Black-faced Ibis

Scientific Name: Theristicus melanopis

Classification: Order: Pelecaniformes; Family: Threskiornithidae

Black-faced Ibis

Brief Description

A large wading bird with a long, downward-curved bill. It is frequently seen walking on grassland rather than just wetlands, often in small groups with a distinctive upright posture.

Additional Information

  • Region of Origin: South America, primarily found in Argentina, Chile, Peru, and parts of Bolivia and Ecuador.
  • Typical Sighting Period: Year-round in many parts of its range, with migration occurring in the southern parts of the range during the austral winter.
  • Plumage Details: Features a buff-colored head, neck, and breast. The back and wings are grey, while the underparts and primary wing feathers are black. The face is bare and black, and the legs are reddish-pink. Sexes are similar in appearance.
  • Ecological Significance: Helps control insect and small vertebrate populations in grasslands and wetlands; their presence can indicate the health of varied habitats from marshes to high-altitude pastures.
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern (IUCN); Population trend is generally stable.
  • Observation Tips: Look for them in open fields, pastures, and near water bodies in southern South America. They are relatively habituated to humans in some areas and can be seen in city parks or road verges.

Size & Weight

Length: 71-76 cm (28-30 in); Weight: approximately 1.1-1.4 kg.

Diet

Omnivorous; consumes insects, worms, frogs, small reptiles, and occasionally small mammals. Forages by probing the ground with its long bill.

Habitat

Grasslands, pastures, fields, marshes, and sometimes open forests or rocky slopes up to high altitudes in the Andes.

Migration

Resident in northern parts of its range; southern populations migrate north during the winter (austral migration).

Voice (Call & Song)

Characteristic loud, metallic sounding 'honk' or 'can-can-can' calls, often heard when they are flying or taking off.

Nesting & Breeding

Nests in colonies, typically on cliffs or in trees, sometimes in reedbeds. They build stick nests and usually lay 2-3 eggs.

Key Field Marks

Long decurved black bill, buffy-yellow head and neck, grey upperparts, black belly, and bare black skin on the face.

Similar Species

Buff-necked Ibis (Theristicus caudatus), which has a more orange-buff neck and lacks the black face patch extending behind the eye, and is generally found in warmer, more tropical lowlands.

Interesting Facts

Unlike many ibis species that are strictly wetland-dependent, the Black-faced Ibis is very comfortable in dry grasslands and is a common sight in the agricultural landscapes of Patagonia.