Another unusual bird has wandered its way to Ohio.
Plenty of rare birds have visited the state in the past, including the American avocet, roseate tern, white pelican, black-bellied whistling-duck and brown booby.
Now, add the glossy ibis to the list. The bird, more commonly found in wetlands near the Atlantic coast from the Carolinas through Florida and around to the Gulf, was recently spotted by the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
“They occasionally find their way inland, where they depend on flooded agricultural fields and wetland areas to tide them over before they continue on their way,” the agency wrote in a May 19 Facebook post.
Birders, get your binoculars and cameras and head toward the Ohio River if you want to possibly catch a glimpse of the bird in person. Here’s where to go.
A glossy ibis forages for food on Lake Okeechobee in Florida in 2018. One bird was spotted along the Ohio River in May 2026, a rare sighting for the coastal species.
Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge spots glossy ibis, a rare visitor
The bird was seen near the agency’s visitor center in Waverly, West Virginia – across the river from Marietta, Ohio – “prowling around the seasonal wetland along the railroad tracks between the Crossroads Outdoor Sanctuary and the Hallelujah Barn,” according to the Refuge’s Facebook post.
The wading birds forage in wetlands for seeds, insects and small fish, the agency writes.
“Seasonal wetlands along the Ohio River floodplain are a vital lifeline,” the post continues. “We’ve just created one next to our visitor center – maybe, someday, an ibis will visit our wetland trail!”
What does a glossy ibis look like? Range, habitat
The glossy ibis may look uniformly dark at a distance, but in good light it shows maroon, emerald, bronze and violet coloring, according to All About Birds. It is a medium-sized bird with a compact body, long neck, long legs and a long, curved bill. Flocks of the birds forage together in wetlands and wet agricultural fields.
The birds are found around the world, and are considered a low conservation concern. In North America, glossy ibises are found year-round in coastal areas of North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as Caribbean islands and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Their breeding range stretches from Virginia to Maine in the United States.
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What is the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge?
Established in 1990, the Ohio River Islands National Wildlife Refuge works to protect, conserve, and restore habitat for wildlife native to the river and its floodplain. The islands are gradually returning to forested conditions after years of farming, oil and gas extraction, and other activities.
The refuge consists of twenty-four islands and four mainland tracts scattered along 362 miles of the upper Ohio River. Most of its 3,440 acres of land and underwater habitat are located in West Virginia. However, Pennsylvania and Kentucky each have two refuge islands.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: East Coast bird makes rare visit to Ohio River. Meet the glossy ibis
