Plegadis falcinellus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	AVES	CICONIIFORMES	THRESKIORNITHIDAE

Scientific Name:

Plegadis falcinellus

Species Authority:

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Common Name/s:

English	–	Glossy Ibis
French	–	Ibis falcinelle

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2009

Assessor/s:

BirdLife International

Reviewer/s:

Bird, J., Butchart, S.

Justification:
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

History:

2008	–	Least Concern
2004	–	Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Armenia; Aruba; Australia; Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belize; Benin; Bermuda; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Cayman Islands; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Colombia; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Greece; Guadeloupe; Guinea-Bissau; Haiti; Honduras; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Lebanon; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Malta; Martinique; Mauritania; Mexico; Moldova; Montenegro; Montserrat; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands Antilles; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Turks and Caicos Islands; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United States; Uzbekistan; Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe Vagrant: Austria; Belarus; Belgium; British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei Darussalam; Cape Verde; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Denmark; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Fiji; Finland; Germany; Gibraltar; Hong Kong; Iceland; Ireland; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lesotho; Maldives; Netherlands; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Solomon Islands; Sweden; Switzerland; Togo; United Kingdom; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Countries:

Native:

Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Angola; Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Armenia; Aruba; Australia; Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Bahrain; Bangladesh; Barbados; Belize; Benin; Bermuda; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Cambodia; Cameroon; Canada; Cayman Islands; Central African Republic; Chad; China; Colombia; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Croatia; Cuba; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Eritrea; Ethiopia; France; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Greece; Guadeloupe; Guinea-Bissau; Haiti; Honduras; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Iraq; Israel; Italy; Jamaica; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kuwait; Lebanon; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Luxembourg; Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of; Madagascar; Malawi; Malaysia; Mali; Malta; Martinique; Mauritania; Mexico; Moldova; Montenegro; Montserrat; Morocco; Mozambique; Myanmar; Namibia; Nepal; Netherlands Antilles; Niger; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Portugal; Puerto Rico; Qatar; Romania; Russian Federation; Rwanda; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Serbia; Sierra Leone; Singapore; Slovakia; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Swaziland; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Trinidad and Tobago; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Turks and Caicos Islands; Uganda; Ukraine; United Arab Emirates; United States; Uzbekistan; Venezuela; Viet Nam; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe

Vagrant:

Austria; Belarus; Belgium; British Indian Ocean Territory; Brunei Darussalam; Cape Verde; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Denmark; Estonia; Faroe Islands; Fiji; Finland; Germany; Gibraltar; Hong Kong; Iceland; Ireland; Kyrgyzstan; Latvia; Lesotho; Maldives; Netherlands; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; Solomon Islands; Sweden; Switzerland; Togo; United Kingdom; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.

Range Map:

Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Behaviour All populations of this species undergo post-breeding dispersal movements¹ and are considerably nomadic⁴. In addition northern breeding populations are fully migratory¹ and may travel on a broad front (e.g. across the Sahara)³. Northern and southern breeding populations breed during the local spring, whilst breeding elsewhere coincides with the rains¹. The species nests in mixed-species colonies, either in small groups (e.g. 5-100 pairs in Africa)³ or in large aggregations of thousands of pairs^1. Outside of the breeding season flocks of over 100 individuals may occur on migration (Africa)³, and during the winter or dry seasons the species usually forages in small flocks^{1, 2} of up to 30 indivduals³. It often roosts communally at night in large groups (sometimes thousands of individuals) with other species, occasionally in trees far from wetland feeding sites³. Habitat The species feeds in very shallow water² and nests in freshwater or brackish wetlands with tall dense stands of emergent vegetation (e.g. reeds or rushes) and low trees or bushes^{1, 5}. It shows a preference for marshes at the edges of lakes and rivers², as well as lagoons, flood-plains, wet meadows^{1, 5}, swamps¹, reservoirs², sewage ponds, rice-fields and irrigated cultivation^{1, 5}. It less often occurs in coastal locations such as estuaries, deltas, saltmarshes² and coastal lagoons¹. Roosting sites are often large trees that may be far from water^{1, 3}. Diet The diet of the species varies seasonally depending on what is available². It takes adult and larval insects (e.g. aquatic beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, crickets, flies and caddisflies), worms, leeches, molluscs (e.g. snails and mussels), crustaceans (e.g. crabs and crayfish) and occasionally fish, frogs, tadpoles, lizards, small snakes and nestling birds¹. Breeding site The nest is a platform of twigs and vegetation usually positioned less than 1 m above water (occasionally up to 7 m) in tall dense stands of emergent vegetation (e.g. reeds or rushes), low trees or bushes over water¹.
Systems:	Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Behaviour All populations of this species undergo post-breeding dispersal movements¹ and are considerably nomadic⁴. In addition northern breeding populations are fully migratory¹ and may travel on a broad front (e.g. across the Sahara)³. Northern and southern breeding populations breed during the local spring, whilst breeding elsewhere coincides with the rains¹. The species nests in mixed-species colonies, either in small groups (e.g. 5-100 pairs in Africa)³ or in large aggregations of thousands of pairs^1. Outside of the breeding season flocks of over 100 individuals may occur on migration (Africa)³, and during the winter or dry seasons the species usually forages in small flocks^{1, 2} of up to 30 indivduals³. It often roosts communally at night in large groups (sometimes thousands of individuals) with other species, occasionally in trees far from wetland feeding sites³. Habitat The species feeds in very shallow water² and nests in freshwater or brackish wetlands with tall dense stands of emergent vegetation (e.g. reeds or rushes) and low trees or bushes^{1, 5}. It shows a preference for marshes at the edges of lakes and rivers², as well as lagoons, flood-plains, wet meadows^{1, 5}, swamps¹, reservoirs², sewage ponds, rice-fields and irrigated cultivation^{1, 5}. It less often occurs in coastal locations such as estuaries, deltas, saltmarshes² and coastal lagoons¹. Roosting sites are often large trees that may be far from water^{1, 3}. Diet The diet of the species varies seasonally depending on what is available². It takes adult and larval insects (e.g. aquatic beetles, dragonflies, grasshoppers, crickets, flies and caddisflies), worms, leeches, molluscs (e.g. snails and mussels), crustaceans (e.g. crabs and crayfish) and occasionally fish, frogs, tadpoles, lizards, small snakes and nestling birds¹. Breeding site The nest is a platform of twigs and vegetation usually positioned less than 1 m above water (occasionally up to 7 m) in tall dense stands of emergent vegetation (e.g. reeds or rushes), low trees or bushes over water¹.

Systems:

Terrestrial; Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	The species is threatened by wetland habitat degradation and loss^{1, 4} through drainage^{2, 5} for irrigation and hydroelectric power production⁷, clearing, grazing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants⁵. It is also threatened locally by hunting^{1, 4}, disturbance and pesticides¹, and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus⁶.

Major Threat(s):

The species is threatened by wetland habitat degradation and loss^{1, 4} through drainage^{2, 5} for irrigation and hydroelectric power production⁷, clearing, grazing, burning, increased salinity, groundwater extraction and invasion by exotic plants⁵. It is also threatened locally by hunting^{1, 4}, disturbance and pesticides¹, and is susceptible to avian influenza so may be threatened by future outbreaks of the virus⁶.

Citation:	BirdLife International 2009. Plegadis falcinellus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 February 2012.
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