African Spoonbill Latin Name: Platalea alba Other Names: Family: Ibises and Spoonbills Range: Africa south of the Sahara and Madagascar Notes:

Ibises and Spoonbills

Latin Name: Threskiornithidae Notes: The ibises are long-legged, long-necked wading birds that look superficially like herons. Their feeding styles, however, are very different. They are mostly tactile feeders, and use their long, often decurved bills to probe in shallow water or mud for invertebrates or small vertebrates. They generally inhabit wetlands, but some forage in upland fields or along densely forested rivers. They are sociable in all seasons, feeding in flocks, and nesting in colonies. They fly with their necks full extended, and flocks often congregate in lines or V-formations and may flap and glide in unison. They begin breeding at 2 to 4 years and are monogamous, but pair bonds last a single season. Both members of the pair help build bulky platform nests, incubate 2 to 4 eggs, and feed the young, which stick their heads into the adults’ mouths and feed on partly digested food. Some species in this group are migratory, and others are resident.

Other Family Members

Reunion Ibis    Threskiornis solitarius African Sacred-Ibis    Threskiornis aethiopicus Malagasy Sacred-Ibis    Threskiornis bernieri Black-headed Ibis    Threskiornis melanocephalus Australian White Ibis    Threskiornis molucca Straw-necked Ibis    Threskiornis spinicollis Red-naped Ibis    Pseudibis papillosa White-shouldered Ibis    Pseudibis davisoni Giant Ibis    Pseudibis gigantea Northern Bald-Ibis    Geronticus eremita Southern Bald-Ibis    Geronticus calvus Crested Ibis    Nipponia nippon Olive Ibis    Bostrychia olivacea Sao Tome Ibis    Bostrychia bocagei Spot-breasted Ibis    Bostrychia rara Hadada Ibis    Bostrychia hagedash Wattled Ibis    Bostrychia carunculata White Ibis / American White Ibis    Eudocimus albus Scarlet Ibis    Eudocimus ruber Glossy Ibis    Plegadis falcinellus White-faced Ibis    Plegadis chihi Puna Ibis    Plegadis ridgwayi Sharp-tailed Ibis    Cercibis oxycerca Green Ibis    Mesembrinibis cayennensis Bare-faced Ibis    Phimosus infuscatus Plumbeous Ibis    Theristicus caerulescens Buff-necked Ibis    Theristicus caudatus Black-faced Ibis    Theristicus melanopis Madagascan Ibis    Lophotibis cristata Eurasian Spoonbill    Platalea leucorodia Black-faced Spoonbill    Platalea minor Royal Spoonbill    Platalea regia Yellow-billed Spoonbill    Platalea flavipes Roseate Spoonbill    Platalea ajaja

African Spoonbill Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia    Phylum: Chordata       Class: Aves          Superorder: Pelecanimorphae             Order: Ardeiformes                Suborder:                   Infraorder:                      Superfamily:                         Family: Threskiornithidae                            Subfamily: Plataleinae                               Tribe:                                  Genus: Platalea                                     Species: Platalea alba  Scopoli, 1786

Other Taxonomic Names

WilderTax: African Spoonbill Platalea alba Clements: African Spoonbill Platalea alba IOU: African Spoonbill Platalea alba BirdLife International: African Spoonbill Platalea alba AOU: BOU: SACC:

Statuses

Population Trend: Endangered: Threatened: Endemic: Extinct: Natural Heritage Status: Red List: LC IUCN ID: 49638 Green List: Additional Status:

Regions Present

World Europe Western Palearctic Asia Africa Middle East Western Africa Eastern Africa Southern Africa African Islands Continental Africa Continental Europe Western Europe

State/Country Status

Austria   Spain   Mauritania   The Gambia   Rare/Accidental Guinea-Bissau   Guinea   Mali   Sierra Leone   Liberia   Côte d'Ivoire   Burkina Faso   Ghana   Togo   Benin   Nigeria   Niger   Chad   Cameroon   Central African Republic   Equatorial Guinea   Gabon   Congo   Democratic Rep of Congo   Angola   Sudan   Ethiopia   Djibouti   Somalia   Kenya   Uganda   Rwanda   Burundi   Tanzania   Zambia   Mozambique   Malawi   Namibia   Botswana   Zimbabwe   South Africa   Madagascar   Oman   Rare/Accidental Yemen   Rare/Accidental Senegal

Primary Habitat: Secondary Habitat: Tertiary Habitat: Notes:

No sightings of this species.

Species Report produced by WilderTrack.com