Michele Mendi

A very broad breeding range, from S Europe to C Asia, also in Africa, S Asia, Oceania and part of America around the Caribbean region (BirdLife International 2021). Populations vary from resident to migratory. Scattered breeding distribution area in S Europe with core populations in SW Spain, main deltas in the Black Sea (Danube, Krasnodar region) and Azerbaijan (Keller et al. 2020).

Season of assessment

B

Population trendIncreasing
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		60200-120000,80500
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Glossy Ibis

Different patterns of dispersal/migration in relation to origin region. SW European ibises show random (erratic) dispersal rather than true migratory movements, up to NW Africa, UK and E and S Europe, within a radius of (usually) <2000 km from ringing site. Exceptional recovery of a bird ringed in Doñana which was found sick/wounded in the British Virgin Islands. SE European ibises seem to be mostly resident or have short-range movements, mostly within the Balkan peninsula. The populations from C and E Europe, however, show much longer-distance movements. Some of these birds do true migrations to tropical Africa (Sahelian floodplains). E populations seem to show a high degree of connectivity due to parallel migration patterns; C European birds, however, spread randomly like in SW Europe.

Recoveries by Condition for Glossy Ibis

Overall, most (>55%) recoveries are due to the identification of birds with leg ring(s). For instance, from 1996 to 2011 more than 15000 chicks were ringed in Doñana (Spain), and almost 10000 of these birds were resighted (Santoro et al. 2013). Recoveries before 1990, however, mostly came from shooting or unknown conditions. From 1990 to present, ca. 70% of the recoveries are due to leg rings. This difference between periods (before/after 1990) is also due to the fact that the population was very small until recent times. Thus, the increase and expansion of the population and the generalization of the use of leg rings in many breeding colonies is allowing the collection of a very high number of recoveries throughout much of the breeding and non-breeding range of the species in Europe and, to a lesser extent, Africa as well.

Annual Movements for Glossy Ibis

Dispersal begins in Jul/Aug and does not vary between age classes or sexes; in SW Europe, dispersal is reported to increase with droughts (Santoro et al. 2013). Resident strategies also detected.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Glossy Ibis

The C/E European birds start their post-fledging/post-breeding movements in Jul, and the winter destinations are reached already from Sep. Movements to breeding sites detected from Mar. In Apr-May, birds can still remain in NE Africa (Nile Valley). Starting of the post-fledging/post-breeding dispersals of SW birds shows a pattern similar to that observed for the C/E European populations. Recoveries in NW Africa or as far as UK or some places from C/E Europe from Aug onwards. Some relatively distant recoveries in summer indicate natal dispersal which supports some degree of genetic flow between W and E populations (Santoro et al. 2019).

Juan Arizaga

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
2020 . European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Bird Census Council & Lynx Edicions, BarcelonaEditor(s): Keller, V., S. Herrando, P. Voříšek, et al.
BirdLife International2021 . Species factsheet: Plegadis falcinellus.
Santoro, S., Champagnon, J., Kharitonov, S., Zwarts, L., Oschadleus, H. D., Mañez, M., Samraoui, B., Nedjah, R., Volponi, S., Cano-Alonso, L. S.2019 . Long-distance dispersal of the Afro-Eurasian Glossy Ibis from ring recoveries. SIS Conservation 1: 139–146
Santoro, S., Green, A. J., Figuerola, J.2013 . Environmental instability as a motor for dispersal: a case study from a growing population of Glossy Ibis. Plos One 8

Back to Analysis