A white African spoonbill with a red face wading in shallow water. — Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

African Spoonbill

Platalea alba

A pure white African wading bird with a red face and legs and a long, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping up fish.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the African Spoonbill

African spoonbills stand about 3 feet tall and weigh almost 4 pounds. They have pure white feathers, bare pink-red skin on the face and legs, and a long, flat bill shaped like a spatula at the end. They live in freshwater lakes, marshes and reservoirs across sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar, and eat small fish and water invertebrates like snails and crustaceans.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Platalea alba^[1]
Size: About 3 feet tall.^[1]
Weight: Almost 4 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: 15 to 17 years.^[1]
Diet: Carnivore. Small fish, mollusks, crustaceans and frogs.^[1]
Habitat: Freshwater lakes, marshes and reservoirs.^[1]
Where it lives: Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.^[1]
Group life: Groups of 3 to 30; roosts of up to 1,000.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 4 eggs.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2016).^[2]

Fun facts

Up to 1,000 spoonbills may roost together at night.^[1]
Spoonbills sweep their bills side to side to catch food.^[1]
Young spoonbills have dark faces instead of red.^[1]

Vocabulary

wading bird: A long-legged bird that walks in shallow water to find food.
spatula: A flat, wide tool, like the tip of a spoonbill's bill.
roost: To rest or sleep, often in a group.
crustacean: An animal with a hard outer shell and jointed legs, such as a crab or shrimp.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Flamingo PlazaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Oakland Zoo. “African Spoonbill.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/african-spoonbill/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Platalea alba (African Spoonbill).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697564/93620935 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

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