Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766)

48–66 cmLength89 cmWingspan627 gWeight

In the breeding season it has a reddish-brown body, shining green wings and a sickle-shaped bill.

Busiest months: January–May · Most records: United States, India, Spain

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Reddish-brown body and shining bottle-green wings in the breeding season
Brown, sickle-shaped bill
Dark facial skin bordered above and below with blue
Reddish-brown legs and feet; neck extended in flight

Male, female and young

Non-breeding adults and juveniles have a duller body and a dark brown head and neck with fine white stripes.

Voice

Growls and grunts, with a harsh “grrrr” when breeding.

Where and when it's recorded

Glossy Ibis has been recorded at 2,197 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 165 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

To protect this bird from disturbance, we don't list exact sites.

Countries and regions with the most records

United States India Spain Australia Portugal Israel South Africa United Arab Emirates

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 glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.

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

Questions

How big is the Glossy Ibis?

The Glossy Ibis is about 48–66 cm long, with a wingspan of 89 cm and weighs around 627 g.

Where does the Glossy Ibis live?

Its breeding range: Worldwide but disjunctly: southern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, central, South Asia to Philippines, Sulawesi, Java and Australia; also eastern and Gulf coasts of North America, Caribbean and northern Venezuela. It is most often recorded in United States, India and Spain.

When is the best time to see the Glossy Ibis?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March, April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Glossy Ibis endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Glossy Ibis as Least Concern.

What does the Glossy Ibis eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Glossy Ibis in?

It belongs to the family Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae), order Pelecaniformes.

At a glance

Length: 48–66 cm
Wingspan: 89 cm
Weight: 627 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 275 mm
Tail: 103 mm
Bill: 117 mm
Tarsus: 86 mm

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

Range

Worldwide but disjunctly: southern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, central, South Asia to Philippines, Sulawesi, Java and Australia; also eastern and Gulf coasts of North America, Caribbean and northern Venezuela

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2