Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758

Threskiornithidae — Ibises, Spoonbills

Eurasian Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia, is a wading bird of Africa, the Palearctic and the Oriental Region, with breeding spread widely across those areas. It belongs to the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae and was described by Linnaeus in 1758. The bird is closely tied to shallow wetlands, including marshes, rivers, lakes, floodplains and mangrove swamps, and it also uses sheltered coastal waters in winter. Its most obvious feature is the spoon-shaped bill, which gives the species its name and makes it easy to recognise across much of its range.

Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Threskiornithidae — Ibises, Spoonbills
Breeding range
Africa, Palearctic, Oriental Region: widespread
Eurasian Spoonbill
© Eli Solidum · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

26 tours in Portugal 19, Spain 3, India 1, Ukraine 1, Egypt 1, Hungary 1

Northern India Birding Tour: Tigers, Birds and the Himalayas
Northern India Birding Tour: Tigers, Birds and the Himalayas
India / New Delhi Group tour 17 days

A 17-day northern India expedition combining wetland and Himalayan birding with Ranthambhore and Corbett wildlife safaris, the Chambal River...

From USD 9,565 Next: Jan 21, 2027
Private Full-Day Cholgini Ornithological Reserve Birding Tour
Private Full-Day Cholgini Ornithological Reserve Birding Tour
Ukraine / Lviv Private tour 1 day

A private full-day wetland birding trip from Lviv to Cholgini Ornithological Reserve, with telescope observation and a picnic lunch....

From EUR 160
Private 4-Hour Birding Tour at Villaviciosa Estuary
Private 4-Hour Birding Tour at Villaviciosa Estuary
Spain / Villaviciosa Private tour 4h

A private estuary outing using short walks, tidal viewpoints and hides to watch wintering waterbirds, raptors and seasonal migrants....

From EUR 60
Private 3-Hour Philae Lake Birdwatching Boat Trip
Private 3-Hour Philae Lake Birdwatching Boat Trip
Egypt / Aswan Private tour 3h

Bird the calm waters and rocky islets around Philae on a private 2.5–3 hour boat trip designed for waterbirds, raptors and photography....

From USD 40
Ria Formosa Birdwatching Boat Tour from Faro
Ria Formosa Birdwatching Boat Tour from Faro
Portugal / Faro Group tour 2h

Cruise Ria Formosa’s tidal channels from Faro for two guided hours of lagoon birding, slow observation and a short deserted-beach landing....

From EUR 40
Tagus Estuary Birdwatching Boat Tour from Lisbon
Tagus Estuary Birdwatching Boat Tour from Lisbon
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 2.5h

A small-group birdwatching boat trip from central Lisbon into the Tagus Estuary, accompanied by a marine biologist and ornithologist....

From EUR 40
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Kiskunsag National Park Birdwatching Day Trip
Hungary / Kecskemet Private tour 8h

Spend a private day across Kiskunsag’s puszta, sodic lakes, fishponds and floodplain edges, choosing sites around the season and priority ...

From EUR 100
Short-break Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

Five days of field photography across Tagus and Sado wetlands, Castro Verde’s open plains and the rocky Guadiana country, beginning and en...

Week-long Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Bird Photography Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 8 days

An eight-day bird-photography journey from Lisbon through the Tagus and Sado estuaries, Castro Verde, Guadiana Valley and the Algarve wetlan...

12 Days Spain Birdwatching Programme
12 Days Spain Birdwatching Programme
Spain / Seville Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group Spain circuit joining Extremadura’s plains and raptor cliffs with Doñana wetlands, Odiel Marshes and migration watch...

12 Days Portugal and Spain Birdwatching Programme
12 Days Portugal and Spain Birdwatching Programme
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group birding journey from Lisbon’s estuaries and coast to the plains, reservoirs and raptor country of Extremadura in west...

Short-break Birds and Conservation Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Birds and Conservation Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

A five-day small-group birding and conservation programme linking Tagus Estuary fieldwork with Guadiana Valley and Castro Verde monitoring a...

Short-break Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Short-break Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 5 days

A five-day small-group route from Lisbon through the Tagus Estuary, Castro Verde and Guadiana Valley, returning via the Sado Estuary wetland...

Week-long Birds and Dragonflies Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Birds and Dragonflies Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Faro Group tour 8 days

An eight-day small-group natural-history circuit from Faro through Alentejo and Algarve birding sites, with a parallel focus on dragonflies ...

Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Northern and Central Portugal
Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Northern and Central Portugal
Portugal / Porto Group tour 8 days

An eight-day small-group circuit from Lisbon through the Tagus wetlands, International Tagus and Douro cliffs, Villafáfila steppe and the P...

12 Days Birds and Wine Programme in Portugal
12 Days Birds and Wine Programme in Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group route combining Portugal’s estuaries, Alentejo plains and mountain parks, International Douro cliffs and Douro Valley...

12 Days Birds and Culture Programme in Southern Portugal
12 Days Birds and Culture Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 12 days

A 12-day small-group journey pairing southern Portugal’s major birding regions with Évora, Mértola, Sagres and a final cultural day in L...

Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Week-long Birdwatching Programme in Southern Portugal
Portugal / Lisbon Group tour 8 days

An eight-day small-group birding circuit from Lisbon through the Tagus and Sado estuaries, Alentejo steppe, Guadiana Valley and Algarve wetl...

Aveiro Lagoon Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Aveiro Lagoon Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Aveiro Private tour 1 day

A full-day private trip from Porto to Aveiro Lagoon, exploring salt marshes, mudflats, dunes, brackish channels and adjoining freshwater far...

From EUR 300
Barrinha de Esmoriz and Douro Estuary Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Barrinha de Esmoriz and Douro Estuary Birdwatching Day Tour from Porto
Portugal / Porto Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding from Porto, combining Barrinha de Esmoriz’s coastal lagoon with selected habitats around the Douro Es...

From EUR 160
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Portugal / Faro Private tour 1 day

A flexible private Algarve birding day built around Salgados, Ria de Alvor, Cape St. Vincent or the Monchique uplands, depending on season a...

Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Southwest Spain Private Birdwatching Day Tour from the Algarve
Spain / Huelva Private tour 1 day

A full-day private excursion from the eastern Algarve to the wetlands of southwest Spain, with birding shaped around Odiel Marshes or the Do...

From EUR 360
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Algarve Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Faro Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding in the eastern Algarve, centered on the wetlands of Ria Formosa and Castro Marim within easy reach of F...

From EUR 160
Lisbon Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Lisbon Private Birdwatching Day Tour to Other Sites
Portugal / Lisbon Private tour 1 day

A customizable private birding day from Lisbon, selecting one of several coastal, wetland, mountain or inland destinations to match season a...

Sado Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Sado Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Setubal Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day exploration of the Sado Estuary, combining tidal wetlands, rice fields, dunes and Mediterranean woodland just b...

From EUR 190
Tagus Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Tagus Estuary Private Birdwatching Day Tour
Portugal / Lisbon Private tour 1 day

Private half-day or full-day birding from Lisbon across the Tagus Estuary’s mudflats, salt pans, reedbeds, rice fields and wooded margins....

From EUR 160