African Spoonbill Platalea alba

The African Spoonbill is a wading bird prevalent throughout Africa. (The Eurasian/Common Spoonbill is found in northeast Africa as well as through most of continental Europe and most of Asia.)

The African adult can be distinguished from the Eurasian/Common Spoonbill (P. leucorodia) by its pink face and on some birds also pink or partly pink legs rather than white face and black legs.

It also has pink edging rather than a yellow tip to its grey or pink-grey bill. Breeding birds don't have the crest that the Eurasian has.

Nesting material is usually collected by the male and arranged in the nest structure by the female.

African Spoonbills in flight; they fly with necks outstretched.