Scientific name: Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Bird group: Ibises
Field characters. 55-65 cm. Superficially similar to Stone-curlew, but plumage almost uniformly black. At short distance, head, upperparts, wings, and tail glossed green. Black in winter duller, head and neck inconspicuously streaked white; juvenile similar but browner and with less white streaking. Flies on broad, rounded wings, with decurved bill, extended neck, and slightly drooping legs; in flight, rapid wing-beats alternated with glides.
Voice. Generally silent, but sometimes a harsh crow-like "gra-a-ak".
Distribution. Locally common breeding bird in small to large colonies.
Habitat. Nests in trees, bushes and tall reeds in the vicinity of water. Frequents shallow lakes, lagoons, floodlands, deltas, rivers, estuaries, irrigated farmland and ricefields.
Food. Chiefly insects: flies, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies and caddisflies. Also takes leeches, molluscs, worms and crustaceans.
Eggs. Unmarked, ground colour deep green-blue, occasionally light blue. Texture smooth, initially dull. Shape subelliptical/short subelliptical. Size 52 x 37 mm (46-59 x 33-40), weight 31-39 g.