creatures of buckley's hole - the glossy ibis

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Glossy Ibis @ Buckley's Hole - (Buckley's Hole Conservation Park is situated in the south-west corner of Bribie Island, the northern-most sand island in Moreton Bay, some 50 kilometres north of Brisbane. The park covers an area of 87.7 hectares and contains a freshwater lagoon, woodland, open forest and beach. It is this diversity of habitat that has led to such a large number of bird species being recorded in this small area, the present total standing at 270.)
Scientific Name: Plegadis falcinellus
Description: The Glossy Ibis is a small dark ibis that looks black in the distance. At close quarters the neck is reddish-brown and the body is a bronze-brown with a metallic iridescent sheen on the wings. The distinctive long, curved bill is olive-brown, the facial skin is blue-grey with a bordering white line that extends around the eyes. The eyes, legs and feet are brown.
Similar species: There are no similar species to the Glossy Ibis. Both the Straw-necked Ibis, Threskiornis spinicollis, and the Australian White Ibis, T. molucca, are larger and have variable areas of white on their body and wings.
Distribution: The Glossy Ibis frequents swamps and lakes throughout much of the Australian mainland, but is most numerous in the north. It is a non-breeding visitor to Tasmania and the south-west of Western Australia
Habitat: The Glossy Ibis requires shallow water and mudflats, so is found in well-vegetated wetlands, floodplains, mangroves and ricefields
Seasonal movements: The Glossy Ibis is both migratory and nomadic. Its range expands inland after good rains, but its main breeding areas seem to be in the Murray-Darling Basin of New South Wales and Victoria, the Macquarie Marshes in New South Wales, and in southern Queensland. Glossy Ibis often move north in autumn, then return south to their main breeding areas in spring and summer.
Feeding: Glossy Ibis feed on frogs, snails, aquatic insects and spiders in damp places. They feed by probing the water and mud with their long, curved bill.
Breeding: The Glossy Ibis builds a platform nest of sticks, usually with a lining of aquatic plants, between the upright branches of trees or shrubs growing in water. Glossy Ibis breed together with other ibises and other water birds in small colonies.
Calls: During flight, utters a 'thu-thu-thu-u' call.
Minimum Size: 48cm
Maximum Size: 61cm
Average size: 55cm
Average weight: 500g
Breeding season: September to April
Clutch Size: 3 to 6
Nestling Period: 25 days
(Sources: www.birdsinbackyards.net and "The Slater Field Guide to Australian Birds - Second Edition")

Taken in: Australia / Queensland / Bongaree (show map)

Taken on: November 9, 2013

Tags:

Ibis

glossy ibis

water bird

bird

Australian fauna

fauna

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Sets appears in: • Birds • Bribie Island more » • Buckley's Hole • Water Birds « less

Groups appears in: • Featherweights ~ Post 1 - Award 2 - PLEASE COMMENT • AWESOME BIRDS ! (Award 2 Please)

Camera: Nikon D800, f/8.0, 1/1000 sec, 550mm (=825mm), ISO 2500 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D800
Lens:	80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1000)
Focal Length:	550mm (35mm equivalent: 825mm)
ISO:	2500
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Center-weighted average
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	High gain up
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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