White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

Special Segments Butterflies of North America Conifers of North America Eastern Birds List of N.A. Insects Home Eastern Wildflowers General Topics Natural History Ecology Family Environment Evolution Home Education Home Conservation Geophysics Paleontology Commercial Organizations

A Field Guide to Eastern Birds. by Roger Tory Peterson.

Return to Eastern Ibises

Adults

Color Photograph: Copyright Corel Corp.

Immatures

Color Photograph: Copyright Corel Corp.

Color Photograph: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

Identification: Length from tip of bill to tip of tail 24 to 28 inches.

Adult: White with the tips of the wings black. Bill red, large, elongate, curved downward, with apical two-thirds tinged with black. Face around eye bare, red. Legs red during breeding season, gray otherwise.

Immature: Structurally like the adults. Back brown with scattered white patches. Lower side white.

Similar Species:  The all white plumage of the White Ibis and the white underside of the immatures will separate this species from the other two North American ibis species, the Glossy Ibis and the White-faced Ibis.

Breeding Range (see map below): The White Ibis is resident along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts as well as most of Florida. The species breeds somewhat further north along the Atlantic Coast than its resident range. The species is found throughout most of tropical America.

Overwintering Range:  See above.

Habitat: The White Ibis is found in mostly coastal habitats including salt marshes, lagoons, and mudflats, but is sometimes found inland in marshes and wooded swamps.

Food: Aquatic invertebrates including crayfish and crabs.

Behavior:  This species gathers in large roosts at night, sometimes in prodigous numbers. The voice is a series of grunts and growls. The species nests in colonies. The species typically feeds on mud flats and in shallow water.

Reproduction:  The clutch consists of 3 to 4 greenish white eggs. The eggs are laid in a nest consisting of sticks placed in trees near or over water.