This large ibis has glossy black plumage and a long tail. In the Venezuelan Llanos, its food changes between dry and wet seasons.
The plumage is black with a green gloss. It has a short bushy crest, a long slightly downcurved orange bill, red facial skin around the eye, and orange-red legs and feet.
In the Venezuelan Llanos, dry-season foods included fish, moths, beetles, and grasshoppers, while beetles, grasshoppers, and earthworms were prominent in the wet season. It forages on damp grassland and open wetlands.
It probes mud, shallow water, or soft ground for food and is usually seen in pairs or small groups.
Its far-carrying, horn-like call is often given in duet by a pair, with one voice higher-pitched than the other.
Its long projecting tail and relatively short legs give it a long-bodied appearance. The throat also has bare red skin.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.