Royal Spoonbill at Manly Beach
Today I saw a Royal Spoonbill for the first time. The bird was strutting along the bank of Manly Creek, right where the lagoon opens into the Queenscliff end of Manly Beach. The spoonbill was accompanied by a White-faced Heron.
A Royal Spoonbill is a large white bird with a black face, a spoon-shaped beak, and black legs. Spoonbills feed by dragging their beaks through the water. In the video below, the bird hops into the water and trawls for food. During mating season (which is now), Royal Spoonbills have an impressive crest of long white feathers on the back of their heads. Thanks to the wind today, you can see this bird’s fine crest blowing around its head.
Common name: Royal Spoonbill
Scientific name: Platalea regia
Approximate length: 75-80 cm
Date spotted: 25 October 2020 (spring)
Location: Manly Beach, New South Wales, Australia: 33°47’06.8″S 151°17’16.3″E
Posted on 2020/10/25, in Birds, Spoonbill and tagged birdwatching, Royal Spoonbill, Sydney birds, waterbirds. Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.
Sydney Birder 
Great footage of the spoonbill, I think this one is in its breeding plumage which is why it has that crest of feathers on its head. There is a small flock at the local wetlands that I see sometimes but I never can get close enough to get any good photos.
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