The African spoonbill is a large white bird with long legs and a spoon-shaped bill. It lives near freshwater bodies in Africa south of the Sahara and catches small animals in the water.
The African spoonbill differs from other species of spoonbills by the red color of its legs, face, and base of the bill. It is important for nature because it controls the population of aquatic insects and small fish in African water bodies.
Worker
birth time
Hot and almost no precipitation
Heavy rains in summer
live adult frogs and toads
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
g
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
days
Warm summer
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
mollusks
very heavy rains in summer, almost no precipitation in winter
Captures food by straining water or substrate through specialized structures.
beak
adult
Maturity
fish of small size
live marine and freshwater shrimps
Melon
invertebrates
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
Spoon bill count
Repro interval
results
summer warm, winter not very cold
Colors
Sex
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
live fish
rains are very rare, almost a desert
little precipitation in winter, more in summer
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
all living animals without backbone
Filters
small fish
summer very hot, dry, lots of grass
Warm winter with almost no precipitation
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
Breeding structure built or used for laying eggs and raising offspring.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
Age (juvenile)
Age (from birth to death)
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
Wings size
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Draws prey or water into the mouth by creating negative pressure.
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
zones of mixing fresh and sea water — river deltas, estuaries
Lifespan average
live amphibians, frogs, salamanders
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
amphibians
end of lifespan
Wings color
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
fish
end of acceleration
Share
swampy freshwater biotopes — peat bogs, marshes, river mangroves
live snails, mussels, oysters
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
hot, uneven rains, lots of grass and trees
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Pets
all rivers and lakes
Hot steppe
Legs size
{name} jubilee
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
Wingspan
turns
Rascals
terrestrial grassland and steppe
hot Africa south of the desert, many savannas and forests
Litter size
Tropical savanna
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
°C
Not specified
Where are they found?
from 0.8 to 1.2 kilograms, 0.6 – 1.2 meters
all rivers and lakes
insects living in water or near water — mayflies, caddisflies, stoneflies
Low precipitation in winter
estuary and delta
Locomotion through water employed while searching for or capturing prey.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Offspring
Elders
Bro
winter dry and warm
lakes and ponds
freshwater marsh and wetlands
Taxons
carnivore
rivers and streams
if born as {name}
age
birth date
swimming
Close
water column
Egg shell color
was
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
primary food sources
Potential Habitat
suction
lots of grass, few trees, rains are rare
d
In husbandry
Feeds while suspended in open water between surface and bottom.
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Feeding occurs in water bodies such as rivers, lakes, or oceans.
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Gestation
aquatic
{name} birthday
aquatic insects
Always hot
No results found
On the map
Pleasant summer
all life stages
Female ♀
Cold and almost dry
Down feathers color
world of Afrotropics
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
birth year
Maturity
terrestrial habitat, land surface outside water
sq mm
yr
comfortable summer, +20…+25 °C
How similar?
Male ♂
until the celebration
baby / chick
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
Legs color
What if eaten?
Very dry
Neither
from birth to adulthood
Spoon bill color
Young offspring still dependent on parental care.
nest
What do they eat?
dry and cold almost all year round
Where do they live?
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
Marine world
from birth to death
Plumage color
Spoon bill size
world of Afrotropics
Freshwater
Duration
filter feeding
This is me
Steppe
freshwater
Gamers
How are they built?
frogs and toads
mm
Theoretical lifespan
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
terrestrial
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
Bill size
active predation
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
open grassy spaces — steppes, savannas, prairies
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
very hot all year round, frequent rains, but sometimes dry
flowing fresh waters — rivers, streams, mountain torrents
Daddies
Lifespan maximum
very hot and almost no precipitation
whole life
Hermaphrodite ⚥
shrimp
embryo
Hard, projecting mouthpart used to probe, pluck, or crack food.
Length
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Bill color
Observations
◉{N} more on tap