From today, everyone can watch live a growing spoonbill colony in National Park Nieuw Land. The park launches two livestream cameras placed in the middle of the colony. For the first time, it is possible to see 24 hours a day how the elegant spoonbills breed, mate, have small quarrels, and raise their young.
The cameras are installed in collaboration with Wildlife Monitoring Solutions and the Lowland Ecology Network. Thanks to this technology, the public gets a unique insight into the life of one of the most characteristic bird species of the area.
Spoonbills feel at home in Nieuw Land
The spoonbill is a large, white bird with the distinctive spoon-shaped bill. They like to breed in colonies, often near other colonial birds such as gulls, herons, and cormorants. For decades, National Park Nieuw Land has been an important habitat for this species.
In the 1990s, the colony in the reed marshes of the Oostvaardersplassen was even one of the most important in the Netherlands. The Lepelaarplassen owe their name to this bird. After a long absence, the spoonbills returned in 2025 to breed there again. Since 2014, they have also bred on a causeway in Lelystad, among gulls and willows. The location is strategically chosen: in the surrounding wetlands – including Marker Wadden and the Oostvaardersplassen – they find plenty of food.
Livestreams: watch up close
From today, the spoonbills can be followed live via www.vogelbescherming.nl/beleefdelente/lepelaar. The images provide a unique view of the breeding season and the social behavior within the colony.
Questions about the spoonbills?
If you have questions, email info@nationaalparknieuwland.nl or follow @npnieuwland on Instagram.
Photographer: Maarten Hotting