In what is a rare sight, a group of spoonbills were spotted feeding in the waters down by Fraser Cove.

A SunLive photographer saw them wading in the shallows of the Tauranga Harbour and described their feeding habits as 'unusual”.

The spoonbills seen down by Fraser Cove. Photo: Andrew Campbell.

He says they looked like they were feeding in a figure eight pattern.

This is a second time in two months spoonbills have been spotted in the area, with a single spoonbill seen in Welcome Bay last month.

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family of Threskiornithidae, which also includes ibises.

Six species are recognised, all either placed in a single genus or three genera. They are most closely related to the Old World ibises.

All spoonbills have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side.

The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day.