White Ibis

White Ibis

At first glance, the White Ibis is a strange, funky-looking bird, and maybe that's what I like about them most.  Adults are extremely easy to identify by their white plumage and reddish curved beaks.  Immatures have darker feathers on their backs and wings, so they are often confused for the darker Glossy Ibis, but the immature White Ibis has light feathers on its belly. In flight the White Ibis can be distinguished even at a distance from other white wading birds (like the snowy egret) by presence of black on the tips of their wings.   I think it's particularly fun to watch them forage while wading in the water, poking their bill in the water looking for insects and small fish.

They can be found throughout the deep south and gulf coast of the United States.

White Ibis

White Ibis

White Ibis

Immature White Ibis