Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
New Jersey USA 14-05-2019
Songs and Calls
Low grunts and higher-pitched bleats.
[order] Ciconiiformes | [family] Threskiornithidae | [latin] Plegadis falcinellus | [UK] Glossy Ibis | [FR] Ibis falcinelle | [DE] Braunsichler | [ES] Ibis Castaña | [IT] Mignattaio | [NL] Zwarte Ibis
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 88 cm
spanwidth max.: 105 cm
size min.: 55 cm
size max.: 65 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 20 days
incubation max.: 23 days
fledging min.: 26 days
fledging max.: 30 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 6
Physical characteristics
FamilyIbises and Spoonbills
HabitatMarshes, rice fields, swamps. Forages in shallow waters, favoring marshes (either fresh or salt), flooded fields, shallow ponds, estuaries. Nests in low stands of willows and other shrubs surrounded by marsh, on ground in spartina marsh, in dense thickets of trees and shrubs on higher ground, sometimes in mangroves.
Flocks of Glossy Ibises wade in the shallows of eastern marshes, probing for food with their sickle-shaped bills. Widespread in the Old World, the species is found in the New World mainly in the West Indies and along our Atlantic Coast, especially Florida, where it was quite scarce as recently as the 1930s. It may have invaded within the last few centuries, riding the trade winds across from West Africa to the Caribbean.
Unmistakable because is the only species in Europe with greenish-black plumage, long black legs and long curved bill. The size is bigger than 50 cm. Characteristic wetland species, breeding colonies are usually mixed with other herons. Birds may feed tens of kilometres from the breeding colonies. The Glossy Ibis feeds mainly on aquatic animals. Migrant.
Habitat
Characteristic wetland species, breeding colonies are usually mixed with other herons. Lakes, swamps, lagoons, sewage ponds, rivers wet meadows and irrigated cultivation. Roosting sites in large trees often far from water. Nests in freshwater or brackish wetlands, usually in tall dense trees or in low trees or bushes over or near water.
Other details
Plegadis falcinellus is a patchily distributed summer visitor to southern and southeastern Europe, which accounts for a tiny proportion of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is relatively small (10%) overall. Consequently, it is provisionally evaluated as Declining.
This bird has a nearly cosmopolitan but very fragmented distribution. In Europe it breeds in the Mediterranean regions, the Balkan Peninsula and the eastern parts of the continent. The population of the European Union comprises 52-89 breeding pairs, which represents only 0.5% of the total European population. Being fairly unpredictable in the occupation of its breeding sites, its trends are often difficult to assess, but globally it has undergone a strong decline since the latter part of last century, and its breeding area have definitely contracted. This trend seems even to have been accelerated during the last few decades. The main reasons for this are wetland reclamation, hunting and disturbance of breeding colonies
Feeding
Birds may feed tens of kilometers from the breeding colonies. The Glossy Ibis feeds mainly on aquatic animals. Insects: grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, locusts and small reptiles, frogs and fish. Usually feeds in small flocks by "walks slowly" and probes bill into mud and shallow water, or takes prey from surface sometimes runs after prey.
Conservation
This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 1,100,000-3,300,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2002). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern. [conservation status from birdlife.org]
Breeding
Breeds may in Black Sea area, March-May in North America, during rains or just after in most of Africa. In trees or bushes growing in water, at heights to 5-7 m, or in dense reeds or rushes. Colonial; from a few to thousands of pairs, usually with other Ciconiiformes, also with Pygmy Cormorant. Nest is compact platform of twigs or reeds lined with leaves. 3-4 eggs, incubation 20-23 days. chicks have sooty black down.
Migration
Migratory and dispersive, with considerable nomadic element. Flocks form after breeding, adults and juveniles often separated, and latter begin dispersing in all directions. Southerly aspects of post-fledging dispersals merge into autumn migration, which becomes dominant September, as adults and young withdraw south of breeding range. Winters in small numbers Mediterranean basin west to Morocco (where recent increase) but most European breeders probably trans-Saharan migrants; many spring and autumn records from Saharan oases, and common October-March in steppe zone southern edge of western desert. Return movement through Mediterranean basin and Black Sea late March, some still moving early May, though colonies re-occupied April. Some spring overshooting, with rare April-May appearances north to Britain and Germany.
Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)
New Jersey USA 14-05-2019
Songs and Calls
Low grunts and higher-pitched bleats.
[order] Ciconiiformes | [family] Threskiornithidae | [latin] Plegadis falcinellus | [UK] Glossy Ibis | [FR] Ibis falcinelle | [DE] Braunsichler | [ES] Ibis Castaña | [IT] Mignattaio | [NL] Zwarte Ibis
Measurements
spanwidth min.: 88 cm
spanwidth max.: 105 cm
size min.: 55 cm
size max.: 65 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 20 days
incubation max.: 23 days
fledging min.: 26 days
fledging max.: 30 days
broods 1
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 6
Physical characteristics
FamilyIbises and Spoonbills
HabitatMarshes, rice fields, swamps. Forages in shallow waters, favoring marshes (either fresh or salt), flooded fields, shallow ponds, estuaries. Nests in low stands of willows and other shrubs surrounded by marsh, on ground in spartina marsh, in dense thickets of trees and shrubs on higher ground, sometimes in mangroves.
Flocks of Glossy Ibises wade in the shallows of eastern marshes, probing for food with their sickle-shaped bills. Widespread in the Old World, the species is found in the New World mainly in the West Indies and along our Atlantic Coast, especially Florida, where it was quite scarce as recently as the 1930s. It may have invaded within the last few centuries, riding the trade winds across from West Africa to the Caribbean.
Unmistakable because is the only species in Europe with greenish-black plumage, long black legs and long curved bill. The size is bigger than 50 cm. Characteristic wetland species, breeding colonies are usually mixed with other herons. Birds may feed tens of kilometres from the breeding colonies. The Glossy Ibis feeds mainly on aquatic animals. Migrant.
Habitat
Characteristic wetland species, breeding colonies are usually mixed with other herons. Lakes, swamps, lagoons, sewage ponds, rivers wet meadows and irrigated cultivation. Roosting sites in large trees often far from water. Nests in freshwater or brackish wetlands, usually in tall dense trees or in low trees or bushes over or near water.
Other details
Plegadis falcinellus is a patchily distributed summer visitor to southern and southeastern Europe, which accounts for a tiny proportion of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is relatively small (10%) overall. Consequently, it is provisionally evaluated as Declining.
This bird has a nearly cosmopolitan but very fragmented distribution. In Europe it breeds in the Mediterranean regions, the Balkan Peninsula and the eastern parts of the continent. The population of the European Union comprises 52-89 breeding pairs, which represents only 0.5% of the total European population. Being fairly unpredictable in the occupation of its breeding sites, its trends are often difficult to assess, but globally it has undergone a strong decline since the latter part of last century, and its breeding area have definitely contracted. This trend seems even to have been accelerated during the last few decades. The main reasons for this are wetland reclamation, hunting and disturbance of breeding colonies
Feeding
Birds may feed tens of kilometers from the breeding colonies. The Glossy Ibis feeds mainly on aquatic animals. Insects: grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, locusts and small reptiles, frogs and fish. Usually feeds in small flocks by "walks slowly" and probes bill into mud and shallow water, or takes prey from surface sometimes runs after prey.
Conservation
This species has a large range, with an estimated global Extent of Occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 1,100,000-3,300,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2002). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e. declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern. [conservation status from birdlife.org]
Breeding
Breeds may in Black Sea area, March-May in North America, during rains or just after in most of Africa. In trees or bushes growing in water, at heights to 5-7 m, or in dense reeds or rushes. Colonial; from a few to thousands of pairs, usually with other Ciconiiformes, also with Pygmy Cormorant. Nest is compact platform of twigs or reeds lined with leaves. 3-4 eggs, incubation 20-23 days. chicks have sooty black down.
Migration
Migratory and dispersive, with considerable nomadic element. Flocks form after breeding, adults and juveniles often separated, and latter begin dispersing in all directions. Southerly aspects of post-fledging dispersals merge into autumn migration, which becomes dominant September, as adults and young withdraw south of breeding range. Winters in small numbers Mediterranean basin west to Morocco (where recent increase) but most European breeders probably trans-Saharan migrants; many spring and autumn records from Saharan oases, and common October-March in steppe zone southern edge of western desert. Return movement through Mediterranean basin and Black Sea late March, some still moving early May, though colonies re-occupied April. Some spring overshooting, with rare April-May appearances north to Britain and Germany.