Ibises and Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae)

Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) - HBW 1, p. 501

French: Ibis falcinelle German: Sichler Spanish: Morito Común

Taxonomy: Tantalus Falcinellus Linnaeus, 1766, Austria, Italia; Neusiedler See, Lower Austria.
Forms superspecies with P. chihi, which was formerly considered race of present species. Population of Philippines, Indonesia and Australia have been assigned separate race, peregrinus, but recent studies show that differences are not significant. Monotypic.

Distribution: Wide discontinuous breeding distribution from S Europe, Africa and Madagascar to C and S Asia, Philippines, Sulawesi and Java; S New Guinea and Australia. Also Atlantic coast of North America and West Indies; has bred in Venezuela. Occurs more widely as vagrant.