White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
Their eyes change from a dark brown to a vivid, pale blue during the peak of the breeding season.
- Scientific name
- Eudocimus albus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Pelecaniformes › Threskiornithidae › Eudocimus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- wetland
- Habitat
- Salt, brackish, and freshwater wetlands, mangroves, and flooded fields.
- Diet
- Carnivorous, specializing in crayfish, crabs, and aquatic insects.
- Range
- Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Mexico, Northern South America
- Size
- Wingspan of 35-40 inches; weight of 1.6-2.3 lbs.
- Lifespan
- 15-20 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Wetland degradation, mercury contamination in water, and loss of nesting islands.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless bird. Maintain a respectful distance of 15-20 feet to avoid flushing them from their feeding grounds. Do not offer food, as it disrupts their natural diet and health.
The American white ibis ( Eudocimus albus ) is a species of bird in the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. It is found from Virginia via the Gulf Coast of the United States south through most of the coastal New World tropics. This particular ibis is a medium-sized bird with an overall white plumage, bright red-orange down-curved bill and long legs, and black wing tips that are usually only visible in flight. Males are larger and have longer bills than...
Photo: unnormalized, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
Plain-text version: /species/b00bbe12-5e6a-4332-8b77-a0db864e686d.md