Royal Spoonbill
Royal SpoonbillRoyal SpoonbillRoyal SpoonbillRoyal Spoonbill

Royal Spoonbill

Platalea regia

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Insufficient data
overall probability at Nitmiluk National Park
3 Verified records at Nitmiluk National Park
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The royal spoonbill (Platalea regia), also known as the black-billed spoonbill lives in intertidal flats and shallows of fresh and saltwater wetlands in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. (In New Zealand, it is also known by the Māori name kōtuku ngutupapa.) It has also been recorded as a vagrant in New Caledonia. It is one of 6 spoonbill species world wide. The royal spoonbill lives in wetlands and feeds on crustaceans, fish and small insects by sweeping its bill from side to side. It always flies with its head extended. Widespread throughout its large range, the royal spoonbill is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Nitmiluk National Park

Straw-necked Ibis
LC

Straw-necked Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis spinicollis

10–20% · With luck
Australian White Ibis

Australian White Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Threskiornis molucca

<5% · Rare
Glossy Ibis
LC

Glossy Ibis

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Plegadis falcinellus

Insufficient data
White-faced Heron
LC

White-faced Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta novaehollandiae

10–20% · With luck
Great-billed Heron
LC

Great-billed Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea sumatrana

5–10% · With luck
Nankeen Night-Heron
LC

Nankeen Night-Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Nycticorax caledonicus

5–10% · With luck
Great Egret
LC Endemic

Great Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea alba

5–10% · Rare
intermediate egret

intermediate egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta intermedia

<5% · Rare
White-necked Heron
LC

White-necked Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ardea pacifica

<5% · Rare
Little Egret
LC

Little Egret

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta garzetta

<5% · Rare
Pied Heron
LC

Pied Heron

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Egretta picata

Insufficient data
Australian Pelican
LC

Australian Pelican

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pelecanus conspicillatus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Royal Spoonbill at Nitmiluk National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
2 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
3 Daintree National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
4 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
5–10%
5 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
6 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
5–10%
7 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
8 Litchfield National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
9 Booderee National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
10 Grampians National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
11 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
12 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
<5%
13 Lamington National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
14 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
Insufficient data
15 Nitmiluk National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data
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