The glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) is a large wading bird with a very long bill that hangs out in marshes along the Atlantic coast (as well as in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia). Glossy ibises eat aquatic invertebrates like bugs, crustaceans, worms, and they nest on the ground.
Glossy ibis, Lido Beach Passive Nature Area, Long Island, June 5, 2023
A glossy ibis at the snag pond, June 9, 2019, North Mount Loretto State Forest, Staten Island.
While I was able to see many glossy ibises during the summer of 2023, I was able to photograph them only on June 5 at the Lido Beach Passive Nature Area. Such a thrill!
A Vernal Pond at Mount Loretto
There is a vernal pond at Mount Loretto Unique Area on Staten Island that attracts glossy ibises in the spring. I have seen them there in both 2018 and 2019.
Glossy ibis, Mount Loretto Unique Area, May 22, 2019
Glossy ibises, Mount Loretto Unique Area, Staten Island, June 19, 2018
Glossy ibis, Mount Loretto Unique Area, June 19, 2018
Glossy Ibises in New York City
The Filming the Feathers video shows glossy ibises seen June 2, 5, 19 and 20, 2018, at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Broad Channel American Park in Queens, and at Mount Loretto Unique Area on Staten Island. The video is set to music by Charles Gounod (Petite Symphonie and Funeral March of a Marionette) and Georges Bizet (Carmen Suite No. 2), obtained from MusOpen.org, a royalty-free music source.
Glossy ibises, Mount Loretto Unique Area, June 19, 2018
Glossy ibises, Mount Loretto Unique Area, June 19, 2018
The first photo below was taken at Broad Channel American Park in Queens on June 2, 2018. The second and third photos were taken at Mount Loretto on Staten Island on June 5, and the remaining photos taken at Mount Loretto on June 19, 2018.
Glossy ibis, Mount Loretto, June 19, 2018