Glossy Ibis

Glossy Ibis

Plegadis falcinellus

Silhouette: Mathieu Pélissié · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Kota

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%

14 Verified sightings at Kota
22,598 In all 69 parks From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Glossy Ibis

The glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.

The historical name black curlew was used for the glossy ibis in Norfolk at least until the early 19th century, and this name also appears in Anglo-Saxon literature. Yalden and Albarella do not mention this species as occurring in medieval England.

This is the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean regions of the Americas. It is thought to have originated in the Old World and spread naturally from Africa to northern South America in the 19th century, from where it spread to North America. The glossy ibis was first documented in the New World in 1817 (New Jersey). Audubon saw the species just once in Florida in 1832. It expanded its range substantially northwards in the 1940s and to the west in the 1980s. This species is migratory; most European birds winter in Africa, and in North America... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:19

Spain · 2026

© Michael John O Mahony · XC1092345 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:06

Spain · 2025

© Esperanza Poveda · XC1068170 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Begging call0:11

Spain · 2018

© Stanislas Wroza · XC417660 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~70%
2 Keoladeo National Park 🇮🇳 India
~60%
3 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~60%
4 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~60%
5 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~50%
6 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~50%
7 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
~50%
8 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~40%
9 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~40%
10 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
~30%
11 Kakadu National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
~30%
12 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~30%
13 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~30%
14 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~20%
15 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
16 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
17 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
18 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
19 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
20 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~20%
21 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
22 De Hoop Nature Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
23 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
24 Arusha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
25 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
26 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
27 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~10%
28 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
29 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
30 uMkhuze Game Reserve 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
31 Lake Manyara National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
32 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
~10%
33 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~10%
34 Gir National Park 🇮🇳 India
~10%
35 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
36 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
37 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
38 West Coast National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
39 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
40 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
41 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
42 Ankarafantsika National Park 🇲🇬 Madagascar
<5%
43 Caroni Swamp 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
<5%
44 Ranthambore National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
45 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
46 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
47 Nagarhole National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
48 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
49 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
<5%
50 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
51 Bandipur National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
52 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
<5%
53 Sundarbans National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
54 Yala National Park 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
<5%
55 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
56 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
57 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
58 Etosha National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
59 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
60 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
61 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
62 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
63 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
<5%
64 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
<5%
65 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
<5%
66 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
67 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
68 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
69 Blue Mountains National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Luxor 🇪🇬 Egypt
~60%
2 Cairo 🇪🇬 Egypt
~50%
3 Madurai 🇮🇳 India
~50%
4 Rabat 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
5 Vasai-Virar 🇮🇳 India
~40%
6 Coimbatore 🇮🇳 India
~40%
7 Kalyan-Dombivli 🇮🇳 India
~30%
8 Vijayawada 🇮🇳 India
~30%
9 Chennai 🇮🇳 India
~20%
10 Bengaluru 🇮🇳 India
~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Pairi Daiza 🇧🇪 Belgium In captivity
2 SeaWorld Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates In captivity
3 Leipzig Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
4 Barcelona Zoo 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
5 Australia Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
6 Paris Zoological Park 🇫🇷 France In captivity
7 Parc des oiseaux 🇫🇷 France In captivity
8 Aquarium du palais de la Porte Dorée 🇫🇷 France In captivity
9 Parc animalier de Sainte-Croix 🇫🇷 France In captivity
10 Chester Zoo 🇬🇧 United Kingdom In captivity
11 Eekholt Wildlife Park 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
12 Hellabrunn Zoo 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
13 Kyiv Zoo 🇺🇦 Ukraine In captivity
14 Healesville Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
15 Zoologischer Garten Leipzig 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
16 Taronga Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
17 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
18 Melbourne Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
19 La Palmyre Zoo 🇫🇷 France In captivity
20 Perth Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
21 Cologne Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
22 Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens 🇻🇳 Vietnam In captivity
23 Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden 🇭🇺 Hungary In captivity
24 Łódź Zoo 🇵🇱 Poland In captivity
25 Phillip Island Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
26 Bird Paradise 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
27 Aquarama Barcelona 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
28 Rainforest Wild Asia 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
29 Vogelpark Avifauna 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
30 Van Blanckendaell Park 🇳🇱 Netherlands In captivity
31 Adelaide Zoo 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
32 Oasi Naturalistica di Sant'Alessio 🇮🇹 Italy In captivity
33 L'Oceanogràfic 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
34 Australian Reptile Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
35 Gorge Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
36 World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
37 Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
38 Central Park Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
39 Ipswich Nature Centre 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
40 Pangea Park 🇩🇰 Denmark In captivity
41 משק ילדים 🇮🇱 Israel In captivity
42 Birdworld Kuranda 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
43 Kuranda Koala Gardens 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
44 Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
45 Caversham Wildlife Park 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
46 Cologne Zoo Aquarium 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
47 Les Oiseaux du Marais Poitevin 🇫🇷 France In captivity
48 Tierpark Schlichtweg 15 in München 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
49 Wildlife Habitat Port Douglas 🇦🇺 Australia In captivity
50 Zoo Schlichtweg 11 in München 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Glossy Ibis in Kota?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Glossy Ibis sighting in Kota on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 82nd most-seen of the 123 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Glossy Ibis in Kota?

January–March, May and October

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Glossy Ibis in Kota on a given day, against under 5% in April, June–September and November–December, the lowest months. Those are among Kota's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 260 mm in August.

What time of day is best to see a Glossy Ibis?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Glossy Ibis sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Kota the best place to see a Glossy Ibis?

38th of 88

Of the 88 cities where we can rate Glossy Ibis sightings, Kota ranks 38th at about 10%. The best odds are in Luxor (Egypt, about 60%), Cairo (Egypt, about 50%) and Madurai (India, about 50%).

Which relatives of the Glossy Ibis live in Kota?

Same family: Threskiornithidae

The closest relatives of the Glossy Ibis that you can see in Kota (family Threskiornithidae, Ibises and Spoonbills) are Black-headed Ibis (about 40%) and Red-naped Ibis (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Glossy Ibis sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Glossy Ibis is recorded against all the birds logged in Kota (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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