On Wednesday, April 28, 2021 I noticed on the Chat Line that David Lilly published a sighting of 25 Glossy Ibises just west of where Rt. 2 crosses Rt 105 in Sheffield. At first I thought it was a typographical error. Who could imaging 25 Glossy Ibises? I have never seen anywhere near that many together in the southeastern US where they are common. I quickly saw that someone questioned the number and it was confirmed at 25. At the time I was occupied at home but with that rare sighting I dropped everything, quickly loaded my car with gear and headed out. On arrival I found them exactly where described.
At a distance Glossy Ibises look black. They are large waders and easy to spot. There was the large flock in a pond near the road and easy to spot. Some were preening, some were sleeping, some were feeding. It was difficult to count them. I got 22 on one count and 24 on another. I had a very short time to watch them and try to get some photos. Soon a female Northern Harrier flew over them and put them all up. They circled in a tight formation around the pond twice while croaking to one another. Soon they settled in a pond behind the first pond and now not visible from the road. My friend was on his way to see them so knowing where they were exactly helped him see them from a different angle. Four days later we returned to see them again. This time they were across the road towards the river in a pond behind a house and some outbuildings. They were difficult to see with all the obstructions but I managed to get more photos and to count 18. I expect there were more there but I was not able to get a clear view.
I was able to watch the birds for a short while and specifically looked for any possible White-faced Ibises among them. I found none and all the Glossy Ibises looked like healthy adults. The ones that were feeding were being successful and I watched them eat worms and other invertebrates. They undoubtedly found amphibians as well. See the video below I took of another Glossy Ibis from a different visit to New Brunswick which shows it feeding.
The arrival of a large flock of Glossy Ibises in New Brunswick causes one to wonder where they have come from and where they are going. They are not native here and we have had only one unsuccessful breeding attempt recorded in the province. According to the Birds of New Brunswick: An annotated List the first reports of Glossy Ibises in NB began in the 1950s. Most reports have been of single individuals or of low numbers. Eight were reported from Sheffield in May, 1973 and 10 from Saints Rest Marsh in April 1986. Groups in the double digits are exceedingly rare. I remember a report from Nettie Moore's sightings of a large number many years ago (verification being researched). Our report of 25 is definitely amazing.
The Glossy Ibis is a paleoarctic species. In North America it summers along the Atlantic coast north to southern Maine and southward to southern Florida and westward to Louisiana along the Gulf coast. It is a permanent resident in the south of this range. It also summers in SE Europe, the Middle East and SW Russia and winters or is a permanent resident in Africa, Madagascar, Australia and some islands in the south Pacific. In all areas its populations were declining until recently.
In Europe its population numbers have increased due to agriculture in Spain where rice is now grown. In North America the former decline in population has reversed. Glossy Ibis population numbers have increased by about 4% per year since the 1960s. This explains why our sightings have increased in late years. They are undoubtedly benefiting from our wetland conservation programs. It is exciting to see our conservation of habitat efforts has produced results. Imagine, 25 Glossy Ibises in one flock here in Sheffield!
For more information on the life history of the Glossy Ibis, search this blog for 'Glossy Ibis'.
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