It
was a relaxed, peaceful morning at the Durban Botanical Gardens on 16th
May, 2013. I was on my way back to Johannesburg, but decided to spend a few
hours strolling through the lush sub-tropical gardens in the hope of
photographing a few birds.
The
birds were plentiful, with a feeding mob of bronze manikins (Spermestes cucullatus) having breakfast,
a family of Egyptian geese (Alopochen
aegyptiaca) strolling on the grass, two dark-capped bulbuls (Pycnonotus tricolor) exploring a leafy
tree, a spur-winged goose (Plectropterus
gambensis) resting next to the pond, a fork-tailed drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis) surveying the
gardens and grey herons (Ardea cinerea)
perched precariously on the top-most branches of tall trees.
Then
I saw the bizarre African spoonbill (Platalea
alba) giving me a rather peculiar stare, like some aristocrat rudely
interrupted on the golf course. The bright pinkish red stilt-like legs, flattened
spoonbill and puffy white feathers stood out starkly against the lush green
background. It resumed its walk around the pond, all the while giving me a
sideways glance every time the cameras shutter clicked.
The
‘aristocrat’ was soon joined by his ‘caddy’, presumably a juvenile judging by
the black legs and bill. Of course this could have been a mother and sibling,
but my bird skills don’t go so far as differentiating between male and female
spoonbills. I watched these two for almost an hour before heading back to the
car park.
What’s in the
name?
Platalea is derived from
Latin, meaning spoonbill, a name used by Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43BC), a
Roman philosopher, orator and politician. The species name alba is Latin for white, referring to the snowy white plumage of
these birds. The common name spoonbill refers to the distinctive spatula-like
bill.
Distribution
African
spoonbills are widely distributed throughout southern Africa and are
particularly common around Highveld wetlands as well as the eastern coastal
regions. Their range has expanded over time with the development of man-made
dams in the drier regions of South Africa.
Feeding
The
bill is uniquely designed for feeding in the water. Spoonbills swing their
heads from side to side in a wide arc, with the bill slicing through the water
and snapping up aquatic invertebrates such as molluscs, as well as small fish
and probably tadpoles as well.
Breeding
African
spoonbills are monogamous and egg-laying in South Africa takes place between
February to November. Females lay 2-4 long oval eggs and these hatch after an
incubation period of 25-29 days. Apparently the female sits on the eggs during
the day and the male takes over during the evening. Juveniles leave the colony
at around five weeks.For more information on African spoonbills and other amazing animals from South Africa, visit: http://www.biodiversitynature.com/african-spoonbill-platalea-alba/