Theristicus caudatus
The Buff-necked Ibis (*Theristicus caudatus*) is a striking and medium-large wading bird, instantly recognizable by its eponymous buff-colored head and neck. Standing 71-81 cm tall with a wingspan of 110-125 cm and weighing between 1.5-2.5 kg, its dark, blackish body contrasts sharply with the warm buff. Distinctive field marks include a conspicuous greyish-white crescent or patch on its upperwings, reddish legs, and a long, dark, decurved bill often with a reddish base. This species belongs ...
Primarily found in open grasslands, savannas, pastures, and agricultural fields, often near but not exclusively reliant on water bodies. It occurs from lowlands up to elevations of around 1500 meters, typically avoiding dense forest.
Feeds predominantly on terrestrial invertebrates such as earthworms, beetle larvae, grasshoppers, and crickets, supplemented by snails, frogs, lizards, and small rodents. It forages by probing the ground with its specialized bill.
The Buff-necked Ibis is a diurnal species, spending its days foraging and congregating in communal roosts in large trees or on cliffs at night. Its primary foraging strategy involves probing soft soils, mud, or even drier ground with its long, decurved bill to extract invertebrates. During breedi...
The Buff-necked Ibis (*Theristicus caudatus*) is widely distributed across eastern and northern South America. Its extensive breeding range encompasses eastern Brazil (south to Rio Grande do Sul), Uruguay, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina (Corrientes, Misiones, Chaco, Formosa). It also extend...
Least Concern
- The Buff-necked Ibis gets its common name from the prominent buffy-orange coloration of its head and neck, a striking field mark. - It is renowned for its strikingly loud, trumpeting calls, often described as a 'gobbling' or 'honking' sound, which can carry for considerable distances across ope...