subject: Costa Rica Bird Watching: Green Ibis [print this page] Costa Rica Bird Watching: Green Ibis Costa Rica Bird Watching: Green Ibis
22" (56cm); 650g. heavy bodied , very broad winged , rather long tailed, bill relatively small and slender, decurved. Adults: above glossy , iridescentgreenish black ; below sooty black with slight greenish gloss , small shaggy occipital crest; feathers of neck lanceolate; facial skin dark gray, more greenish above eye, pinkish on chin, and dull bluish gray on throat. Bill pale green with horn color along culmen, yellowish tip; legs dull pale green. Immature: much duller overall, head and neck sootywith little gloss. Glossy Ibis slimmer with longer bill and legs , more pointed wings.
Habits
Frequents forested swamps, streams, pools, even muddy trails inside forest, forage by walking about with nodding head, probing deeply into mud; may also visit open marshes beside forest; flies heavily, often above canopy, with body and neck angled upward, break down; glides less than other ibises; usually in pairs or small groups.
Status
Resident locally throughout Caribbean lowlands, most common in Rio Frio area and coastal swamps N and S of Limon.
Range
E Honduras to E Peru and N Argentina.
Next bird: Sunbittern
Description: 19"( 48cm) ; 255g. long bill rather heavy body held horizontally. Head black with white superciliaries and malar stripes; throat white; neck and breast brown, vermiculated with black; belly white, upperparts barred with olive brown and blackish; upper surface of wing with striking "sun" pattern in chestnut, yellowish buff , black, white, olive, and gray(revealed when wings spread); tail marbled with gray and white, with 2 broad bands of chestnut and black. Iris red; eyelids yellow; bill orange with black culmen; legs orange.
