White-Faced Ibis

Fascinating facts about the White-Faced Ibis

• Around 2012 the species numbered about 1.2 million birds, a figure that reflected a growing population. This increase helped secure its classification as a species of Least Concern on the global red list. The estimate and upward trend together indicate that the bird is not currently facing a risk of rapid decline.
• North-American and South-American white-faced ibises never mix; each subspecies stays within its own continent. Migration and interchange between the two continental groups does not occur, so birds breeding in Canada or the United States never join the southern population east of the Andes. Within North America, individuals from northern breeding areas simply move south to wintering sites such as southern California, Mexico or the Gulf Coast.
• A 1960s Utah study found that 82.9 % of banded white-faced ibises died from being shot, long before the species received protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. At that time, hunting was the chief cause of mortality for the bird. Although later threats shifted to pesticides and habitat loss, the early shooting mortality highlighted the need for legal safeguards.
• In the wild the longest-lived white-faced ibis was recorded at fourteen years and six months, far beyond the typical lifespan. Most individuals reach about nine years, so this record exceeds the average by over five years. In captivity the species can live up to fourteen years on average, showing that the wild record approaches the upper limit of its potential longevity.
• Breeding adults display a distinctive pink, bare face edged with white feathers, a grey bill and brighter-coloured, redder legs, setting them apart from glossy ibises. They breed colonially in marshes, preferring dense vegetation such as bulrush, cattails, shrubs and short trees for nesting sites. Nests are constructed from reeds and the pair usually lays three or four blue-green eggs per clutch.

Sources

Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.

• Wikipedia

At a glance

About the White-Faced Ibis

In the warm, golden light of dawn, the White-Faced Ibis emerges, its slender form gliding effortlessly across the shallow wetlands, the soft lapping of its feet against the water a gentle serenade to the new day. With its distinctive ivory-hued visage and curved, black bill, this elegant bird navigates the marshy landscape with precision, its long neck bobbing up and down as it searches for the hidden treasures of the muddy depths. As it moves, its dark, iridescent feathers seem to shimmer and dance, like the shadows themselves come to life, infusing the surroundings with a quiet, mysterious beauty.

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