Spoonbill photographed at L’EREE on 14/6/2021 Photo: © Rod Ferbrache (visit site)

Spoonbills breed from northeast Africa across much of Europe to Asia and Japan. They used to breed in the UK but drainage and agricultural intensification destroyed much of their breeding habitat. However populations in Europe are increasing and since 1998 birds have attempted to breed in the UK again after a gap of 330 years.

Reported as an occasional visitor by MacCulloch to Cecil Smith, he noted at least three records between 1848 and 1873. He also reported they were seldom solitary but generally appear in small flocks. The present status remains similar with birds seen in spring (April to June) or autumn (September and October) every few years at one or more sites. Colonies in France and the Netherlands are increasing and so the number of records in future may well increase.

The prime site to date has been the Vale Pond but birds have been recorded at other wetland sites as well as feeding in rock pools along the coast. There is one record of a long-staying bird which spent over two years along the west coast from 17th September 1975 to 11th January 1978.