Spoonbills and common cranes are both striking birds that can be found in wetlands and coastal habitats, but they belong to very different families and have distinct physical features and behaviours, says Carys McMillan from the Wildlife Trusts.
Where do cranes and spoonbills live?
Spoonbills and cranes live in wetlands, marshes and open spaces.
Are spoonbills and cranes related to herons?
Spoonbill and cranes, although similar in stature to herons, are of a different family. The spoonbill is from the scientific family Threskiornithidae and the crane is from the scientific family Gruidae.
How to tell the difference between a spoonbill and a crane
The spoonbill is the smaller of the two, standing around 80-90cm high with a wingspan of 120-135cm and weighing from 1.3-2kg. In comparison the common crane is the UK's tallest bird standing 110-120cm high with a wingspan over 2m and weighing from 4-7kg.
Spoonbills are tall white waterbirds with long broad black bills and black legs and, as the name suggests, has a weird bill that is long with a widened, flattened end like a spoon or spatula. When in flight, the underside of the wing tips are black.
In comparison, common cranes are dark grey in colour with grey bodies and distinctive black, white and red heads. Their necks are long and black; they also have long black legs and drooping tail feathers. These birds fly with outstretched necks and legs trailing behind.
What do these birds eat?
A bunch of opportunists, this group will eat anything from insects and fish to amphibians, small mammals and other small prey.
Spoonbills feed on shrimps and other aquatic invertebrates by sweeping their bill from side to side in the water. Cranes are omnivores and will eat seeds, roots, insects, snails and worms.
How have their populations in the UK been affected?
Draining of vast areas of land for agriculture use, along with hunting a few hundred years ago, led to the near extinction of common cranes in the UK. Today, thanks to conservation efforts through habitat restoration projects and reintroduction projects, we can see 160 cranes in the UK.
Will climate change affect these birds and their distributions?
Yes, this is reflected in the increasing population numbers we have seen in recent decades. Spoonbills have begun nesting in greater numbers due to global warming and the increasingly warm UK climate allowing southern species to move further north.