Platalea flavipes
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~80%
The yellow-billed spoonbill (Platalea flavipes) is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. It is native to Australia, and is a vagrant to New Zealand, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
The renowned ornithologist John Gould first described the yellow-billed spoonbill, naming it Platalea flavipes although noting its distinctness from other members of the genus. Bonaparte erected the genus Platibis in 1856, and Gould followed this classification in his later work. He noted the species appeared in great numbers across New South Wales in 1839, particularly in the north between the Hunter and lower Namoi Rivers. The year had been wet, in contrast to droughts in previous years.
A 2010 study of mitochondrial DNA of the spoonbills by Chesser and colleagues found that the yellow-billed and roseate spoonbills were each other's closest relative, and the two were descended from an early offshoot from the ancestors of the other four spoonbill species. They felt the genetic evidence meant it was equally valid to consider all six to be classified within the genus Platalea or alternatively the two placed in the monotypic genera Platibis and Ajaia... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Grampians National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parc des oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Gorge Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Spoonbill sighting in Perth on a given day, based on 1,455 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 47th most-seen of the 162 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and April–May
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow-billed Spoonbill in Perth on a given day, against about 10% in June to November, the lowest months.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Yellow-billed Spoonbill sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Yellow-billed Spoonbill sightings, Perth has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Melbourne (Australia, under 5%) and Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Threskiornithidae
The closest relatives of the Yellow-billed Spoonbill that you can see in Perth (family Threskiornithidae, Ibises and Spoonbills) are Australian White Ibis (about 70%), Straw-necked Ibis (about 20%) and Glossy Ibis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Yellow-billed Spoonbill is recorded against all the birds logged in Perth (1,455 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
