Feeding behaviour and diet of Royal Spoonbills Platalea regia in Westernport Bay, Victoria

Abstract

Royal Spoonbills were studied in Westernport Bay between 1977 and 1981. Birds were present throughout the year and counts of feeding buds and observations of leg-banded buds indicated that Spoonbills were sedentaty except for some seasonal movement within the bay. Spoonbills fed preferentially on intertidal mudflats but also utilised seasonally-available freshwater habitats. Spoonbills are specialist feeders; the dominant food being a species of marine shrimp (Macrobrachium intermedium). The diet of Spoonbills appeared to differ between night and day because their prey exhibited pronounced nocturnal activity. During the day Spoonbills rarely took infauna of the mudflats. At night, when the infauna are more active, these taxa may become a more important part of the Spoonbill's diet.