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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. CXVIII
Field-journal plate: White Ibis
The White Ibis plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate CXVIII

White Ibis

Eudocimus albus

Threskiornithidae · Taxon 3751

Length53–70 cm (21–28 in)
Wingspan90–105 cm (35–41 in)
Weight593–1,261 g (1.3–2.8 lb)

Field marks

  1. Adult plumage almost entirely white
  2. Long, slender, strongly downcurved red-orange bill
  3. Bare reddish-pink facial skin surrounding pale blue eyes
  4. Long pink to red-orange legs and feet
  5. Black outer wingtips, most conspicuous in flight
  6. Immatures brown above with a streaked neck and white underparts

HabitatFresh, brackish, and saltwater wetlands, including marshes, estuaries, mangroves, swamps, mudflats, flooded grasslands, shallow ponds, and lake edges; nests in trees, shrubs, or dense marsh vegetation near water.

BehaviorHighly social; forages, roosts, and nests in groups. Walks slowly through shallow water, probing soft substrate by touch for crustaceans, insects, and other small aquatic prey. Flies with neck and legs extended, alternating rapid wingbeats and glides, often in lines or V formations.

Palette

ivory whitecoral red-orangepale bluejet blackwarm brown