Glossy Ibis

Breeding Plumage
Photo by Alok Tewari
Basai Wetlands, Dist. Gurgaon,Haryana, India, July-2015

Plegadis falcinellus

Identification

Length 48·5–66 cm (19-26 in), wingspan 88-105 cm, mass 530-768 g
Males larger than females
Bill brownish, long, thin, and evenly decurved; legs reddish-brown to olive-grey.

Breeding adult: Body reddish-brown and wings glossy bottle-green. There is a norrow white to cobalt blue line around the base of the bill.

Non-breeding adult and juvenile: Body duller.

Similar Species

In winter plumage, can be difficult to separate from White-faced Ibis (P. chihi) without close views. Best told by dark eyes and lores (red in White-faced) and narrow white stripes of even thickness above and below the lores (absent or uneven in winter plumaged White-faced).

Transitional plumage
Photo by Reini
El Rocio, Doñana National Park, Spain

Distribution

This bird is found almost world-wide but they are uncommon in some places; they are listed as rare or vagrant in many places, such as Borneo, Singapore, etc.

There is evidence to suggest that some groups are migratory with palearctic individuals making their way to Africa to over-winter.

The population in North America has been spreading in recent years. Wintering birds are now turning up regularly in northern Central America, where they were not recorded previously. However, at least two ringing recoveries shows vagrants from Europe reaching the Caribbean.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Habitat

Juvenile
Photo by peterday
Fogg Dam, Kakadu, Australia, May 2015

Inhabit permanent wetlands including coastal lagoons and marshy lakeshores.

Behaviour

These birds are gregarious and may occur in large flocks containing hundreds of birds.

Diet

Food includes invertebrates, fish, frogs and small reptiles.

Breeding

The nest is a compact platform of twigs or reeds, about 30 cm diameter, usually in a tree which overhangs water. Nesting is colonial and often in mixed heronries. Two to four eggs are laid August to March (in southern Africa). Incubation is by both sexes and takes 20-23 days.

Vocalisation

<flashmp3>Plegadis falcinellus (song).mp3</flashmp3>
Listen in an external program

References

Photo by I4ani
Valverde, Spain, 2009

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Hockey, PAR, WRJ Dean, and PG Ryan, eds. 2005. Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa. 7th ed. Cape Town: John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. ISBN 978-0620340533
3. Wikipedia
4. Birdforum thread discussing recovery of Spanish birds in the Caribbean

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Glossy Ibis. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Glossy_Ibis

External Links

Search for photos of Glossy Ibis in the gallery

Search for videos of Glossy Ibis on BirdForum TV