Spooning

What's special about this bird?

The first thing you notice is the strange shape of its bill. It is shaped like a spoon. This bird -- a royal spoonbill -- gets its name from its bill.

But the shape of its bill isn't just to make it look special. It is very important to the way that spoonbill birds eat.

Spoonbills walk slowly through shallow water with their bills open in the water. When a small animal like a fish or a crab touches the inside of its bill, it quickly closes its mouth, catching a meal inside.

When baby spoonbills are born, their bills are straight. Until their bills become shaped like spoons, their parents have to feed them.