A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Eudocimus albus (juvenile)
The gray to sandy gray brown juvenile plumage appears between weeks two and six, and face and bill become pink a few weeks later, while the legs remain gray. Once fledged, the juvenile American White Ibis has largely brown plumage and only the rump, underwing and underparts are white.The legs become light orange. As it matures, white feathers begin appearing on the back and it undergoes a gradual molt to obtain the white adult plumage.This is mostly complete by the end of the second year, although some brown feathers persist on the head and neck until the end of the third year. Juvenile birds take around two years to reach adult size and weight. (Wikipedia)
The American White Ibis is found in a variety of habitats, although shallow coastal marshes, wetlands and mangrove swamps are preferred. It is also commonly found in muddy pools, on mudflats and even wet lawns. Populations that are away from the coast and shoreline, particularly in southern Florida, often reside in other forms of wetlands such as marshes, ponds and flooded fields. In summer, these move to more coastal and estuarine habitats as inland waterways become flooded with summer rains and the ibis find the water levels too deep to forage effectively. (Wikipedia)
I hope that I have correctly identified this bird....
4 Comments
Thank you Arun!
nice spotting ..
Thanks very much Maria dB!
Beautiful series; especially like the second shot!