Animalia > Chordata > Aves > Pelecaniformes > Threskiornithidae > Platalea > Platalea alba
 

Platalea alba (African Spoonbill)

Wikipedia Abstract

The African Spoonbill (Platalea alba) is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The species is widespread across Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It lives in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water and nests in colonies in trees or reedbeds. They usually don't share colonies with storks or herons.
View Wikipedia Record: Platalea alba

Attributes

Adult Weight [1]  3.35 lbs (1.52 kg)
Clutch Size [2]  2
Maximum Longevity [1]  18 years

Ecoregions

Name Countries Ecozone Biome Species Report Map Climate Land
Use
Albany thickets South Africa Afrotropic Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Albertine Rift montane forests Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi,Tanzania Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Angolan Miombo woodlands Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Angolan Mopane woodlands Angola, Namibia Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Cameroonian Highlands forests Cameroon, Nigeria Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Cross-Niger transition forests Nigeria Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Drakensberg alti-montane grasslands and woodlands South Africa Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
East African montane forests Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
East Sudanian savanna Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Eastern Arc forests Tanzania, Kenya Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Eastern Guinean forests Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Eastern Miombo woodlands Tanzania, Mozambique Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Eastern Zimbabwe montane forest-grassland mosaic Zimbabwe, Mozambique Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Eritrean coastal desert Eritrea Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Ethiopian montane forests Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Ethiopian montane grasslands and woodlands Ethiopia, Eritrea Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Ethiopian montane moorlands Ethiopia Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Ethiopian xeric grasslands and shrublands Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Guinean forest-savanna mosaic Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia, Senegal Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Guinean montane forests Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Highveld grasslands South Africa Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Inner Niger Delta flooded savanna Mali Afrotropic Flooded Grasslands and Savannas
Itigi-Sumbu thicket Tanzania, Zambia Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Kalahari Acacia-Baikiaea woodlands Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Kalahari xeric savanna Botswana, Namibia, South Africa Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Knysna-Amatole montane forests South Africa Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic South Africa Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Lake Chad flooded savanna Nigeria, Chad, Niger Afrotropic Flooded Grasslands and Savannas
Lowland fynbos and renosterveld South Africa Afrotropic Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Madagascar dry deciduous forests Madagascar Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Madagascar mangroves Madagascar Afrotropic Mangroves
Madagascar succulent woodlands Madagascar Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Mandara Plateau mosaic Cameroon, Nigeria Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Maputaland coastal forest mosaic Mozambique, Swaziland, South Africa Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets South Africa Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Masai xeric grasslands and shrublands Kenya Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Montane fynbos and renosterveld South Africa Afrotropic Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub
Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Nama Karoo Namibia, South Africa Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Namibian savanna woodlands Angola, Namibia Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Niger Delta swamp forests Nigeria Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Nigerian lowland forests Nigeria, Benin Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Northeastern Congolian lowland forests Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of the Congo Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Northern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Northern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Northwestern Congolian lowland forests Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Democratic Republic of the Congo Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Rwenzori-Virunga montane moorlands Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Saharan flooded grasslands Sudan Afrotropic Flooded Grasslands and Savannas
Sahelian Acacia savanna Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Serengeti volcanic grasslands Tanzania Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Somali Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
South Malawi montane forest-grassland mosaic Malawi, Mozambique Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Southern Acacia-Commiphora bushlands and thickets Tanzania, Kenya Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Southern Africa bushveld Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Southern Miombo woodlands Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Southern Rift montane forest-grassland mosaic Malawi, Tanzania Afrotropic Montane Grasslands and Shrublands
Southern Zanzibar-Inhambane coastal forest mosaic Mozambique, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Succulent Karoo Namibia, South Africa Afrotropic Deserts and Xeric Shrublands
Victoria Basin forest-savanna mosaic Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
West Sudanian savanna Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Western Congolian forest-savanna mosaic Gabon, Congo, Democratic Rep of the Congo, Angola Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Western Guinean lowland forests Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests
Western Zambezian grasslands Angola, Zambia Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Zambezian and Mopane woodlands South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Namibia, Malawi Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands
Zambezian coastal flooded savanna Mozambique Afrotropic Flooded Grasslands and Savannas
Zambezian Cryptosepalum dry forests Zambia Afrotropic Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests
Zambezian flooded grasslands Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia Afrotropic Flooded Grasslands and Savannas

Protected Areas

Name IUCN Category Area acres Location Species Website Map Climate Land Use
Addo Elephant National Park II 348463 Eastern Cape, South Africa
Amboseli National Park National Reserve II 99624 Kenya
Banc d'Arguin National Park II 2949017 Mauritania
Bayhead Natural Heritage Site   Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
Bluff Nature Reserve Provincial Nature Reserve IV 114 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
Bontebok National Park II 8315 Western Cape, South Africa
Cape Peninsula National Park II 70141 Western Cape, South Africa
Daan Viljoen Game Park II 9924 Namibia  
Diawling National Park II 163983 Mauritania  
Etosha National Park II 5699141 Namibia  
Golden Gate Highlands National Park II 28689 Free State, South Africa
Hlane Royal National Park VI 30892 Swaziland  
Hwange National Park II 3651385 Zimbabwe  
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park II 2382284 Northern Cape, South Africa
Karoo National Park II 190300 Western Cape, South Africa
Katavi National Park II 1054210 Tanzania
Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve Provincial Nature Reserve IV 554 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
Kiunga Marine National Reserve VI 60208 Kenya  
Kora National Park II 409762 Kenya
Kruger National Park II 4718115 Mpumalanga, South Africa
Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Reserve   Mpumalanga, South Africa  
La Réserve Naturelle Intégrale d' Ankarafantsika National Park II 335701 Madagascar  
Lake Manyara National Park II 78767 Tanzania  
Lake Nakuru National Park II 46472 Kenya  
Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve 88958 Limpopo, South Africa
Mahale Mountains National Park II 398414 Tanzania
Malindi-Watamu Biosphere Reserve 48433 Kenya  
Malolotja Nature Reserve IV 42044 Swaziland  
Marakele National Park II 163507 Limpopo, South Africa
Mlawula Nature Reserve IV 46444 Swaziland  
Mount Kulal Biosphere Reserve 1729738 Kenya  
Mountain Zebra National Park II 60944 Eastern Cape, South Africa
Nairobi National Park II 16444 Kenya
Nechisar National Park II 256137 Ethiopia  
North Park Nature Reserve Provincial Nature Reserve IV 104 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
Northern Works   South Africa        
Nylsvley Nature Reserve IV 7698 Limpopo, South Africa
Queen Elizabeth National Park II 522052 Uganda
Richtersveld National Park II 399195 Northern Cape, South Africa
Rubondo National Park II 50330 Tanzania
Serengeti-Ngorongoro Biosphere Reserve 5696026 Tanzania  
Shongweni Resources Reserve 42008 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
Silverglen Nature Reserve 566 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
South Luangwa National Park II 2220358 Zambia  
Tsavo National Park II 3232255 Kenya
Tsitsikamma National Park II 34343 Southern Cape, South Africa  
Umbogavango Nature Reserve 89 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
Umgeni River Provincial Nature Reserve 2372 Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
Waterberg Biosphere Reserve 1024427 Limpopo, South Africa  
Weenen Nature Reserve   Kwazulu Natal, South Africa  
West Caprivi Game Reserve Game Park VI 1448182 Namibia  
West Coast National Park II 59916 Western Cape, South Africa
Wilderness National Park II 5929 Western Cape, South Africa  

Important Bird Areas

BirdLife Species Factsheet: View Factsheet
Name Location  IBA Criteria   Website   Map   Climate   Land Use 
Arquipélago dos Bijagós Guinea-Bissau A4i, A4iii
Bangweulu swamps Zambia A1, A3, A4i
Barotse flood-plain Zambia A1, A4i
Diawling National Park Mauritania A1, A3, A4i, A4iii
Iles Tristao Guinea A1, A4i, A4iii
Kafue flats Zambia A1, A3, A4i, A4iii
Kafue National Park Zambia A1, A2, A3, A4i, A4ii
Lac Débo: Lac Oualado Débo Mali A3, A4i, A4iii
Lac de Guiers Senegal A1, A4i
Lac Fati Mali A1, A4i
Lake Chilwa and flood-plain Malawi A1, A4i, A4iii
Lake Elmenteita Kenya A1, A2, A4i, A4iii
Lake Eyasi Tanzania A1, A4i, A4iii
Lake Fitri Chad A1, A4i, A4iii
Lake Naivasha Kenya A1, A2, A4i, A4iii
Lake Nakuru National Park Kenya A1, A2, A4i, A4iii
Lake Ngami Botswana A1, A3, A4i, A4ii, A4iii
Lake St Lucia and Mkuze swamps South Africa A1, A2, A3, A4i, A4iii
Linyanti swamp/Chobe river Botswana A1, A3, A4i
Liuwa Plain National Park Zambia A1, A3, A4i
Lower Berg river wetlands South Africa A4i, A4iii
Makgadikgadi Pans Botswana A1, A3, A4i, A4iii
Manambolomaty wetland complex and Tsimembo Classified Forest Madagascar A1, A2, A3, A4i
Mtera reservoir Tanzania A4i
Nyl river flood-plain South Africa A1, A4i, A4iii
Okavango Delta Botswana A1, A3, A4i, A4ii, A4iii
Richards Bay Game Reserve South Africa A1, A4i, A4iii
Sandveld and Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserves South Africa A1, A4i
South Luangwa National Park Zambia A1, A3, A4i, A4ii
Spitskop Dam South Africa A1, A4i
Tana River Delta Kenya A1, A3, A4i, A4iii
Wembere steppe Tanzania A1, A2, A3, A4i, A4iii
Yawri Bay Sierra Leone A4i, A4iii

Biodiversity Hotspots

Name Location Endemic Species Website Map
Cape Floristic Region South Africa No
Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa Kenya, Mozambique, Somalia, Tanzania No
Eastern Afromontane Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, Zimbabwe No
Guinean Forests of West Africa Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Togo No
Horn of Africa Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Oman, Somalia, Yemen No
Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles No
Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland No
Succulent Karoo Namibia, South Africa No

Institutions (Zoos, etc.)

    Maps
Institution Infraspecies / Breed 
Al Ain Zoo
Al-Wabra Wildlife Preservation
Attica Zoological Park S.A.
Banham Zoo Ltd.
Birdland Park & Gardens
Blackbrook Zoological Park
Blackpool Zoo
Bosphorus Zoo (Bogaziçi Hayvanat
Calgary Zoo, Garden & Prehistoric Park
Cameron Park Zoo
Dallas Zoo
Detroit Zoological Society
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Honolulu Zoo
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Jesperhus Blomsterpark
Leeds Castle Enterprises Ltd.
Lincoln Park Zoological Gardens
Longleat Safari Park
Maryland Zoo in Baltimore
Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes
Miejski Ogrod Zoologiczny Warsaw
Milwaukee County Zoological Gardens
Monde Sauvage Safari SPRL
Montecasino Bird Gardens
Nat'l Zoological Gardens of S. Africa
Oakland Zoo
Oasys Parque del Desierto de Tabernas
Ocean Park Corporation
Odense Zoologiske Have
Parc des Oiseaux
Parco Zoo Punta Verde
Park i Ogrod Zoologiczny w Krakowie
Parque De Animales Silvestres Temaikèn
Riga Zoo
Rome Zoo-Fondazione Bioparco di Roma
Safari West
Safaripark Beekse Bergen
Saitama Children's Zoo
San Diego Wild Animal Park
San Diego Zoo
Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
Touroparc
Ueno Zoological Gardens
Umgeni River Bird Park
Valencia Bioparc, Rainforest S.A.
Wild Animal Park Mechelen Planckendael
Wroclaw Zoo, LLC
Zagreb Zoo / Zooloski vrt Zagreb
Zoo de Fuengirola (Rain Forest SL)
Zoo de la Bourbansais
Zoo de Santillana y Parque Cuaternario
Zoo Dresden GmbH
Zoo Dvur Kralove, a.s.
Zoo Osnabrück
Zoo Taiping & Night Safari
Zoologicka Garden & Chateau Zlin-Lesna
Zoologicka Zahrada Bratislava
Zoologická a botanická zahrada Plzen

Range Map

Link to Map

External References

Photos

Citations

Species recognized by Peterson A.P., 22-Sep-2011, ITIS Global: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System in Catalog of Life 2011
Attributes / relations provided by ♦ 1de Magalhaes, J. P., and Costa, J. (2009) A database of vertebrate longevity records and their relation to other life-history traits. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22(8):1770-1774 ♦ 2Jetz W, Sekercioglu CH, Böhning-Gaese K (2008) The Worldwide Variation in Avian Clutch Size across Species and Space PLoS Biol 6(12): e303. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060303
Ecoregions provided by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). WildFinder: Online database of species distributions, ver. 01.06 gis.wwfus.org/wildfinder
Protected Areas provided by Biological Inventories of the World's Protected Areas in cooperation between the Information Center for the Environment at the University of California, Davis and numerous collaborators.
Biodiversity Hotspots provided by Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation International
Important Bird Areas provided by BirdLife International (2010) Important Bird Areas. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 29/12/2010
Images provided by Google Image Search
Abstract provided by DBpedia licensed under a Creative Commons License
Range map provided by BirdLife International (2011) Bird species distribution maps of the world.
Weather provided by NOAA METAR Data Access
Institution information provided by International Species Information System - May 2011