Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)

OTHER NAMES: N/A
Latin Etymology:  Platalea ("spoonbill") ajaja (name in Tupi language)

Adult Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: N/A 
Weight: 1.2-1.8kg  /  Length: 61-86cm  /  Wingspan: 122-133cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Similarly to flamingos, roseate spoonbills gain their distinctive pink coloration from their diet - speciedifically carotenoids found within their primarily invertibrate prey. They are distributed from the Caribbean to Argentina, primarily in coastal regions and wetlands.  They represent part of the oldest branch from the core spoonbill lineage, but while some expects split them into a separate genus Ajaia with the yellow-billed spoonbill, most keep all spoonbills within Platalea.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Platalea
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA - Spanish - Espátula Rosada (pink spatula)

Locally common in suitable habitat
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at Tarcoles

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

OTHER NAMES: White Ibis
Latin Etymology:  Eudocimus ("esteemed") albus ("white")

American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) at Tarcoles, Costa Rica - November 2025

Featured Subspecies: Eudocimus albus albus
Weight: 600-1200g  /  Length: 53-105cm  /  Wingspan: 90-105cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

A widespread species of countries around the Caribean, although also found on the Pacific Coasts of Central America and into the Orinoco. They can in the right circumstances be found breeding in huge colonies where, like other ibis species, they feed on a mix of aquatic prey and scavenging. While they do frequent esturine areas they do prefer access to freshwater foraging areas and significant colonies have collapsed in the past when hurricanes have altered the salinity of their feeding grounds.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Eudocimus
SUBSPECIES: E. a. albus, E. a. ramobustorum

 - Sighting Locations -

COSTA RICA 

A localised coastal species.
 - COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: One bird seen at Tarcoles

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)

OTHER NAMES: Oriental White Ibis, Indian White Ibis, Black-necked Ibis
Latin Etymology: Threskiornis ("religious worship bird") melanocephalus ("black headed")

Adult Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) at Prek Toal, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: ?  /  Length: 65-76cm  /  Wingspan: 130cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Near Threatened 

The Black-headed Ibis is the Asian counterpart of the Sacred Ibis - a distinctive black annd white bird with that distinctive Ibis long curved bill.  It's range is patchy, and fairly fragmented, with populations in a large number of countries disconnected.  The population at Prek Toal is a stronghold, with them being abundantly seen through our visit.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Threskiornis
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer name - ត្រយងខ្លួនស  ("White ?")

A localised resident.

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Common at Prek Toal

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

OTHER NAMES: Black Curlew

Latin Etymology: Plegadis ("sickle" in Greek) falcinellus (derived from sickle in Latin)

  Adult Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) in non-breeding plumage at Lowdam, Nottinghamshire - March 2014

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: 485-580g  /  Length: 48-66cm  /  Wingspan: 80-95cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern

The Glossy Ibis is the only Ibis species which naturally occurs in the UK - it is an approximately mallard sized bird that arrives in this country as a vagrant, although increasingly so.  It seems to settle in marshland and wet meadows where it probes the ground with its long curved beak.  It is a cosmopolitan species, found on every continent but declining across Europe - apparently the British individuals are from Spain, one of the few places where the population is increasing.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Plegadis
Subspecies: None - monotypic

UNITED KINGDOM - A regular vagrant, getting increasingly common

 - A single vagrant bird seen at Lowdam seen in March 2014.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

African Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus)

OTHER NAMES: Sacred Ibis

Latin Etymology: Threskiornis ("religious worship bird") aethiopicus ("Ethiopian")

 Adult Sacred Ibis (probably subspecies T. a. aethiopicus) at Stanwick Lakes - August 2012

Featured Subspecies: Threskiornis aethiopicus aethiopicus (?)
Weight: 1.5kg  /  Length: 65-89cm  /  Wingspan: 112-124cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Sacred Ibis holds a fairly dubious spot on this blog due to this individuals potentially complex origin: the general assumed origin of any Sacred Ibis in the UK is that of an escapee from a collection - however, as this individual apparently has no rings to identify its origin as definitely captive, I may as well discuss the alternative. 

Sacred Ibis are native to Africa, but not Europe, however, their popularity as a bird for collections and having the specimens free flying has, inevitably, led to escapees - this is particularly an issue in France and Italy where not only have individuals escaped but enough have done so that there is now a viable breeding population which has become a bit of a conservation risk due to Ibises taste for eating the eggs of other birds - they have been known to decimate tern colonies and, still on the increase, they may need to be culled to ensure the survival of native species.   It's not beyond reason that this bird could have come from one of these populations and if so, is is as valid an addition to this blog as Ring-necked Parakeets, Ruddy Duck and Little Owl.

Ammendment: This individual was later confirmed as an escapee.

Related Species:
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Threskiornis
Subspecies: T. a. aethiopicus, T. a. bernieri, T. a. abbotti

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Only present as an escapee, though vagrants may be possible with it's expanding range

 - A single escapee bird seen at Stanwick Lakes in August 2012,

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Eurasian Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia)

OTHER NAMES: Spoonbill, Common Spoonbill
Latin Etymology: Platalea ("spoonbill") macularius ("white heron")

Adult Eurasian Spoonbill (subspecies P. l. leucorodia) at Frampton Marsh, Lincolnshire - August 2023

Featured Subspecies: Platalea leucorodia leucorodia
Weight: 1100-1960g  /  Length: 70-95cm  /  Wingspan: 115-135cm

UK AMBER LIST / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The spoonbill is a unique, almost unmistakable species once you see it's beak. It has in fact bred in the UK this year, but generally its is more a random if frequent visitor. The beak is of course the most obvious feature, but also look for it's unique feeding movement which involves sweeping its beak from side to side to filter out its food from the water.  It is one of the rarest of British breeding birds, although that's more of a factor of it being in the process of establishing here, rather than due to any rarity.  My finding of one was utterly by chance as it flew into a hide as I was walking down a path and a kind couple coming the other way let me know, though I subsequently saw an individual at Cliffe Pools though more distantly.

Related Species: 
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Platalea
Subspecies: P. l. leucorodia, P. l. balsaci, P. l. archeri

- Sighting Locations -

UNITED KINGDOM - Rare breeding species (0-4 pairs) and rare Wintering visitor (20 birds) and regular vagrant

 - Vagrant birds seen at Rutland Water, Cliffe Pools and Summerleys

SPAIN - Scarce and Local Resident to Souther Spain

 - MADRID 2016 TRIP: A single bird at Arrocampo.

Further Information: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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