Ibises and spoonbills are closely related. Their most striking difference is in bill shape, with the ibises having curved bills and the spoonbills having straight bills that are broad at the end. Ibises use their bills to probe in mud, while spoonbills move their side to side in the water to catch prey. At night they roost in trees that are near and often overhanging water.


Genus Platalea

Spoonbill, African  Platalea alba  Found: Africa
Photographed by: 1) Dick Daniels - St. Lucia, South Africa   2) Dick - San Diego Zoo
    3) Dick - Birds of Eden, South Africa  4) Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwe


Spoonbill, Black-faced  Platalea minor   Found: Asia
Photographed by:  1) Charles Lam   2) Darren Bellerby - Hong Kong Wetland Park, Hong Kong


Spoonbill, Eurasian  Platalea leucorodia  Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
Photographed by: 1) Creando  2) Bhardwaj Shanthanu - Dhrangadhra, Gujarat, India  3) Iacopo lea - Pavia, Italy


Spoonbill, Roseate  Platalea ajaja  also  Ajaia ajaja  Found: The Americas
Photographed by:   1) Dick Daniels - Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida 
    2) Sandy Cole - Flamingo Gardens, Flroida    3) Dick - Sanibel Island  4)Sandy Cole - Sylvan Heights
    5) Dick - San Diego Zoo 6) Dominic Sherony



Spoonbill, Royal also Black-billed Spoonbill Platalea regia    Found: Australia, New Zealand and some Pacific Islands
Photographed by: 1, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Australia   2) Dick - Australia  


Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Platalea flavipes     Found: Australia
Photographed by:  1) Petr Baum - Zoo in Healesville, Victoria  2) Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo