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Behaviour

1. Resting : Black-faced Spoonbill is a gregarious species. They roost in large groups. Their resting posture is quite special. They bend their necks and heads back and place their bills in the feathers of their back. Only the eyes and a small portion of the face are exposed. They mostly stand on one leg only.

2. Feeding : Black-faced Spoonbills feed in a special way. They often forage in shallow water (5-20 cm), searching out aquatic animals such as fish and shrimps. During feeding, they move forward, slowly swinging their bills from side to side. Once the beak makes contact with prey, it will grab it and lift up the bill, to swallow the prey item.

3. Bathing and Preening : Like most other birds, Black-faced Spoonbills love to be clean. During resting and after feeding, they like to stand in water, or flap their wings on the waterˇ¦s surface. In addition, they use their bills to comb and smooth their feathers. Mutual preening of the head and neck acts as a form of social communication.

4. Flight : Black-faced Spoonbill extend their neck and bill when they fly. This is different from egrets and herons which fold their necks. Sometimes, the flying flocks line up in a V-shape or a straight line.

5. Playing : Young Black-faced Spoonbills like to play with sticks and tree branches. This may help them to build better relationships with their companions.