Glossy IbisPlegadis falcinellusUnde și când le poți vedea

The Glossy Ibis is a slender wetland bird with long legs and a distinctive downward-curving bill. Its dark plumage reveals rich chestnut, green, and purple tones when caught by sunlight. It has a wide but patchy distribution across parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. In the Nile basin, it uses suitable shallow wetlands, including marshes, floodplain pools, and irrigated farmland. Its presence depends strongly on water levels and the availability of productive feeding areas.

Size

48–66 cm long, with a wingspan of about 80–105 cm.

Weight

Approximately 485–970 g.

Lifespan

Can live more than 20 years in the wild, although many individuals live considerably shorter lives.

Status

Least Concern (IUCN).

Glossy Ibises often feed in groups, walking slowly through shallow water or across soft mud. They probe repeatedly with their curved bills to locate small animals beneath the surface. They also pick visible prey from the water or ground. In flight, they hold both neck and legs outstretched, and flocks may form loose lines or V-shaped formations. They commonly gather at communal roosts and may associate with herons, egrets, and other ibises. Breeding takes place in colonies, often alongside other waterbirds, with nests built in dense wetland vegetation, shrubs, or trees. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the young. Some populations migrate seasonally, while others disperse locally in response to rainfall and changing wetland conditions.

• Its metallic sheen changes with the angle of the light.
• Both parts of its scientific name refer to the sickle-like shape of its bill.
• It flies with its neck extended, unlike herons, which usually retract theirs.
• Long-distance dispersal has helped it establish populations on several continents.

Wildlife opportunities depend on the river reach, water levels and species. River-specific viewing months have not been confirmed; general species seasons are not a local sighting forecast.

Glossy Ibises favour shallow freshwater wetlands with soft substrates and abundant aquatic life. They also use brackish marshes, flooded grasslands, rice fields, and other irrigated agricultural areas. Along the Nile, suitable habitat includes sheltered marshes, muddy margins, drainage channels, and floodplain pools where these remain available. Deep open water and steep, bare banks offer fewer feeding opportunities. Dense reeds, shrubs, or trees near water provide nesting and roosting sites.

The diet consists mainly of aquatic invertebrates, including insects and their larvae, worms, molluscs, and crustaceans. Glossy Ibises also take small fish, frogs, and tadpoles when available. Their long bills allow them to probe soft mud and submerged vegetation for hidden prey. The balance of foods varies with local habitat, season, and water conditions.

Common name

Glossy Ibis

Scientific name

Plegadis falcinellus

Animal group

Birds

Size

48–66 cm long, with a wingspan of about 80–105 cm.

Weight

Approximately 485–970 g.

Lifespan

Can live more than 20 years in the wild, although many individuals live considerably shorter lives.

Status

Least Concern (IUCN).

Identification

Look for a medium-sized, dark ibis with long legs, a slender neck, and a long, downward-curving bill. Adults in breeding plumage have chestnut bodies with metallic green and purple gloss on the wings and back, though they can appear almost black at a distance. Nonbreeding adults and juveniles are duller, often showing pale streaking on the head and neck. Unlike the African Sacred Ibis, the Glossy Ibis lacks a white body and a bare black head.