Royal Spoonbills

Description:

large white waterbird with black, spatulate (spoon-shaped) bill, facial skin, legs and feet - a female and male nesting.

Habitat:

On an island area of a lagoon in the heart of launceston

Notes:

It is only a rare visitor to Tasmania and feel very happy to have found this nesting pair , will go back for better photo's The Royal Spoonbill forms monogamous pairs for the duration of the breeding season and nest in colonies alongside many other waterbirds, including Yellow-billed Spoonbills, ibises, herons and cormorants. A solid bowl-shaped nest is built of sticks and twigs lined with leaves and water plants, and is usually placed in the crown of a tree over water or among high reeds and rushes. Nest sites may be reused year after year. Both sexes incubate the eggs and feed the young. When threatened at the nest, the adult birds will raise all their feathers to appear much larger and crouch down low over the nest. The young are often fed by both parents for several weeks after fledging and young birds will forage alongside their parents for some time before the family group disperses.