The Glossy Ibis/Glansibis (Plegadis farcinellus) is a striking wading bird, usually found at shallow water bodies. Its Latin name refers to its distinctive, down-curved, long bill and means “scythe” or “sickle.” It is a fairly small, slender ibis with a long neck and legs, the smallest of the ibises in this region. The colour of its feathers is a rich chestnut on the neck and shoulders and the rest has a purple and green metallic sheen.
The bill and legs are dark brown (see photograph). The male and female birds look alike.The glossy ibis is the most widespread ibis in the world, occurring in Europe, America, Africa, Asia and Australia. In South Africa, glossy ibises are mainly distributed in the Highveld of North West, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and the Free State. In the Vredefort Dome area, they are likely to be found in shallow freshwater areas like dams, seasonal pans, sewage works and flooded grasslands.
When breeding, they favour swamps with tall reeds. In winter they tend to move away from the Highveld to the warmer northern areas.When not breeding, glossy ibises are very nomadic, depending on weather conditions, rainfall and food supply.
They undertake dispersal movements and can be seen in flocks of over a hundred. They roost communally in large flocks with other species in trees which can be quite a distance from their wetland feeding areas. At roosting and breeding sites, they can be very noisy, uttering grunting and croaking sounds. When they fly, their necks are outstretched, unlike the way herons fly.
