Bare-faced ibis
| Bare-faced ibis | |
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| Pantanal, Brazil | |
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| Genus: | Phimosus Wagler, 1832
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| Species: | P. infuscatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Phimosus infuscatus (Lichtenstein, 1823)
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The bare-faced ibis (Phimosus infuscatus), also known as the whispering ibis, is a species of bird in the Threskiornithidae family, in the monotypic genus Phimosus.[2]
It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Its natural habitat is swamps.[1]
Description
The Bare-faced ibis is either dark drown or a blackish color. It is called the bare-faced ibis because it does not have any feathers on its face. It has a long Decurved bill that's pinkish to reddish brown. The skin on its face is usually a redish color and it also has long orangely colored beak with pink legs. The total length of the ibis ranges between 45 and 50 cm.
Food
The Bare-faced ibis forages in most soil and along the edges of standing water. The diet of the Bare-faced ibis consists of insects, worms, clams, and other small invertebrates.
Habitat
The Bare-faced ibis occurs in open areas such as wet meadows, savannas, marshes, and rice fields. The ibis is usually near sea level but was recorded in Valenzuela and Colombia. When an ibis is about to lay its eggs it builds a nest out of sticks and twigs to put them in and it will lay between 2 and 5 eggs and will then sit on them for protection purposes for up to three weeks.
Behavior
The Bare-Faced ibis are usually seen in large flocks of their own species or with other species of ibis, sometimes even found with domestic animals. They live in close range neighboring amongst other flocks of ibis, typically known for the closest living habitats that range from being 100 meters away from the nearest neighbor. They are not very territorial towards other ibis birds, and rarely found alone, but most of the time the aggression is shown from food robbery from another ibis or animal. Regarding sexual behavior, the Bare-Faced ibis is less aggressive amongst other species of ibis. The males have a larger bill than the females relative to their body sizes, and sexual selection is not as intense as it is in other species. They share nests with other species as well.
Reproduction
They usually breed in small colonies amongst their own species and the breeding usually ranges from August to December. Their nest are found in trees or shrubs, and they build platforms. They lay anywhere from 1-8 eggs, the eggs are lightly colored between green and blue and the incubation is 21-23 days and both the male and female perform it.
References
- ^ a b Template:IUCN
- ^ "ITIS Report: Phimosus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 28 June 2012.
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