Breeding success for spoonbills as chicks seen in Suffolk

Spoonbills were widespread in the UK until the 1600s when they were hunted to extinction and their former broadland and fenland habitats were drained.

The UK's first breeding colony since then was established at Holkham National Nature Reserve in 2010.

A pair of spoonbills with baby spoonbills in a nest (Image: RSPB/PA Wire)

But the RSPB has said the heron-sized wetland birds are on track for another successful year this year, with spoonbills breeding across the UK including at Havergate Island, near Orford in in Suffolk.

In 2020 the RSPB discovered four chicks had been born at Havergate Island nature reserve in the River Ore - Suffolk’s only island - following more than a decade of dedicated conservation work.

Spoonbills stand at three feet tall and have a four-foot wingspan.

The fledglings, affectionately known as "teaspoons" due to their shorter bills, can also be identified by the black in their wing tips.

Spoonbills have been spotted in Suffolk (Image: RSPB/PA Wire)

Aaron Howe, south Suffolk sites manager for the RSPB, said: “We have undertaken lots of work over the years to create a haven for spoonbills, such as making the nesting island secure with fencing and ensuring there is ample suitable feeding in the estuary.

“It’s fantastic to see them nest here and we’re expecting another successful year with more than 30 chicks ready to fledge.”

24460785 (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The successes show the importance of dedicated conservation work to provide and restore shallow wetland habitat on which the birds depend, the RSPB said.

The white birds are waders which can typically be spotted along coastal sites in southern and eastern England, where they catch small fish, shrimps and aquatic invertebrates by sweeping their spoon-shaped bill from side to side in shallow water.