WHITE-FACED IBIS
Plegadis chihi
CICONIIFORMES
Ibises (Threskiornithidae)

Range and Habitat

Breeds from Oregon sporadically east to Minnesota and south to southeastern New Mexico and Texas, and east to coastal Louisiana. Spends winters from southern California and the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana to El Salvador. Preferred habitats include salt and fresh marshes in the west, and coastal marshes and brushy islands in Louisiana and Texas.

SOUND: "oink", "graa-graa-graa"

White-faced ibises are declining throughout North America, where continuing threats include draining of wetlands and the widespread use of pesticides.
It is thought that the largest white-faced ibis nesting colony in the world can be found in the marshes around
the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

A group of ibises has many collective nouns, including a "congregation", "stand", and "wedge" of ibises.

The White-faced Ibis is a wading bird that is a member of the Threskiornithidae family. These birds prefer to breed in marshlands in large colonies. The range for this species includes the western United States, Mexico, southeastern Brazil, southeastern Bolivia, central Argentina, and the coast of central Chile. In the winter months, northern populations will migrate south, extending from California and Louisiana southward. Nests are built in low bushes or trees found in its natural habitat. Diets typically consist of insects, seeds, berries and nuts.
The current conservation rating for the
White-faced Ibis is listed as Least Concern.


photo by Jan Thiede-Smith of Castle Valley