Rare glossy ibis bird pictured at Welney Nature Reserve

Nick Bowman was out taking photos at Welney Nature Reserve last week when he captured the sight of a glossy ibis bird.

“There aren’t many of these birds in the United Kingdom, but they have started to breed,” Mr Bowman said.

“This is the first time I have been lucky enough to get some ‘in-flight’ shots and obviously pleased to see and get a good picture.”

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The glossy ibis is a heron-like bird with a long, curving beak and is a rare visitor to the country.

Most glossy ibises arrive in autumn, occasionally staying through the winter, though they could be seen in any month.

They breed in parts of southern and southeast Europe and have become occasional visitors to the UK in recent years.

Glossy ibises made a couple of breeding attempts in England in 2014 and 2016, with the first confirmed successful nest in 2022.