White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
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White Ibises at Fort De Soto
White Ibises at Fort De Soto
About White Ibises
About White Ibises
Adult
Identification
The white ibis is most identifiable by its long curved reddish orange bill and face. This ibis is mostly white aside from their dark wingtips. However, juveniles are mostly brown!
Juvenile
Habitat
White ibises are found on the coasts from North Carolina, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, to Columbia. They are also found on the Pacific coasts of Central America. White ibises feed in any shallow water or on land with ground that is soft enough to poke their bills into.
Foraging
White ibises feed in large groups. Their prey is mainly aquatic crustaceans and insects. Like a roseate spoonbill, white ibises sweep the ground while foraging. They mostly rely on their tactile sense rather than their eyes. Their curved bills probe the ground looking for prey while keeping the bill open like a tweezer.
Conservation
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2021, the white ibis has been listed as least concern! Historically, they were one of the most abundant of the North American wading birds and still maintain large regional populations. In Florida however, the Everglades population declined by 95% between the 1930s to the 1970s. This decrease may be attributed to the alteration of water and consequently the marsh in the Everglades. Thankfully, from the late 1990s to 2006, the population increased!
The main threats to the white ibis are human disturbance and contamination. Human disturbance of nesting sites is detrimental and often leads to nest desertion. White ibises are exposed to contaminants in wetlands, specifically mercury which has been found to lower reproductive success.
No specific management plans have been created for the white ibis. However, they can benefit from other management plans. In the Everglades, restoration plans can restore the natural hydrological cycles which can bring back white ibis populations. Plans to focus on preventing ecological contamination and the cleanup of these contaminants can help protect the white ibis as well. Protecting coastal sites can help protect the nesting, colony, and foraging sites of the white ibis.
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