Connecting wetlands: movements, habitat use and seasonal activity of an expanding Glossy Ibis population

The Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) has undergone a remarkable population recovery in southern Europe, recolonising the Iberian Peninsula since the 1990s. However, we still know relatively little about the drivers of this spectacular population expansion and how individuals move across the landscape and use the different habitats. Between 2022 and 2025, we fitted 52 glossy ibises with GPS devices in the lower Tagus river basin, Portugal. Tracking data reveal connectivity among wetlands across Portugal, Spain and Morocco, highlighting the importance of key river basins and marshes for this expanding population. Within the Tagus river basin scale, tracking and accelerometry show how ibises adjust their movements, space use and daily activity in response to seasonal changes in rice-field management. Together, these findings show how natural and agricultural wetlands are linked, and how changes in rice-field management can shape the way glossy ibises use the wider wetland network.

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