Spoonbills have nested at De Zegge nature reserve in Geel for the first time in the site’s history. “This is very special for the Kempen region,” says coordinator Toon Deswert. “We rarely see this species of bird nesting this far inland in Flanders.”
Staff at De Zegge have previously spotted a spoonbill several times, but never thought that the species would become a permanent resident.
“About two years ago, we increasingly saw a spoonbill as an interested passer-by. From then on, of course, our hopes grew. And now the news of three spoonbills, two young and an egg has been confirmed. This is fantastic,” says Deswert.
The large, white bird is very easy to recognise by its spoon-shaped bill, drooping crest and black legs. “In Flanders, breeding spoonbills hardly ever occur inland,” says Pieter Dierckx of De Zegge. “Most breeding pairs are by the sea or in the Scheldt basin, but this is a first for the Kempen.”
De Zegge recently carried out additional management works to create more open water and is hopeful that the spoonbill will become a fixture. “There is more than enough food for a spoonbill,” says Deswert. “It finds its food by foraging while walking through shallow water, spooning up insects and small fish with its beak sideways.”