Glossy ibises wade through marshes and other types of wetlands in search of prey. (0ystercatcher/Flickr)
The glossy ibis is a heron-like wading bird with dark, glossy green and purple plumage. It visits the Chesapeake Bay’s wetlands from spring through autumn.
Appearance:
From early spring to mid-summer, adults are in their breeding plumage: a chestnut head, neck, upper back and underparts, and metallic green and purple wings and tail. Breeding adults also have pale blue skin along the edges of the base of the bill.
Adults in their nonbreeding plumage are duller in color, with white streaks on the head and neck
Long, slender, dark gray bill that curves downward at the tip
Long, dark grayish-green legs
Grows to 25 inches with a wingspan of 36 inches
Habitat:
Lives in wetlands, including marshes, swamps, wet meadows and flooded fields
Range:
Visits the Chesapeake Bay from spring through autumn
Feeding:
Eats mostly insects, but will also feed on small fish and aquatic invertebrates such as mollusks and fiddler crabs
Uses its long bill to probe through mud and shallow water to find prey
Flight:
Flies with its neck outstretched. This is different than herons and egrets, which have a crook in their neck when they fly
Often flies in groups that synchronize their gliding and wingbeats
Voice:
Makes a low kruk or ka-honk
Glossy Ibis courtesy of Pamela C. Rasmussen, Avian Vocalizations Center
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Nests in breeding colonies on islands, including Smith Island in Tangier Sound
Builds nests of sticks and twigs in bushes and low trees, usually over the water
Sometimes nests in mixed colonies with herons
Females lay 3-4 eggs, which both the male and female incubate until they hatch approximately three weeks later
Chicks fledge about 25-28 days later, although they aren’t independent from their parents for another 3-4 weeks
Other Facts:
Scientific name means “scythe” or “sickle,” referring to the bird’s distinctive large, downcurved bill
The glossy ibis is the most widespread ibis species in the world
