Birdsong field guide
White Ibis
Eudocimus albus
The White Ibis is a medium-sized wading bird characterized by its striking white plumage, long down-curved red bill, and sociable foraging habits in wetlands.
What it sounds like
A low, nasal, grunting 'urnk-urnk' or 'hunk-hunk,' primarily heard at nesting colonies or when the bird is startled.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- Adults develop bright red facial skin and bills that intensify in color during the peak of the breeding season.
- Juveniles are predominantly brown and white, taking approximately two years to transition into their distinctive all-white adult plumage.
- They employ a 'tactile' foraging strategy, probing their sensitive bills into mud to locate prey such as crayfish and aquatic insects by touch.
- Though they appear entirely white when perched, the outer primary feathers have black tips that are clearly visible during flight.
- White Ibises are highly colonial nesters, often forming dense rookeries alongside herons, egrets, and spoonbills.
Habitat
Saltmarshes, mangroves, cypress swamps, flooded pastures, and suburban lawns.
Range
Coastal regions of the South Atlantic and Gulf states, extending through the Caribbean and Central America to northern South America.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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