The Glossy Ibis is a distinctive wading bird unlike anything else that regularly reaches Michigan — a medium-sized, dark bird with a long, sickle-shaped downcurved bill, which at a distance looks uniformly blackish but up close glows with rich chestnut and iridescent green and purple sheens, especially in breeding plumage. It probes the mud and shallow water of marshes and flooded fields with that curved bill, often feeding in the company of herons and egrets, and flies with its neck and legs outstretched.
Primarily a coastal and southern species, the Glossy Ibis occurs in Michigan as a rare visitor, appearing most often in spring, when wandering birds turn up on marshes and flooded fields, occasionally in small groups. Its dark plumage and long decurved bill make it unmistakable among the state's wading birds. The very similar White-faced Ibis, a western counterpart, is an even rarer stray, so any dark ibis in Michigan is worth careful study and is always a memorable sighting.
Probes soft mud and shallow water with its long, downcurved bill for aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, worms, and other invertebrates, and takes small aquatic animals. It forages by walking through marshes and flooded fields, often alongside herons and egrets.
Look for a medium-sized, dark wading bird with a long, sickle-shaped downcurved bill. It appears blackish at a distance but shows rich chestnut and iridescent green-purple tones up close, and it flies with neck and legs extended.
The two are very similar dark ibises. The White-faced Ibis, a western species, shows a red face and eye and a white feather border around the bare facial skin in breeding plumage, while the Glossy has a bluish facial line and dark eye. Any dark ibis in Michigan warrants careful study.
As a rare visitor, mostly in spring, when wandering birds appear on marshes and flooded fields, occasionally in small groups. It is primarily a coastal and southern species.
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