White Ibis

A peek at Florida's Nature

White Ibis

The White Ibis is a comical looking bird with a long, down-curving orange bill. It has beautiful blue eyes that stand out against the orange skin of its face. Its feet and legs are orange, too. This bright white bird is about two feet tall, and its rubbery-looking bill is almost one foot long. Although it may be awkward, the bill is very useful for catching food. The Ibis lives near salt or fresh water beaches, or in marshes or swamps. It feeds on small shellfish and frogs by poking its bill into the sand or mud to finds its prey.

White Ibis adults feeding

White Ibises are often seen in groups of a dozen or more. They can also be found wading with Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, other herons and Roseate Spoonbills. Ibises are more skittish than the larger wading birds. When disturbed, they take off suddenly and cry out with a loud honk. When the Ibis is in flight, you can see a black spot at the end of each wing which is barely visible when the Ibis is feeding.

Breeding colors
During breeding season, the bill and legs of the White Ibis turn a more reddish color, and the bill turns black at the tip. As breeding season ends, the red gradually turns back to bright orange. It is common to see some of each bill color in the same group.

White Ibises during breeding season
with reddish bills and legs

Young White Ibises
Young Ibises are brown, not white. Their bills and legs are pale orange, not the bright orange color of the adult. It takes about two years for the brown feathers to gradually change to the bright white adult coloring. During that time, the Ibis looks blotchy, as in the photo below. But don't mistake it for the Glossy Ibis which is dark brown with a tan bill and tan legs. The Glossy Ibis is very dark and has iridescent blue and green feathers on its wings and tail.

The young White Ibis changes from brown to white

The photos on this page were taken in Palm Harbor, Florida
and Tarpon Springs, Florida.