🪶 Glossy Ibises in the UK: A Rising Spectacle
The glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)—a sleek, iridescent wading bird with a long, curved bill—has gone from rarity to rising star in the UK birding scene. Here's the lowdown:
🌍 Origins & Migration
Native to warmer regions like the Mediterranean, Africa, and parts of Asia and the Americas.
UK sightings have increased dramatically in recent decades, especially in autumn and winter.
Many of the birds spotted in Britain are young migrants from breeding colonies in southwest Spain (Doñana) and southern France (Camargue).
📈 Recent Boom
In September 2025, a record-breaking influx occurred: over 600 glossy ibises were recorded across Britain and Ireland3.
Flocks appeared in Cornwall, Norfolk, Lancashire, London, Cambridgeshire, and even Pembrokeshire, with some groups numbering 30 to 90 birds.
🐣 Breeding in Britain
After a few tentative nesting attempts in 2014 and 2016, the first confirmed successful breeding happened in 2022.
Experts believe this trend may continue as climate change brings milder winters to the UK and drier summers to southern Europe
