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348 Featured Specimen
Glossy ibis

Details

Glossy ibis

Plegadis falcinellus

Size
48–66 cm · 485–970 g
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Colony
Lifespan
15–20 years

The glossy ibis is a dark wetland ibis with metallic sheen in the plumage. Its long downcurved bill probes mud for small animals.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
PalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticPalearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalAfrotropicalIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanIndomalayanAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasianAustralasian

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It uses marshes, shallow lakes, floodplains, rice fields, and estuaries across Palearctic, Afrotropical, Nearctic, Australasian, and Indomalayan regions. Colonies nest in reeds or low shrubs.

Appearance

Length is 48-66 cm and weight 485-970 g. Plumage is dark chestnut with green and purple gloss, and the legs and curved bill are long.

Behavior

Diurnal and colonial, it often forages in flocks. Birds walk through shallows while probing mud with the bill.

Feeding

A carnivore, it eats aquatic insects, crustaceans, worms, snails, small fish, and frogs. Touch-sensitive probing lets it find prey in murky water or soft mud.

Reproduction

Nests of stems and sticks are built in reedbeds, shrubs, or trees. Both adults incubate and feed chicks within the colony.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern. Wetlands with natural water variation support the species, while drainage and pesticide exposure can affect local sites.