Plegadis Falcinellus

a bird of the Ibis family of theorder Ciconiiformes, attaining a height of 60 cm and a weightof 560-780 g. The legs, neck, and bill are long, and the plumageis chestnut brown with a metallic gloss. They are widespread insouthern Europe, southern and southeastern Asia, Australia, Africa, and North and South America. In the USSR they arefound in the southern part of the European USSR, in Kazakh-stan, and in Middle Asia. They nest in reeds and trees, often withherons and cormorants. The clutch contains three or four eggs, and the incubation period is three weeks. The bird feeds on smallinvertebrates, catching its prey in shallow waters. In the USSRit is a migratory bird. A related species is P. ridgwayi of SouthAmerica.