African Spoonbill

Description:

Tall and slender bird with an iconic spoon shapped bill. Like herons and egrets that often share its space, the spoon bill is a wading bird and is often seen in shallow water moving its head from side to side with its bill in the water. As it sweeps the water with its bill, it feels for fish and small aquatic invertabrates whcih are then caught on detection and the spoon bill flicks its head back as pictured and throws the morsal to the back of it throat before swallowing. Thanks to that long bill, it needs to be a bit of a juggler. Unlike herons and egrets, it flies with its neck outstretched.

Habitat:

Common resident of lakes and rivers from the cape runinning north along the eastern side of southern africa and into Zimbabwe.