- Green Ibis
 - Green Ibis
+4
 - Green Ibis
Watch
 - Green Ibis
Listen

Green Ibis Mesembrinibis cayennensis Scientific name definitions

Donna Molfetto
Version: 1.0 — Published March 4, 2020
Text last updated January 17, 2011

Sign in to see your badges

Introduction

The Green Ibis is a dark-colored ibis of wetlands and swampy woods in Central and South America. It is dark glossy green overall, but may appear blackish in poor light.  The only species in its genus, the Green Ibis is stockier and shorter-legged than the similar Plegadis ibises. It feeds on aquatic invertebrates by walking slowly and probing its long bill into mud, dirt, and shallow water. Birds typically occur alone or in pairs, but occasionally in small flocks. The twig nest is built high in a tree over water. The Green Ibis is resident in lowlands from Honduras south to northern Argentina, but in some parts of its range, with more seasonal rainfall, it shifts habitat, moving from forests in the wet season to open areas in the dry season.

Distribution of the Green Ibis - Range Map
Enlarge
  • Year-round
  • Migration
  • Breeding
  • Non-Breeding
Distribution of the Green Ibis

Recommended Citation

Molfetto, D. (2020). Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.greibi1.01
Birds of the World

Partnerships

A global alliance of nature organizations working to document the natural history of all bird species at an unprecedented scale.