Plegadis is a bird genus in the family Threskiornithidae. The genus name derives from Ancient Greek plegados, "sickle", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. Member species are found on every continent except Antarctica as well as a number of islands.
Species
The glossy ibis is easily the most widespread of the three species. Plegadis contains the following three species:
Genus Plegadis – Kaup, 1829 – three species
Common name
Scientific name and subspecies
Range
Size and ecology
IUCN status and estimated population
Glossy ibis
Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766)
regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean regions of the Americas
Size:
Habitat:
Diet:
LC
White-faced ibis
Plegadis chihi (Vieillot, 1817)
western United States south through Mexico, as well as from southeastern Brazil and southeastern Bolivia south to central Argentina, and along the coast of central Chile.
Size:
Habitat:
Diet:
LC
Puna ibis
Plegadis ridgwayi (Allen, 1876)
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru
Size:
Habitat:
Diet:
LC
A further two fossil species have been placed in the genus:
Plegadis paganus from the Early Miocene deposits in France; however, it is now placed in Gerandibis pagana.
Plegadis pharangites
'^
