Birds

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia · Lopătar

A white wading bird with a unique spoon-shaped bill, swept side to side through shallow water.

At a glance

Status in Romania: Summer visitor
Habitat: Wetland
Activity: Daytime
Diet: Small fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN)
Photography difficulty: Moderate

Identification

All white with a long, flat bill widened at the tip; adults have a crest in the breeding season.

Habitat

Shallow lakes, lagoons and marshes.

Approximate range in Romania

Danube Delta · Danube valley and floodplainGeneral distribution only. This is not an occurrence map and does not show nesting or sensitive wildlife locations.

When it is active

Daytime

Diet

Small fish, crustaceans and aquatic insects.

Behaviour

Feeds by sweeping the bill sideways through water, often in groups.

Seasonality in Romania

SOR records arrival from February or March and departure in late autumn, October–November.

JanUnknown
FebPresent
MarPresent
AprPresentMigration*
MayPresentBreeding*
JunPresentBreeding*
JulPresentBreeding*
AugPresentBreeding*
SepPresentMigration*
OctPresent
NovPresent
DecUnknown

Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. * Event timing retained from the earlier entry, not yet source-verified.

Breeding

Nests in colonies in reedbeds or trees.

How to find it

Shallow lagoons and lakes in the Danube Delta in summer.

Photography

General guidance based on the species’ behaviour, not a report of Nick’s personal field experience.

Difficulty: Moderate

Practical starting points, not fixed rules.