White-faced Ibis

Description:

The photos show an adult White-faced Ibis in breeding plumage (the reddish one) and a juvenile in regular plumage. The White-faced Ibis is a medium-sized (46-56 cm tall, 450-525 grams) dark wading bird with a 1 meter wingspan. Their rich brown plumage has metallic purple highlights on the back and shoulders and bronze and green tints on the wings and tail. They have long, slender decurved bills. The bare skin of the legs is grey most of the year, deepening to maroon in the breeding season. Breeding adults have red eyes. Juvenile birds have brown eyes and streaks of dirty white and pale brown in the plumage. The White-faced Ibis is distinguished from the very similar Glossy Ibis by a thin band of white feathers bordering the bare skin around the eyes and bill. This white plumage is most prominent in the breeding season. Males are slightly larger than females and have longer bills, but are otherwise identical in appearance. Ibises often forage in association with taller wading birds such as herons or Great Egrets. The constant probing of the Ibis’s bill may scare up prey for the heron that is out of the Ibis’s reach. In return the Ibis receives extra warning of predators such as Peregrine Falcons or Red-tailed Hawks by taking advantage of the taller bird’s wariness and larger field of view.

Habitat:

They inhabit marshes, swamps, and rivers, preferring freshwater wetlands.