Birds · Pelecaniformes · Threskiornithidae

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

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Its scientific name comes from the Greek and Latin for 'sickle', after the curve of its bill. It is a relatively recent colonist of North America, having crossed the Atlantic from Africa.

Weight

350 g – 970 g

Size

48 cm – 66 cm

Lifespan

14 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

FreshwaterCarnivoreDiurnalColonialBirdFreshwater
112countries71parks8same family

Fun facts

  • Its scientific name means 'sickle', after the curve of its bill.
  • It probes the mud with its bill to find insects, crustaceans and small fish.
  • It colonised North America relatively recently, having crossed the Atlantic from Africa.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment
Marshes, rice paddies and fresh and brackish wetlands of Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas
Birth weight
Exact weight at hatching not found as a precise figure
Size at birth
Altricial, wholly dependent on both parents
Sexual maturity
3 years
Gestation / incubation
20-23 days
Litter / clutch size
2 to 4 eggs per clutch (most commonly 3)
Lifespan in captivity
Documented record of 26.8 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge; NHPBS NatureWorks; Assam Biodiversity Portal; SA-Venues; Animalia.bio; Wikipedia; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

KenyaTanzaniaSouth AfricaBotswanaNamibiaRwandaUgandaMadagascarEgyptIndiaIndonesiaSri LankaThailandSpainNorwayGermanyUnited KingdomFranceRomaniaUnited StatesMexicoBrazilArgentinaColombiaAustraliaNew ZealandSwedenFinlandIrelandSwitzerlandItalyAustriaSloveniaPortugalGreeceCroatiaMontenegroAlbaniaPolandEstoniaJamaicaCubaDominican RepublicHaitiNetherlandsVenezuelaDemocratic Republic of the CongoZimbabweZambiaMozambiqueCôte d’IvoireGhanaSenegalNigerCentral African RepublicRepublic of the CongoCameroonChadEthiopiaTunisiaMoroccoMauritaniaPakistanRussiaIsraelKazakhstanAngolaAlgeriaBangladeshBeninBelarusBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaBelgiumCyprusDenmarkGabonGuineaEquatorial GuineaGuinea-BissauHungaryIranLiberiaLithuaniaMalawiMaltaMaliMyanmarNigeriaSerbiaSierra LeoneSomaliaSudanTogoTürkiyeUkraineLesothoBurkina FasoSouth SudanEritreaIraqUzbekistanCzechiaMoldovaEswatiniBurundiGambiaLatviaLuxembourgSlovakiaNorth MacedoniaDjibouti
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Where to watch it

Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 71 documentados.

Parque Nacional de DoñanaPicos de EuropaOrdesa y Monte PerdidoAiguestortes i Estany de Sant MauriciSierra de las NievesPeneda-GeresDelta del DanubioEvergladesIchkeulToubkal

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Glossy Ibis — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Misma familia taxonómica
Least Concern

White Ibis

Eudocimus albus

Misma familia taxonómica
Eurasian SpoonbillLeast Concern

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Misma familia taxonómica
Least Concern

African Spoonbill

Platalea alba

Misma familia taxonómica
Roseate SpoonbillLeast Concern

Roseate Spoonbill

Platalea ajaja

Misma familia taxonómica
African Sacred IbisLeast Concern

African Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Misma familia taxonómica
Endangered

Northern Bald Ibis

Geronticus eremita

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about glossy ibis.

CountriesKenyaParksParque Nacional de DoñanaSpainTagsCarnivore

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