Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Willcox, Cochise County

Glossy Ibis was only recently added to the official Arizona bird list when an adult was photographed near Arlington w. of Phoenix on 19 May, 2001. Since then, it’s been reported with documentation three times - near El Mirage s.w. of Phoenix in August 2001, at the Avra Valley wastewater treatment plant w. of Tucson in August 2005 and this spring an additional adult was photographed at Rio Rico (see photo on this web site). This bird shown here was found and photographed by Oliver Niehuis at Cochise Lake, Willcox, AZ on 21 May 2006.
With the recent upsurge in records of Glossy Ibis in the western U.S. all plegadis ibis flocks should be carefully searched for Glossy Ibis. The identification of adults is relatively straightforward but hybrid individuals, immatures, and birds not fully into alternate/breeding plumage present problems. With only a handful of documented AZ records, Glossy Ibis remains on the ABC's review list; full documentation of sightings is requested.

Photographed by Oliver Niehuis, on 21 May 2006