BIRD-WATCHING 101

IBIS

Ibis is the common name

for various wading birds

having long, curved bills

and belonging to the fa-

mily Threskiornithidae,

which also includes the spoonbill. Ibis are found in most of the warmer areas of

the world and are familiar among the hieroglyphics on ancient Egyptian

monuments. The sacred ibis, Threskiornis aethiopica, of Africa

was worshiped in ancient Egypt for its legendary powers.

Two American species formerly confined to the

extreme south have extended their ranges northward in recent years: the

glossy ibis,

Plegadis falcinellus, approximately 60-cm in length and dark bronze

blue, now reaches Maine in annual flights; and the white ibis,

Eudocimus albus, larger and white with blackwingtips,

now nests in Virginia. The scarlet ibis of tropical

South America is approximately 60-cm

long. It makes its nest in

huge coastal

colonies.

Scarlet ibis

Sacred ibis

White ibis

Red ibis

Glossy ibis

"The bird-watchers's life is an endless succession of surprises."

W.H. Hudson -- The book of a Naturalist