▁fe eds ▁on ▁cr ust ace ans , ▁fish ▁and ▁small ▁insect s ▁by ▁swe eping ▁its ▁bill ▁from ▁side ▁to ▁side . ▁It ▁always ▁f lies ▁with ▁its ▁head ▁extended . ▁W ides p read ▁throughout ▁its ▁large ▁range , ▁the ▁royal ▁sp oon b ill ▁is ▁evaluated ▁as ▁Le ast ▁Conc ern ▁on ▁the ▁IU CN ▁Red ▁List ▁of ▁Th re aten ed ▁Species . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁The ▁ren owned ▁orn ith ologist ▁John ▁G ould ▁first ▁described ▁the ▁royal ▁sp oon b ill ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 8 , ▁naming ▁it ▁Pl ata lea ▁regia ▁and ▁not ing ▁its ▁similarity ▁to ▁the ▁E uras ian ▁sp oon b ill ▁( P . ▁le uc or odia ). ▁A ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁study ▁of ▁mit och ond rial ▁DNA ▁of ▁the ▁sp oon b ills ▁by ▁Ch esser ▁and ▁colle agues ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁royal ▁and ▁black - fac ed ▁sp oon b ills ▁were ▁each ▁other ' s ▁closest ▁relatives . ▁ ▁Description ▁ ▁The ▁royal ▁sp oon b ill ▁is ▁a ▁large , ▁white ▁bird ▁with ▁a ▁black , ▁sp oon - sh aped ▁bill . ▁It ▁is ▁approximately ▁ ▁tall , ▁ ▁and ▁a ▁weight ▁of ▁. ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁w ading ▁bird ▁and ▁has ▁long ▁legs ▁for ▁walking ▁through ▁water . ▁It ▁e ats ▁fish , ▁shell fish , ▁c rab s ▁and ▁am ph ib ians , ▁catch ing ▁its ▁pre y ▁by ▁making ▁a ▁side - to - side ▁movement ▁with