The bare-faced ibis (''Phimosus infuscatus''), also known as the whispering ibis, is a species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae, in the monotypic genus ''Phimosus''.

Distribution

It is found in Argentina,

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, Brazil,

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

, Ecuador,

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

, Paraguay,

Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Description

The bare-faced ibis is either dark brown 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 with a pinkish to reddish brown colour. The skin on its face is usually a reddish color, and it also has long orange 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. Its diet 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 Venezuela 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

Bare-faced ibises 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 are rarely found alone, but most of the time their aggression is limited to food robbery from another ibis or animal. Regarding nesting behavior, it is less aggressive when compared to 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

Threskiornithidae Birds described in 1823 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Ciconiiformes-stub