(Part of the) common name for species of the subfamily Plataleinae (family Threskiornithidae, suborder Ciconiae), used without a further combination for the European species, and in the plural the general term for the subfamily. The most distinctive feature of spoonbills is their long, horizontal flattened bill, broadened to a thin spoon-like tip. They are large birds, about 75 cm in length, with long legs and an almost entirely white plumage (except for one species). Spoonbills have a mainly tropical and subtropical distribution and live essentially in the vicinity of fresh water, feeding on aquatic crustaceans, molluscs, insects and small fish. They have a typical feeding behaviour, in which the bill is held almost vertically and partly open while it is moved rapidly from side to side in the water during wading. They live and breed in colonies and in the higher latitudes (e.g., The Netherlands) it is a summer visitor from Spain and Africa.

Alternative forms for spoonbills : Platalea, spoonbill.