Bird Gallery Index

White Ibis image © Helen Baines

Family: (Threskiornithidae) Ibises and Spoonbills

Preferred Habitat: Marshes, mudflats and flooded fields.

Seasonal Occurrence: Very common spring through fall. Less common in winter.

Notes: The White Ibis is one of our most common, large waterbirds. With its curved red bill, red legs, and large, white body, it is also one of the most striking. Flocks in flight may be distinguished from pelicans and wood storks by their tendency to fly in V formations. Note also that their wings are all white except for black wing tips. Juveniles have light brown plumage which becomes mottled in winter. Good spots to view White Ibis include Brazos Bend State Park and Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. A few nest in the Smith Oaks Rookery (5 nests were counted in 2005). North Deer Island routinely has thousands of nesting White Ibis.
- Susan Billetdeaux