Overview
- A glossy ibis was seen over Barr Loch at RSPB Lochwinnoch on October 18, marking the first ever record for Renfrewshire.
- RSPB Scotland reports the species in never-before-seen numbers this year, with hundreds recorded across the country this autumn.
- Seven glossy ibis were documented at RSPB Baron’s Haugh in Motherwell on October 9, with further sightings later at RSPB Loch Gruinart on Islay.
- The bird is typically a scarce UK visitor more associated with warmer regions of Asia, Africa, South America, Australia, and southern Europe.
- No nesting has been recorded in Scotland to date, though the species bred successfully in Cambridgeshire in 2022 and populations have risen in southern and western Europe.