Black-Faced Spoonbills.
This is my entry for the Feathered Friday challenge organized by 
These images were captured at the Rockhampton Zoo in Queensland, Australia.
The Black-faced Spoonbills are classified as Endangered and unfortunately, considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
A winter population count carried out in 1988-1990 concluded that the global population of this species was estimated at 288 individuals. But thanks to conservation efforts since then this estimation has risen to 1,679.
The Black faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor) has the most restricted distribution of all spoonbills. They are known as migratory water birds and originate in coastal areas of East Asia. Their faces are black from the base of their throats all the way up to their eyes.
These birds are found in flocks along coastal regions and are also situated in estuaries and shallow sand flats. Their diet consists of small fish, shrimp, crustaceans, aquatic insects and conch. The Tsengwen River Estuary in Chiqu, Tainan boasts the largest amount Black Faced spoonbills in the world.
This reasonably small wading bird is characterized by their elongated, spoon-shaped bill with white plumage contrasted by their black bills.
During the breeding season mature adults develop longer crest feathers at the back of the neck and the chest area takes on a golden yellow hue. The eye colour of an adult spoonbill is red and they also develop yellow patches on their cheeks.
They breed in solid bowl-shaped nests built of sticks and lined leaves including water plants. These nests are generally placed in the crown of a tree or among high reeds.
Both sexes incubate the eggs and feed the young and they will often re-use the nest sites year after year. They lay 2 to 4 eggs at a time.
In the South Pacific region, Black Faced spoonbills are distributed throughout eastern & Northern Mainland Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and on some South Western Pacific Islands.
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