Puna Ibis - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by Stanley Jones
La Oroya, Yali, Peru, August 2017

Plegadis ridgwayi

Identification

56-61 cm (22-24 in)

• Dark purplish brown overall plumage
• Chestnut head in breeding season
• Pink bill, downward-curved, with a dark line where it meets the facial skin
  

Non-breeding plumage and bill is duller

Photo © by Stanley Jones
Salinas-Santa Rosa, Laguna Paraiso, Lima, Peru, August-2017

Similar Species

White-faced Ibis does not usually overlap in range.

Distribution

High Andes of northern Argentina, northern Chile, Bolivia, and Peru.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

Habitat

Bofedales and other highland swamps, edges of lakes, and other wet areas. Especially in non-breeding, may also descend to coastal wet areas. Observed at heights around 3600 m.

Behaviour

Feeds by probing into mud silt, etc, mostly where the underground is covered with water.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Alvaro Jaramillo. 2003. Birds of Chile. Princeton Field Guides. ISBN 0-691-11740-3
3. BF member personal observations
4. Erize et al. 2006 Birds of South America, non-passerines. Princeton Illustrated Checklists, Princeton, New Jersey, USA. ISBN 0-691-12688-7

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Puna Ibis. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 4 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Puna_Ibis

External Links

Search for photos of Puna Ibis in the gallery