LC
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
SACC. 2005 and updates. A classification of the bird species of South America. Available at: https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm.
Turbott, E.G. 1990. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand. Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2016 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 180,000,000 km2 medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 166,000,000 km2 medium
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size unknown poor estimated 2012
Population trend decreasing - suspected -
Generation length 6.7 years - - -

Population justification: The global population is estimated at 230,000-2,220,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 28,300-37,700 pairs, which equates to 56,500-75,400 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). The population is therefore placed in the band 200,000-2,300,000 individuals.

Trend justification: The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations have stable trends (Wetlands International 2015). This species has undergone a large and statistically significant increase over the last 40 years in North America (3,800% increase over 40 years, equating to a 150% increase per decade; data from Breeding Bird Survey and/or Christmas Bird Count: Butcher and Niven 2007) Note, however, that these surveys cover less than 50% of the species's range in North America. In Europe the population size is estimated to be increasing (BirdLife International 2015).


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Afghanistan extant native yes
Albania extant native yes yes
Algeria extant native
Angola extant native
Anguilla (to UK) extant native
Antigua and Barbuda extant native
Armenia extant native yes
Aruba (to Netherlands) extant native
Australia extant native yes
Austria extant vagrant
Azerbaijan extant native yes yes
Bahamas extant native
Bahrain extant native yes
Bangladesh extant native
Barbados extant native
Belarus extant vagrant
Belgium extant vagrant
Belize extant native yes
Benin extant native
Bermuda (to UK) extant native
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Botswana extant native
British Indian Ocean Territory extant vagrant
Brunei extant vagrant
Bulgaria extant native yes yes
Burkina Faso extant native
Burundi extant native
Cambodia extant native
Cameroon extant native
Canada extant native yes
Cape Verde extant vagrant
Cayman Islands (to UK) extant native
Central African Republic extant native
Chad extant native
China (mainland) extant native
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) extant vagrant
Colombia extant native
Congo, The Democratic Republic of the extant native
Costa Rica extant native
Côte d'Ivoire extant native
Croatia extant native yes
Cuba extant native
Cyprus extant native yes
Czechia extant native yes
Denmark extant vagrant
Djibouti extant native
Dominica extant native
Dominican Republic extant native
Ecuador extant native
Egypt extant native
Eritrea extant native
Estonia extant vagrant
Eswatini extant native
Ethiopia extant native
Faroe Islands (to Denmark) extant vagrant
Fiji extant vagrant yes
Finland extant vagrant
France extant native yes yes
Gabon extant native
Gambia extant native
Germany extant vagrant
Ghana extant native
Gibraltar (to UK) extant vagrant
Greece extant native yes yes
Guadeloupe (to France) extant native
Guinea-Bissau extant native
Haiti extant native
Honduras extant native
Hong Kong (China) extant vagrant
Hungary extant native yes
Iceland extant vagrant
India extant native
Indonesia extant native
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes yes
Iraq extant native yes
Ireland extant vagrant yes
Israel extant native yes yes
Italy extant native yes yes
Jamaica extant native yes
Jordan extant native yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Kenya extant native
Kuwait extant native yes
Kyrgyzstan extant vagrant
Latvia extant vagrant
Lebanon extant native yes yes
Lesotho extant vagrant
Liberia extant native
Libya extant native
Luxembourg extant native
Madagascar extant native
Malawi extant native
Malaysia extant native
Maldives extant vagrant
Mali extant native
Malta extant native
Martinique (to France) extant native
Mauritania extant native
Mexico extant native
Moldova extant native yes
Montenegro extant native yes
Montserrat (to UK) extant native
Morocco extant native
Mozambique extant native
Myanmar extant native
Namibia extant native
Nepal extant native
Netherlands extant vagrant
New Caledonia (to France) extant vagrant
New Zealand extant vagrant
Niger extant native
Nigeria extant native
North Macedonia extant native yes
Norway extant vagrant
Oman extant native yes yes
Pakistan extant native
Palestine extant native yes
Panama extant native
Papua New Guinea extant native
Philippines extant native
Poland extant vagrant
Portugal extant native
Puerto Rico (to USA) extant native
Qatar extant native yes yes
Romania extant native yes yes
Russia extant native yes yes
Russia (European) extant native yes yes
Rwanda extant native
Saudi Arabia extant native yes yes
Senegal extant native
Serbia extant native yes
Sierra Leone extant native
Singapore extant native
Slovakia extant native
Slovenia extant native
Solomon Islands extant vagrant
Somalia extant native
South Africa extant native
South Sudan extant native yes
Spain extant native yes
Sri Lanka extant native
St Kitts and Nevis extant native
St Lucia extant native
St Pierre and Miquelon (to France) extant vagrant yes
St Vincent and the Grenadines extant native
Sudan extant native
Sweden extant vagrant
Switzerland extant vagrant
Syria extant native yes
Tajikistan extant native
Tanzania extant native
Thailand extant native
Timor-Leste extant native yes
Togo extant vagrant
Trinidad and Tobago extant native
Tunisia extant native
Türkiye extant native yes yes
Turkmenistan extant native yes
Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) extant native
Uganda extant native
Ukraine extant native yes yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes yes
United Kingdom extant vagrant
USA extant native yes
Uzbekistan extant native yes
Venezuela extant native
Vietnam extant native
Virgin Islands (to UK) extant vagrant
Virgin Islands (to USA) extant vagrant
Yemen extant native yes yes
Zambia extant native yes
Zimbabwe extant native

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Australia Alligator Rivers Floodplains
Australia Arafura Swamp
Australia Cooper Floodplain Below Windorah
Australia Mandora Marsh and Anna Plains
Azerbaijan Aggyol
Azerbaijan Gizilagach
Azerbaijan Lake Mahmudchala
Azerbaijan Lake Sarysu
Bulgaria Atanasovsko Lake
Bulgaria Belene Islands Complex
Bulgaria Chengene Skele
Bulgaria Kalimok Complex
Bulgaria Mandra-Poda complex
Bulgaria Srebarna
Chad Lake Chad
Cuba Delta del Cauto
Cuba Humedal Sur de Pinar del Río
Cuba Humedal Sur de Sancti Spiritus
Cuba Las Picuas - Del Cristo Cay
Cyprus Akamas and Agia Aikaterini – Agia Paraskevi Gorges
Cyprus Akrotiri Peninsula - Episkopi Cliffs
Cyprus Famagusta Lakes
Ecuador Ciénaga de La Segua
Greece Acherontas gorge and estuary
Greece Amvrakikos gulf
Greece Divari Pylou (Gialova) lagoon and Sfaktiria island
Greece Evros delta
Greece Evrotas delta
Greece Geropotamos estuary, Crete
Greece Kalamas delta
Greece Kotychi lagoon
Greece Lake Ismarida (Mitrikou)
Greece Lake Kerkini
Greece Mesolongi and Aitoliko lagoons, Acheloos delta and Evinos estuary
Greece Porto Lagos, lake Vistonida and coastal lagoons
Greece Schinias marsh
Hungary Hortobágy and Tisza-to
India Kunthangulam Bird Sanctuary
India Narasambudhi Lake
India Navelim wetland
Iran, Islamic Republic of Arjan Protected Area
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Bakhtegan, Lake Tashk and Kamjan marshes
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Kobi
Iran, Islamic Republic of Lake Uromiyeh
Iraq Baquba wetlands
Israel Jezre'el, Harod and Bet She'an valleys
Israel Zevulun valley
Italy Cagliari wetlands
Italy Fucecchio marsh
Italy Punte Alberete and Valle della Canna, Pineta San Vitale and Pialassa della Baiona
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan portion of the river Volga's Delta - Zhambay
Madagascar Bemamba Wetland Complex
Malawi Lake Chilwa and flood-plain
Mali Koumbé Niasso
Mali Lac Débo - Lac Oualado Débo
Mauritania Diawling National Park
Mauritania Gâat Mahmoûdé
Mauritania Lac d'Aleg
Montenegro Bojana Delta
Montenegro Lower Moraca and Podgorica
Montenegro Skadar Lake
Montenegro Ulcinj saltpans
Niger Tillabéri roost
Nigeria Hadejia-Nguru wetlands
Panama Santa María Wetlands
Romania Balta Mică a Brăilei
Romania Balta Vederoasa
Romania Bistreţ
Romania Braţul Borcea
Romania Calafat - Ciuperceni - Dunăre
Romania Cârja - Maţa - Rădeanu - Roşcani
Romania Comana
Romania Confluenţa Jiu - Dunăre
Romania Danube Delta
Romania Dunăre - Ostroave
Romania Dunărea Veche (Braţul Măcin)
Romania Ianca - Plopul - Sărat
Romania Iezerul Călăraşi
Romania Ilfov reservoir
Romania Lake Beibugeac (Plopu)
Romania Lake Bugeac
Romania Lake Dunăreni
Romania Lake Oltina
Romania Lake Strachina
Romania Lake Tataru
Romania Ostrovu Lung - Gostinu
Russia (European) Dadynskiye lakes
Russia (European) Delta of the River Don
Russia (European) Kalausskiye floods
Russia (European) Kalininski Plavny
Russia (European) Kazachka
Russia (European) Kizlyar Bay
Russia (European) Lysyi Liman lake and valley of Vostochniy Manych river
Russia (European) Manychstroi area
Russia (European) Mouth of Yeya river
Russia (European) Prikumskiye steppes
Russia (European) Turali lakes
Russia (European) Varnavinsko-Kryukovskaya irrigation system
Russia (European) Veselovskoye reservoir
Russia (European) Western Ilmen area
Saudi Arabia Makkah waste-water stream
Saudi Arabia Malaki dam
Serbia Labudovo okno
Serbia Obedska bara
Serbia Srednje Potamišje
South Sudan Sudd (Bahr-el-Jebel system)
Spain Guadalquivir marshes
Tanzania Lake Rukwa
Türkiye Akşehir and Eber Lakes
Türkiye Ereğli Plain
Türkiye Göksu Delta
Türkiye Hotamış Marshes
Türkiye Kızılırmak Delta
Türkiye Meriç Delta
Türkiye Sultan Marsh
Uganda Doho Rice Scheme
Ukraine Dnipro delta
Ukraine Dnister delta
Ukraine Karkinits'ka and Dzharylgats'ka bays
Ukraine Kugurluj and Kartal lakes
Ukraine Kytaj lake
Ukraine Syvash Bay
Ukraine Tyligul's'kyj lyman
USA Barrier Island/Lagoon System
USA Hillsborough Bay
USA Raccoon Island
Uzbekistan Aksay Lake and surrounding desert
Uzbekistan Khorezm Fish Farm and adjacent lakes
Uzbekistan Mashankul and Khojakul lake complex
Uzbekistan Zholdyrbas Lake
Vietnam U Minh Thuong
Zambia Bangweulu Swamps
Zambia Kafue Flats

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Brackish/Saline Lagoons/Marine Lakes suitable non-breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable breeding
Marine Coastal/Supratidal Coastal Freshwater Lakes suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands major breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) suitable non-breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable breeding
Wetlands (inland) Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) suitable non-breeding
Altitude   Occasional altitudinal limits  

Threats & impact
Threat (level 1) Threat (level 2) Impact and Stresses
Climate change & severe weather Habitat shifting & alteration Timing Scope Severity Impact
Future Minority (<50%) Unknown Unknown
Stresses
Ecosystem degradation

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture international
Sport hunting/specimen collecting subsistence, national

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/glossy-ibis-plegadis-falcinellus on 26/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 26/12/2024.