| IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): | Least Concern
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| Approximate size(adult): | Medium-sized ibis about 55–65 cm long, with a wingspan of 88–105 cm and weight ranging from 485–525 g. Slender body, long decurved bill, and glossy plumage with bronze, green, and purple sheen.
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| Resident/ Migrate from: | In tropical and subtropical regions like India and Southeast Asia, the species is largely resident. Populations in temperate regions (Europe, Central Asia) are migratory, moving after breeding.
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| Migrate to: | Migratory populations travel to Africa, southern Asia, and warmer coastal regions for wintering. Indian and Sri Lankan populations usually remain local, with occasional short-distance dispersal following water conditions.
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| Breeding season: | In India, breeding generally occurs from June to September, coinciding with the southwest monsoon. In temperate areas, breeding starts around April to July depending on climate and wetland availability.
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| Breed in: | Colonially nests in trees, reedbeds, or bushes near water, often alongside herons and egrets. Nests are made of sticks and reeds. Clutch size typically 3–5 pale bluish eggs. Both sexes share incubation and chick-rearing duties.
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| Habitat: | Found in freshwater and brackish wetlands, including marshes, flooded fields, ponds, lakes, estuaries, and mangrove areas. Prefers shallow waters with abundant emergent vegetation and soft mud for probing.
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| Diet: | Feeds mainly on aquatic invertebrates—insects, larvae, crustaceans, worms, mollusks—and occasionally small fish, amphibians, and tadpoles. Forages by wading and probing mud or shallow water with its curved bill.
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