Glossy Ibis

Glossy ibis is a dark, long-legged wader whose plumage shines chestnut, green and purple in good light. The long downcurved bill and iridescent dark body separate it from white royal spoonbill and straight-billed herons.

A small colonising population and irregular visitors occur at wetlands across New Zealand, with records concentrated in northern and eastern lowlands. It probes mud and shallow water for insects, worms, crustaceans and small aquatic animals, often feeding with other waders.

Glossy ibis is a Coloniser under the NZ Threat Classification. Drainage and disturbance of shallow wetlands limit establishment. Major estuaries and flooded paddocks should be checked where recent birds have settled; locations change frequently.