Bare-faced Ibis Gallery

Phimosus infuscatus

The Birds of the World website provides this introductory information about the Bare-faced Ibis:  The Bare-faced Ibis is a small, dull ibis of open marshes throughout much of South America. It is smaller, and shorter-legged, than any other Neotropical ibis. Gregarious, this species forms flocks of up to several hundred individuals, and often commutes to and from roost sites in long lines and “V’s”. Seasonal movements generally are related to rainfall. The Bare-faced Ibis feeds in wet meadows and muddy areas, probing with its long, decurved bill. It occurs from northern Colombia east through the Venezuelan llanos and from eastern Brazil west to Bolivia and south to central Argentina.

I saw and photographed my first Bare-faced Ibis on the morning of August 21, 2023 at Parque Mãe Bonifácia in Cuiabá, Brazil. I had a free day from tour activities, so I went to the park by myself and spent the morning walking the trails and looking for birds. I spotted the Bare-faced Ibis in a creek bottom from a small bridge over one of the main trails at the park. At first I thought it was a Green Ibis, but closer inspection of my photos revealed it was a Bare-faced Ibis.  For a more detailed description of the trip that included my sighting of this bird look at this blog post.  Here are some of my photos of this unusual Ibis.