Ocean County Parks & Recreation issued the following announcement.
Glossy Ibis at Cloverdale Farm County Park.
Photo by Frank Grasso
The Glossy ibis was first found in the New World in 1817 in New Jersey!
The scientific name of the Glossy ibis comes from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to its distinctive shape of the bill.
Fun Facts
• The scientific name of the Glossy ibis comes from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to its distinctive shape of the bill.
• The Glossy ibis 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 found in the New World in 1817 (New Jersey).
• In ancient Egypt, the sacred ibis symbolized Thoth, the god of wisdom and learning.
• The Glossy ibis has touch sensors on its bill which allow the bird to rapidly snap the bill closed when it encounters prey.
The Glossy ibis is a medium-sized wading bird. They have long, slender, down-curved bill and magnificent plumage with shiny feathers. Breeding adults have reddish-brown bodies and shiny bottle-green wings. Non-breeders and juveniles have duller bodies.
Glossy ibises are monogamous and form pairs. Both the male and the female construct the nest which is located in dense stands of emergent vegetation, low trees or bushes. The nest is usually a platform of twigs and vegetation positioned at least 1 m (3.3 ft) above water, sometimes up to 7 m (23 ft) in tall. The female lays 3 to 4 eggs (occasionally 5) which are incubated by both parents for 20-23 days. The chicks are able to leave the nest after about 7 days. They fledge about 28 days after hatching but the parents continue to feed them for another 6 or 7 weeks until they become fully independent.
Glossy ibises are carnivores (insectivores, piscivores). They feed on insects such as aquatic beetles, dragonflies, damselflies, grasshoppers, crickets, flies and caddisflies. Their diet also includes leeches, mollusks, crustaceans and occasionally fish, amphibians, lizards, small snakes, and nestling birds.
Original source can be found here.
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