Glossy Ibis

Adults in breeding plumage feature deep chestnut-brown body feathers with metallic green and purple glosses on the wings. Non-breeding adults and juveniles have duller, darker brown heads and necks streaked with white.

Decurved long bill, dark overall body with subtle green and purple sheen, dark legs, and lack of white on the face.

Length: 48-66 cm, Wingspan: 80-105 cm, Weight: 485-970 g

Generally quiet outside the breeding colony, but emits low, croaking grunts and hoarse groaning calls when disturbed or interacting.

Insects, crustaceans, mollusks, frogs, and small fish, foraged by probing mud or shallow water with its curved bill.

Freshwater marshes, swamps, shallow lakes, flooded fields, and occasionally coastal lagoons and mangroves.

Migratory in northern parts of its range, wintering further south; highly nomadic when not breeding.

Builds a bulky stick nest in trees, bushes, or dense reeds, often in colonies alongside other waders. Lays 3-4 pale blue-green eggs.

White-faced Ibis, which has red eyes, red facial skin, and brighter red legs during breeding season; easily confused when in non-breeding plumage.

Acts as an apex predator of aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates, helping to regulate wetland food webs.

Least Concern, with a generally stable or increasing global population trend.

Look for them probing the mud in shallow wetlands, marshes, and flooded agricultural fields, often in flocks.

The Glossy Ibis is the most widespread ibis species in the world and has naturally expanded its range into the Americas from Africa.