Black-faced Ibis
Theristicus melanopis
The black-faced ibis is a species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is found in grassland and fields in southern and western South America.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-faced_ibis
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Pelecaniformes
Family
Threskiornithidae
Genus
Theristicus
Black-faced Ibis belongs to the family Threskiornithidae, order Pelecaniformes, within the Aves class.
Species Profile
The black-faced ibis is a species of bird in the family Threskiornithidae. It is found in grassland and fields in southern and western South America. It has been included as a subspecies of the similar buff-necked ibis, but today all major authorities accept the split. The black-faced ibis also includes the Andean ibis as a subspecies. Some taxonomic authorities still do so.
The Black-faced Ibis faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion and urban development across its South American range. Hunting pressure and disturbance at breeding and feeding sites have further contributed to the species' critical status.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
The black-faced ibis is mainly found in southern South America, ranging throughout most of southern and central Argentina and Chile, where it occurs from sea-level to an altitude of approximately . It also occurs very locally in coastal Peru. While it remains fairly common in Argentina and Chile, this species has now been almost entirely extirpated from the Peruvian part of its range. Overall...
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
The Black-faced Ibis faces severe population declines primarily due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion and urban development across its South American range. Hunting pressure and disturbance at breeding and feeding sites have further contributed to the species' critical status.
Agricultural expansion and habitat conversion
Urban development and infrastructure
Wetland drainage and degradation
Disturbance at breeding sites
Hunting and persecution
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Black-faced Ibis (Theristicus melanopis). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/black-faced-ibis