesome characters. I would say Happy Thanksgiving, but I don't think you do Thanksgiving ... or do you? Be well, Stewart ...

    Andrea @ From the Sol

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  15. Handsome in a comical kind of way! Love the "blushes" of color!

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  16. Oh my,Stewart, that is one royal looking bird. The beautiful bill, wash and neck plumes would attract any nubile young female Royal Spoonbill. Thanks for hosting this meme; I continue to linnk up even though my offerings seem very bland compared to the other birders posting their images here. I need to keep birding (even on the run!) until I get out there formally again. Have a great day. Jo

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  17. A most unusual looking bird
    Hope you are having a great week!

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  18. Fascinating birds and great photos. Cheers Diane

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  19. Well, that is amazing. Have never seen one in real life and in pictures it's hard to believe it really exists. Quite unlike anything else. When I close my eyes to go to sleep tonight - this is what I will see - a Royal Spoonbill!

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  20. Very smart...but a bit funny, too!

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