- Conservation status
- In some trouble
Royal spoonbills are immediately distinguishable by their long, black, spatulate bills. You may see them in shallow wetlands, hunting for crustaceans and aquatic insects. When they have caught something, they lift their bill up and let the morsel slide down their throat.
Campaign Manager
Emily McLeod
The Kōtuku ngutupapa, sleek and white,
With a spoon for a bill, it’s quite the sight.
In wetlands it wades, so calm and cool,
Scooping up fish, it’s nobody’s fool.
Once rare to see, now it’s here to stay,
Making New Zealand its home by the bay.
For Bird of the Year, it’s got what it takes,
Vote for the spoonbill—it’s the right choice to make!
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