Ibises, Spoonbills

The Threskiornithidae family, traditionally divided into ibises and spoonbills, encompasses 36 large wading bird species often found near water and is now classified under the order Pelecaniformes. Genetic studies have revealed that spoonbills are a part of the Old World ibises, questioning the existing subfamily division, with New World ibises representing a divergent lineage. These birds have long, broad wings, strong flight capabilities, and elongated bodies with distinctive bills—curved for ibises and flattened for spoonbills. They range in size from the small dwarf olive ibis to the large giant ibis. Distributed globally, they exhibit diurnal feeding behaviors on a variety of prey, communal roosting, often nest in colonies, and demonstrate significant parental care with both parents incubating eggs and feeding young. The family includes a diverse array of genera and species, each adapted to its specific environment, with noted diversity in regions like the Llanos wetlands, which support seven ibis species alone.