About Phimosus infuscatus (Lichtenstein, 1823)
The bare-faced ibis, scientifically named Phimosus infuscatus (Lichtenstein, 1823), has plumage that is either dark brown or blackish. It gets its common name from the complete lack of feathers on its face. It has a long decurved bill that ranges in color from pinkish to reddish brown, reddish facial skin, and pink legs. The total body length of this ibis falls between 45 and 50 cm. This species is distributed across Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela. It inhabits open areas including wet meadows, savannas, marshes, and rice fields, and usually occurs near sea level, with records also from elevations in Venezuela and Colombia. Bare-faced ibises typically breed in small colonies consisting only of their own species, with a breeding season that runs from August to December. They build platform-shaped nests in trees or shrubs. Females lay between 1 and 8 lightly colored green to blue eggs; incubation lasts 21 to 23 days and is performed by both the male and female. The bare-faced ibis forages in most types of soil and along the edges of standing water. Its diet is made up of insects, worms, clams, and other small invertebrates.
