Glossy ibises, here alongside a great egret, were spotted foraging in a swampy piece of land alongside St. John’s Road on Friday.
These species of wading birds are a rare sight in St. Maarten, said bird expert Binkie van Es. According to St. Maarten Nature Foundation’s board member, glossy ibises were last spotted on the island three years ago. The birds may have changed their migration routes due to storms in the Caribbean region. Glossy ibises are the most widespread ibis species, breeding in scattered sites in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean regions.
