English Common Name

Black-faced Spoonbill

Scientific name

Platalea minor

Taxonomy

Order: Pelecaniformes, Family: Threskiornithidae

Size

70 cm – 80 cm

Species Distribution

East coast of the Mainland China (west coast of Korean Peninsula to Cambodia). Kyushu region and Okinawa, Japan for wintering

Okinawa Red List of Threatened Species: Endangered

Japan Red List of Threatened Species: Endangered

Japanese common name is named after Black-colored head and spatula-like beak of the bird. This species sticks opened beaks in shallow water and shakes the head to look for food such as small fish, shrimp, and crabs. It mainly breeds in the west coast of the Korean Peninsula and migrates to Japan to pass winter. The number of observed Black-faced Spoonbill was 300 in early 1990s, but it went up to 2693 in January 2012. Habitat loss is occurring due to landfill, renovations, and levee constructions in Japan. It is registered as a National Endangered Species in the Republic of Korea.

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Updated June 2017

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