Eurasian Spoonbill

Category of conservation concern (IUCN, 2020) – Least Concern

Population size: 2020: 84-168 pairs (2007: 80-150 pairs)

Distribution pattern

Dispersed breeding sites in mixed colonies with herons and cormorants along the Danube River and in the only confirmed locality on the Black Sea coast – the Poda Marsh near Burgas, part of the Protected Area for birds the Mandra-Poda Complex. Along the Danube, builds its nests mainly on islands, and less often in marshes (in the Protected Area Srebarna). In the different regions, the colonies often change their location, which leads to some fluctuations in distribution. Non-breeding individuals are observed in other places, including the inland.

Population estimation for the period 2013 – 2020: During the period 2013-2020 the species was not found in twelve squares, a new place was registered in the Western part of the Bulgarian sector of the Danube, and one breeding site was not confirmed during the study period – in the Protected Area Gorni Dabnik – Telish. The lack of regular monitoring in this Protected Area may be the reason for the lack of new data.

Population size in Special Protection Areas of Natura 2000: 72-144 pairs (86% of the population). The highest number is registered in the Special Protection Areas “Mandra-Poda Complex” (minimum 27 pairs), “Srebarna” (25-30 pairs), the “Belene Islands Complex” (10-20 pairs) and Ribarnitsi Mechka (10- 24 pairs).

Comparative distribution of the species compared to the first breeding birds atlas (Iankov, 2007): Breeding locality until 2007 | Breeding locality until 2007, confirmed after 2015 – | New breeding locality after 2015. – The breeding localities after 2015 are identified on a base of raw data from smartbirds.org.

Habitats

Breeds on water-fringe vegetation in bogs and marshes, in alluvial and riverine forests and brush.

Trends in population changes for the period 2013-2020

Threats

Drainage of wetlands, loss of breeding habitats, changes in the water levels and in the hydrological regime of water bodies during the breeding season and food shortage, disturbance, poaching, illegal logging, and unregulated forestry practices.

Irina Kostadinova, Vladimir Mladenov