Black-faced Ibis Theristicus melanopis

Black-faced Ibis Theristicus melanopis
Chilean name: Bandurria

Black-faced Ibis, Alto Bio-Bio, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image

Chile
November / December 2005

The Black-faced Ibis is distributed in the Andean highlands of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and northern Chile (race T. m. branickii) and in southern Chile and Argentina (nominate race) where they are found down to sea level. These southern populations migrate to the pampas of northern Argentina during the austral winter.

They are usually in open country including meadows and agricultural land as well as marshy areas near lakes and rivers. They enjoy the damp and photos 1 and 2 were taken on a field that was being irrigated with an overhead spray which the birds were just loving.

They feed by probing the damp ground with their bills looking for worms, insects, frogs, etc..

Black-faced Ibis, Lago Villarica, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image

They look superficially similar to Buff-necked Ibis Theristicus caudatus but it has no white on the wings, has a large black wattle on the throat and has a greyish band across the breast.

Photo 5 shows an immature beside an adult.

Black-faced Ibis, Caulin, Chiloe, Chile, December 2005 - click for larger image

Immature with adult Black-faced Ibis, Lago Villarica, Chile, November 2005 - click for larger image

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