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Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus

Audubon Illustration

Audubon illustration of Glossy Ibis

John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.

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Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species

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About the Glossy Ibis

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. The historical name black curlew was used for the glossy ibis in Norfolk at least until the early 19th century, and this name also appears in Anglo-Saxon literature. Yalden and Albarella do not mention this species as occurring in medieval England.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name
Plegadis falcinellus
Family
Ibises and Spoonbills
Order
Pelecaniformes

Similar species

Other members of the ibises and spoonbills family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

  • African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
  • Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
  • Roseate Spoonbill Platalea ajaja
  • Scarlet Ibis Eudocimus ruber
  • White Ibis Eudocimus albus
  • White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi

Know when the Glossy Ibis turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

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Gear for spotting Glossy Ibis

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