On April 23, 2023, Keimpe Bleeker photographed this very old spoonbill near Ferwert on the Frisian Wadden coast. It is an old acquaintance, ringed by Harry Horn on the Boschplaat of Terschelling on June 14, 1994. He or she was often seen on the Frisian coast in spring in those years.

BSOR 29 was 28 years and 313 days old on April 23. It is one of the oldest known spoonbills at this time, but does not look that old at all!

The oldest known spoonbill still is W/OR which was last seen on 20/04/2022 (in northern Spain) and was 29 years and 302 days old by then (counting from the ringing date, 22/06/1992).

Also -/aG[T] is still “in the running” to break the age record of W/OR. He/she was last seen on 11/02/2023, also in northern Spain, and was ringed on 5/8/1994.