Plegadis falcinellus (Linnaeus, 1766).

Length 60 cm. The all-dark plumage and long down-curved bill distinguish this bird. It is seasonally dimorphic: the breeding adult has the body plumage glossed with green or purple. In winter, adults have the head and underparts brown flecked with whitish grey; upper parts are mixed brown and glossy green. The Glossy Ibis breeds and spends the winter in shallow, freshwater lakes and marshes with dense swamp vegetation. It is seen in small groups around the swamps feeding on insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and locusts as well as small reptiles, frogs, and fish and probing with the long bill into the mud to catch its prey. The nest is a compact platform of twigs or reeds, lined with leaves; the 3-4 eggs are incubated for 20-23 days. In Egypt, this is an uncommon migrant, winter visitor, and a rare breeder and is found in the Nile Valley and Delta, along the Suez Canal and in South Sinai.