Glossy Ibis

LC - Least Concern

N4B, N4N - Apparently Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding

not listed

Glossy Ibis is a dark, medium-sized, long-legged, heron-like, wading bird. It nests in warm areas of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. In the United States it nests along the east coast from Maine south to Florida, and west along the Gulf Coast to eastern Louisiana. It is migratory and disperses widely after nesting. While its numbers are decreasing worldwide, its numbers and range are expanding in North America. It is a rare visitor to Minnesota during migration in the spring. It is found in shallow freshwater or saltwater wetlands with tall emergent vegetation, including marshy edges of lakes and rivers, swamps, wet meadows, sewage ponds, irrigated agricultural fields, and ditches.

Adults are 19″ to 26″ (48 to 66 cm) in length and have a 31″ to 41″ (81 to 105 cm) wingspan. They are slightly smaller and thinner than White-faced Ibis. Adults and juveniles are entirely dark. The head, neck, and body are rich chestnut brown or maroon. The eyes are dark and there is a bare patch of skin in front of each eye. The bare skin is dark. There is a white feathered border around the face that extends under the chin and above and below each eye but does not wrap around behind the eye. The bill is brownish, long, slender, and curved downward. The wings are dark with metallic bluish-green tones. The legs are dull reddish-brown. Juveniles are similar but lack the bare skin patch in front of the eye and the white border around the face.

Total Length: 19″ to 26″ (48 to 66 mm)

Wingspan: 31″ to 41″ (81 to 105 mm)

Marshes, swamps, wet meadows, sewage ponds, irrigated agricultural fields, and ditches.

It nests in trees, often with other wading birds, and often far from foraging sites.

Insects, snails, mussels, crabs, crayfish, and occasionally fish, amphibians, lizards, snakes, and nesting birds.

Rare but increasing visitor in the spring

The Minnesota Ornithologists’ Union All Seasons Species Occurrence Map

I found this one about a mile East of Hokah, MN about 5 pm today! Not what I expected to see!

Location: East of Hokah, MN

I found this one about a mile East of Hokah, MN about 5 pm today! Not what I expected to see!