Spoonbill – Platalea leucorodia

spoonbill, any member of six species of long-legged wading birds that constitute the subfamily Plataleinae of the family Threskiornithidae (order Ciconiiformes), which also includes the ibises. Spoonbills are found in estuaries, saltwater bayous, and lakes. They feed by sweeping the long bill from side to side in the mud or shallow water and thereby catching mostly small fishes and crustaceans. When flying, spoonbills extend the neck and legs and flap the wings steadily. They breed in colonies, frequently with ibises and herons, building a large nest of sticks in a low bush or tree and laying three to five white eggs, blotched with reddish brown.

Spoonbills range in length from about 60 to 80 cm (24 to 32 inches). The head is partly or entirely bare.

Common bird in the Danube Delta – Romania.