Green Ibis

Overview

The green ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis), also known as the Cayenne ibis, is a medium-sized wading bird and the sole member of the genus Mesembrinibis. It belongs to the ibis family Threskiornithidae and is classified as a species of least concern by the IUCN, although its population numbers appear to be decreasing.

Identification

• Medium-sized bird measuring 45–60 cm in length with short legs and a long, slender, decurved bill.
• Breeding adults display glossy greenish-black plumage with pale green legs and bill, along with grey bare facial skin patches.
• Flight is heavy with fewer glides and jerkier wingbeats than relatives, and the bird flies with its neck outstretched.
• Produces a hollow, hooting, accelerating call transcribed as 'kro kro' or 'koro koro', described as mellow and often heard at dawn and dusk.

Habitat

Found from Costa Rica south to northern Argentina and Paraguay, with sightings as far north as Honduras. It inhabits a variety of forested wetland habitats, particularly swamps and the edges of rivers and lakes, at altitudes up to 500 m.

Diet

Feeds on fish, frogs, other water creatures, and insects. It is less gregarious than relatives, usually foraging alone or in pairs, though it may occasionally remain on the fringes of mixed-species flocks.

Did you know?

The green ibis is the type host of the bird louse Plegadiphalus cayennensis. It has also been recorded harassing sunbitterns nesting in the same tree.