Plegadis falcinellus
The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a striking medium-sized wading bird, typically measuring 48-66 cm (19-26 inches) in length with a wingspan of 80-105 cm (31-41 inches). Its most distinctive feature is its rich, iridescent purplish-chestnut body plumage, contrasting with metallic green and bronze wings that shimmer beautifully in direct sunlight. A long, strongly decurved dark bill, dark legs, and grayish facial skin bordered by a thin white line (more prominent in breeding plumage) a...
This species thrives in shallow freshwater, brackish, or saline wetlands, including marshes, swamps, flooded fields, and lagoons, typically at low elevations.
Their diet primarily consists of aquatic invertebrates like insects (dragonfly nymphs, beetles), crustaceans, and small worms, supplemented with small fish, amphibians, and snails, obtained through tactile probing.
Glossy Ibises are primarily diurnal, often foraging in groups and roosting communally in trees or dense vegetation near water. Their foraging strategy involves tactile probing: they wade through shallow water or mud, sweeping their sensitive, decurved bills through the substrate to detect prey. D...
The Glossy Ibis boasts an extensive and nearly cosmopolitan geographic distribution, encompassing breeding populations across southern Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, and the southeastern United States. In North America, its breeding range extends along the Atlantic coast from Mai...
Least Concern
- The Glossy Ibis holds the distinction of being one of the most widely distributed wading bird species globally, found across five continents. - Its shimmering iridescent plumage, which shifts from deep purplish-chestnut to metallic green and bronze depending on the light, makes it a truly spect...