Glossy ibis spotted in Ningbo

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"On the afternoon of April 18, a glossy ibis was first spotted in the field of Panjia Village near the Hemudu Site Museum of Yuyao County. Then it was seen for several consecutive days! This is an extremely rare bird, and it's such a surprise to have it in Ningbo for such a long time." said Qian Xiao excitedly, a bird lover from Jiangbei District, on the evening of April 22.

First encounter with the glossy ibis

Qian Xiao, who is 60 years old this year, has an experience of 17 years in bird photography. At around 3 pm on April 18, he encountered the glossy ibis for the first time while taking pictures in the field of Panjia Village.

"In 2021, I once took a picture of a glossy ibis in Lanxi Town of Jinhua, so I got to know it. The glossy ibis is not as well-known as the crested ibis, but it is also a wild animal under first-class national protection". After discovering the trail of the glossy ibis, Qian immediately informed the Yuyao Wildlife Conservation Association of the news.

Then on the morning of April 19, Chen Feng, Vice President of Yuyao Wildlife Conservation Association, came and successfully captured a precious image of this glossy ibis foraging.

In Chen's camera, this glossy ibis has ab agile posture, sometimes strolling leisurely in the water oat fields, sometimes spreading its wings, sometimes cleverly hunting for food, and sometimes flapping its wings to fly high.

According to Chen Feng, the glossy ibis has a body length of about 60 centimeters, a slender and long beak, and it is black. Most of its body feathers are maroon, with a purple green luster on its top, head sides, chin, and front throat. The color of the covering feathers on the neck, upper back, shoulders, and innermost wings is darker. The feathers of lower back, waist, and upper tail have a purple green luster. The underarm and tail feathers are deep purple, and the remaining feathers are maroon.

The third time in history

After seeing the pictures posted by Yuyao Wildlife and Plant Protection Association, the Wild Bird Branch of Zhejiang Wildlife and Plant Protection Association confirmed that this is the first time a glossy ibis has appeared in Yuyao County and the third time that one has been discovered in Ningbo.

The glossy ibis is distributed in southern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central America, including Shanghai, Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, and Yunnan Province. Despite the wide distribution, the quantity is extremely rare.

The record of the glossy ibis in Zhejiang Province can be traced back to 1934. At that time, bird expert Mr. Shou Zhenhuang compiled and published the book "Investigation of Birds in Zhejiang" based on bird specimens from the West Lake Museum (the now Zhejiang Museum of Natural History), which recorded that only one case of the glossy ibis was found in Ningbo.

According to Zhang Haihua, Vice President of Ningbo Wildlife Conservation Association and a well-known nature photographer, bird lovers had captured a flying glossy ibis in Ningbo, but there was no detailed record. So this is the third time for a glossy ibis to be spotted in Ningbo. Moreover, this is also the most detailed record of the glossy ibis in Ningbo over the past 90 years.

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