The glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a wading bird belonging to the ibis family Threskiornithidae. This ibis species is a migratory bird. The glossy ibis is widely distributed and is found in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and Americas.
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these species of birds and has listed them as of "least concern".
These ibis species are medium sized birds, measuring 45 to 65 cm in length and weighing 350 to 900 grams. Their wingspan is 80 to 90 cm. They have reddish-brown bodies and shiny bottle-green wings.
Their leg color varies from very dark brown to olive-grey. They have a long curved bill and the bill color is brownish grey.
These birds inhabit shallow lakes, swamps, lagoons, ponds, rivers, floodplains, wet meadows and rice fields. They feed on fish, amphibians, lizards, small snakes, insects, molluscs and crustaceans. They breed during April to June and nest on trees.
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| Indian birds - Glossy ibis - Plegadis falcinellus |
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| Derek Keats | License: CC BY 2.0 as on 8/24/18 |
| Biological classification of Plegadis falcinellus | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Threskiornithidae |
| Subfamily: | - |
| Genus: | Plegadis |
| Species: | P. falcinellus |
| Binomial name: | Plegadis falcinellus |
| Distribution: | Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Americas, Indian Subcontinent, |
| Feeding habits: | fish, amphibians, lizards, invertebrates; |
| IUCN status listing: |  Least Concern |
Image source: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glossy_Ibis_RWD.jpg
Author: DickDaniels (http://carolinabirds.org/) | License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Current topic in Birds of India: Glossy ibis - Plegadis falcinellus.