Eliot Jenkins

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus · Waders & shorebirds

Glossy Ibis pair

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, 3 August 2025

Glossy Ibis pair

Two Glossy Ibis in close formation over Jamaica Bay in August, the long decurved bill unmistakable even in silhouette. They breed in the marsh colonies of the bay and feed in the shallows, and they are one of the most widely spread birds on earth, from here to Australia.

Glossy Ibis were rare this far north a century ago. They have since expanded steadily up the Atlantic coast and now breed at Jamaica Bay in some numbers. The same bird is the sacred ibis's plainer cousin.

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