Glossy Ibis

🔍 Overview

Once a major rarity, now an increasingly regular visitor to Sussex, with occasional overwintering birds.

🪶 Key Identification Features

Dark, iridescent plumage with green and bronze sheen

Long, down-curved bill

Long legs and neck

🗺️ Habitat & Distribution

Regularly seen at wetland reserves like Pulborough Brooks, Rye Harbour, and Pagham Harbour. Most likely in autumn and winter, sometimes lingering into spring.

🎶 Voice & Behaviour

Generally silent. Feeds by probing soft ground, often in small flocks. Becoming more expected as climate shifts northward.