WHITE IBIS – Pura Vida Birds and Birding – Reflections of the Natural World

@ Tárcoles–Tour en Bote, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Birds & Birding in Costa Rica: – Costa Rica’s national motto and tourism slogan, “La Pura Vida” loosely translates to Live Life or Enjoy Life. With over 900 bird species recorded in Costa Rica, there is certainly lots to enjoy! With 12 of the world’s 18 life zones, its diverse landscapes, including tropical rainforests, cloud forests, mangroves, and savannas, provide habitat for a wide range of iconic birds A Reflections of the Natural World Blog Post Series by Jim Gain

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ABOUT THIS SPECIES

WHITE IBIS – (Species Account Blog #83)

TAXONOMIC TREE:

ORDER: Pelecaniformes,
FAMILY: Threskiornithidae,
BINOMIAL NAME: Eudocimus albus

The White Ibis is a striking, white wading bird with a long, distinctively decurved bill. It usually nests, feeds, and flies in large conspecific flocks. Adults are white with a bit of black on the wingtips. Red decurved bill and pinkish-red legs. Bright blue eyes. Immatures are half brown, half white. Forages in saltmarshes and shallow wetlands, often in flocks. In flight, flaps quickly and then glides on bowed wings. (from Birds of the World)

SIMILAR SPECIES

Glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus) also has a downwardcurving bill but is uniformly dark. Adult glossy ibis has purplish coloration, and young birds are uniformly brown. An immature glossy ibis could be mistaken for a juvenile white ibis, but glossy ibis lacks the white patch on the back (best seen during flight) and belly is dark, not white. Bills of all egrets and herons are straight, not curved.

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