This white waterbird has a yellow face, spatulate bill, and yellow legs. In shallow water it sweeps its bill from side to side, searching mainly for aquatic insects.
It has a white body, yellow face and spoon-shaped bill, and yellow legs. During breeding, the facial skin is edged in black and plumes appear on the breast and wings.
It walks slowly through shallow freshwater wetlands, lakes, and swamps, sweeping its bill from side to side for aquatic insects and larvae. It is nomadic and may feed by day or night.
Small sensory papillae inside the spoon-shaped bill detect vibrations, allowing it to find prey in murky water. After capture it raises the bill and lets food slide down its throat.
It builds a shallow platform of sticks, rushes, and reeds in high tree forks or reed beds. The male gathers material and the female builds; both parents incubate and care for the young.
Outside breeding, the yellow face lacks its black edging and ornamental plumes are reduced or absent. Young birds have black markings on the inner flight feathers, the tertials.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.