Ibises and spoonbills · Pelicans and herons
Glossy Ibis
Link copied.
Plegadis falcinellus
Link copied.
Voice
Call
Call
How to recognize it
-
48–66 cm long
-
Long, slender bill curved downward
-
Breeding adults with reddish-brown body and bronze-green sheen on the wings
-
Neck outstretched in flight, often flying in a V-shaped flock
About the species
Reddish-brown over most of its body, the Glossy Ibis can flash green, bronze or purple across its wings as the light shifts. In breeding plumage, a fine white stripe runs above and below its long, curved bill. Its legs are reddish brown, while juveniles are duller, with pale streaks on the head and neck.
Usually quiet, it gives low croaks and grunts, including a hoarse "grrrr" during breeding. It feeds in small groups outside the nesting season and gathers in larger flocks on migration; in flight, it holds its neck outstretched and groups often form a V. At night, groups roost together, sometimes in trees far from feeding areas.
It feeds in very shallow freshwater and brackish wetlands, often among reeds or along marsh edges, and also uses flooded fields and rice paddies. Insects, leeches, worms, snails and crustaceans make up much of its food, with fish and amphibians taken sometimes. Most European populations winter in Africa, while western India has resident populations.
Where to find
-
In winter or the dry season, watch small groups of Glossy Ibises probe the mud for aquatic invertebrates at shallow lake and river margins.
-
In spring in temperate regions, look for dense nesting colonies in tall reedbeds and other emergent vegetation beside freshwater or brackish wetlands.
-
Where persecution is absent, look for communal night roosts in large city trees, including those beside busy roads.
