In the 1970s, the Netherlands had only 170 breeding pairs, but due to intensive protection, there are now several thousand. In the fall, they fly along the West African coast to their winter destination. They then stay in an area in Mauritania that is quite similar to the Wadden area. Young spoonbills remain there after their first winter and only fly to the Netherlands in their second year to breed.
The spoonbill is a large white bird with a long, spoon-shaped beak, a yellow-orange spot on its chest, and a drooping crest. By moving its spoon-shaped beak back and forth in a typical manner, it can catch small fish, aquatic animals, snails, leeches, insects, and worms in shallow water. There is a kind of sieve membrane in the beak, very handy as a eating tool.
From February to September/October, you can see the spoonbill in the Netherlands. The largest spoonbill colony is located in the Geulplas, on the southern side of National Park Dunes of Texel. Two other colonies are found in De Muyplas and De Slufter, a unique salt marsh that is in open connection with the sea. Furthermore, the Spoonbill can be perfectly observed in the large flat area in the south of Texel, where there are always some searching for food. Very special: more than 400 pairs breed in De Geul!
Note: in the south of the national park, some walking trails are closed during the breeding season from March to August/September. Outside the National Park, they can also be found in De Schorren at low tide.
