The Eurasian spoonbill was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the current binomial name Platalea leucorodia.

[3] Linnaeus cited works by earlier authors including the description and illustration by the English naturalist Eleazar Albin that was published in 1734.

Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers.

In Europe, it breeds from the United Kingdom and Portugal in the west, locally through the continent; ranging north to Denmark and east to the Balkans and the Black Sea.

However, some northern birds do remain in the general region during the winter, including the United Kingdom, the Low Countries and France.

[1][12] Eurasian spoonbills show a preference for extensive, shallow wetlands with muddy clay or fine, sandy beds.

They are especially attracted to locations with undisturbed islands for nesting and habitats with dense, riparian-emergent vegetation (e.g. reedbeds) and scattered trees/shrubs, especially willow Salix spp., oak Quercus spp.

Eurasian spoonbills may also frequent sheltered marine habitats during the winter, such as deltas, estuaries, tidal creeks and coastal lagoons.

[1] The diet consists of aquatic insects, mollusks, newts, crustaceans, worms, leeches, frogs, tadpoles and small fish up to 10–15 cm (3.9–5.9 in) long.

[22] In the United Kingdom, it was extirpated around 1668, although in the previous century it had been a widespread breeding species in southern England and Wales, even near London.

[23][25] Threats to the Eurasian spoonbill include habitat loss and degradation by drainage and pollution, it is especially adversely affected by the disappearance of reed swamps.

In Greece disturbance from fishing once caused the population to decline, and human exploitation of eggs and nestlings for food has threatened the species in the past.