Iridescent Ibis

Photographer: Juan Manuel Pérez RayegoSummary Author: Juan Manuel Pérez Rayego

In the past, I've photographed iridescence on the wings of insects, such as bees, and now I can add birds to my list. I found the pair of ibis shown above at the place where they nest, on islands in the Guadiana River, near the center of the municipality of Merida, Spain. It seems that breeding colonies of ibis only began nesting here some six years ago.

This species of ibis is called the Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). As you can see its brownish plumage is tinged with iridescence, which often appears black when seen in the distance. Only adult birds of reproductive age show iridescence. These glossy or iridescent colors result from the diffraction of sunlight by platelets at the tips of the wing feathers. The tiny platelets act in such a way to interfere with light rays to produce the opalescent coloration. Photo taken on May 18, 2024.

Merida, Spain Coordinates: 38.929323, -6.36988

Related Links:Magpie Feather ColorationJuan's Website