Black-faced Sheathbill (Chionis minor)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-faced Sheathbill

Chionis minor Hartlaub, 1841

494 gWeight

The black-faced sheathbill (Chionis minor), also called the lesser sheathbill or paddy bird, is one of only two species of sheathbills, aberrant shorebirds which are terrestrial (land) scavengers of subantarctic islands.

Busiest months: February · Most records: French Southern Territories, Heard & McDonald Islands

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: February · Most records: French Southern Territories, Heard & McDonald Islands

Black-faced Sheathbill has been recorded at 6 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ile HauteFrench Southern Territories47 records
  2. Baie du MarinFrench Southern Territories14 records
  3. Port-aux-FrançaisFrench Southern Territories14 records
More places
  1. Ile MayèsFrench Southern Territories9 records
  2. Wharf PointHeard & McDonald Islands5 records
  3. Cap RatmanoffFrench Southern Territories5 records

Countries and regions with the most records

French Southern TerritoriesHeard & McDonald Islands

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-faced sheathbill (Chionis minor), also called the lesser sheathbill or paddy bird, is one of only two species of sheathbills, aberrant shorebirds which are terrestrial (land) scavengers of subantarctic islands.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-faced Sheathbill?

The Black-faced Sheathbill weighs around 494 g.

Where does the Black-faced Sheathbill live?

Its breeding range: Indian Ocean: islands of subantarctic western, central South Indian Ocean. It is most often recorded in French Southern Territories and Heard & McDonald Islands.

When is the best time to see the Black-faced Sheathbill?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-faced Sheathbill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-faced Sheathbill as Least Concern.

What does the Black-faced Sheathbill eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Black-faced Sheathbill in?

It belongs to the family Sheathbills (Chionidae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
494 g
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Partial migrant
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
227 mm
Tail
106 mm
Bill
34 mm
Tarsus
45 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Indian Ocean: islands of subantarctic western, central South Indian Ocean

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Sheathbills Chionidae
Genus
Chionis

Other birds in the genus Chionis

Snowy SheathbillSnowy SheathbillChionis albus
Black-faced Sheathbill

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Rémi Bigonneau. ↗

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