The Status and Distribution of the Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia. A review of its past and present status, migration routes, and wintering areas

The spoonbill Platalea leucorodia is a colonial waterbird with a wide distribution in the Palearctic. The colonies are situated close to areas with shallow water near the edges of lakes, rivers, pools, lagunes, mangroves, and deltas where some quiet undisturbed places with reedbeds or low trees occur. As the spoonbills are very shy, due to prosecution by mankind, it is important that during the courtship and nestbuilding period the colony site occurs is not disturbed. The nests are build at a distance of some 50-100 cm from each other and are made of branches and reeds. When breeding in reedbeds the nests are situated close to the waterfront and young spoonbills are, after becoming able to walk, often found strolling in the water.