White-faced Ibis

The White-faced Ibis is a dark, iridescent wading bird nearly identical to the Glossy Ibis in overall shape, with a long, slender down-curved bill and rich bronze, maroon, and green iridescence across the plumage. In breeding plumage, it develops a narrow band of white feathering bordering the bare reddish skin around the eye, giving the species its name, along with bright red legs and a red eye.

It is the more common Plegadis ibis across much of western North America, favoring interior freshwater wetlands and agricultural wetlands rather than coastal habitats.

Key field marks

• Dark, iridescent bronze-maroon-green plumage
• Long, thin, down-curved bill
• Breeding adults show a thin white feathered border around red facial skin and eye
• Reddish legs (versus greyer legs in Glossy Ibis)

Similar species

The Glossy Ibis is nearly identical and the two overlap in parts of the southern and eastern United States; the complete white facial border and redder legs of breeding White-faced Ibis are the most reliable field marks, though non-breeding and juvenile birds can be very difficult to separate.

Habitat

This species favors freshwater marshes, flooded pastures, and irrigated agricultural land, especially in the interior western United States.

Range and migration

It breeds in scattered colonies across the western United States and locally in Mexico and South America, wintering from the southwestern US south through Mexico and Central America; many populations are migratory.

Behavior

Gregarious and often nomadic, following water availability, White-faced Ibis forage and roost in flocks, frequently alongside other wading birds and waterfowl in managed wetlands and flooded fields.

Voice

A low, grunting series of croaks, similar to the Glossy Ibis, given mainly at breeding colonies.

Feeding

It probes soft mud and flooded fields for earthworms, insects, and crayfish, often foraging in large mixed flocks in agricultural wetlands.

Nesting and breeding

White-faced Ibis nest colonially in marsh vegetation or low shrubs, often over water; clutches typically contain 3-4 eggs.