White-faced Ibis

Plegadis chihi

One of the great things about our Refuge is not only that there are so many different types of birds here, but also that because there is so much Refuge that we don’t allow people to visit, there are a ton of those species who live here, but are only seen rarely. The shy White-faced Ibis is one of those birds.

Since this species is so dependent on wetlands and marshes for both feeding and nesting, changes to water systems such as pollution and man-made draining of water habitats had devastating impacts on members of this species in the past, and human disturbance at nesting colonies has caused abandonment, so the species is very sensitive to changes in both foraging and nesting areas.

Many often imagine Ibises in warmer climates, and while it is true that most wintering White-faced Ibises use much the same habitats as nesting and migrating birds, mostly in the southern tier of U.S. states and farther south, we get a few who stop over here and decide to stay for short periods. White-faced Ibises forage in shallow wetlands, usually among short plants such as sedges, spikerush, glasswort, saltgrass, and greasewood. Salt, brackish, and freshwater marshes all provide foraging habitat. They also frequent wet agricultural fields with low plant cover, including alfalfa, barley, wheat, oats, and rice, along with livestock pastures and hayfields – which is what probably draws and keeps them in Ridgefield long enough to be recorded a few times over the years.

If you are out trying to spot one of these elusive visitors, you’ll want to look for that bill of theirs. The White-face Ibis is a medium-sized, long-legged wading bird with a long, strongly curved bill. It has a thick, oval-shaped body and a long neck. The wings are broad and fairly rounded. They are known for their glossy maroon with metallic green and bronze tones on the wing during breeding season, but when they are spotted here, most often they are in their winter plumage, a much less red and vibrant sheen. They have red eyes, and in the winter, they lack the bare skin patch and white border around the eye that is prominent in their breeding plumage.

White-faced and Glossy Ibises are similar species: both dark purple-metallic and both members of the genus Plegadis. Both species have expanded their breeding ranges in North America over recent decades. This has led to Glossy Ibis turning up in White-faced Ibis colonies, and vice-versa, and to many instances of hybridization, making it even more complicated to tell the two species apart definitively.

Look for White-faced Ibises in marshes or wet agricultural fields (especially alfalfa fields). In the arid western U.S., they often fly long distances to foraging areas from roosting areas, so the early morning and late afternoon are fine times to watch for them in transit. Checking wetland and field edges often produces a foraging flock; a spotting scope is useful to see fine details.

Did You Know? Many species of birds place found objects in their nests (bowerbirds take this odd behavior to the extreme). White-faced Ibises sometimes incorporate human-made objects they’ve found, including cigarette lighters, empty shotgun shells, plastic dolls, and hair combs.