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Plegadis falcinellus
This beautiful wader is often seen as just a dull brown ibis. But when the sun hits its plumage just right you get to see the true colors. Almost metallic looking the chocolate brown head and neck leads down to a mix of greyish green, and pinkish purple. They also have a distinct powder blue strip above the eyes across the forehead. I often see them around the company of its cousin the White Ibis, and have noted that when approached the white ibis will stand its ground a lot longer than this bird which seems much more skittish. The adult is pictured here, juveniles tend to be white with brown patches, especially around head and neck. The long down turned beak is perfect for searching amongst the reeds and mud near shore in the wetlands for its favorite food Apple Snails. They also have a beauty to them in flight, and can be seen flying solo, small groups or when migrating they can be seen in long large groups of more than 100 birds.
These lovely birds are usually found at wetlands most often at the edge of the water searching for food.
Spotted on Jun 15, 2015
Submitted on Jun 17, 2015
2 Comments
Thanks Ashley and good luck to all those nominated. I am sure the winner will as always be a fascinating and deserving spotting!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!