# White-faced Ibis (*Plegadis chihi*) The White-faced Ibis is a beautiful bird with shiny feathers and a long, curved beak. They love to wade in shallow water and hunt for tasty insects and small fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 7 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![White-faced Ibis](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/White-faced_ibis_at_Seedskadee_National_Wildlife_Refuge_%2852101634311%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: USFWS Mountain-Prairie, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:White-faced_ibis_at_Seedskadee_National_Wildlife_Refuge_%2852101634311%29.jpg) ## Appearance The White-faced Ibis has glossy, dark maroon-brown plumage with an iridescent sheen of green, bronze, and purple, most noticeable in sunlight. During breeding, it features a striking white feather border around its bare, red facial skin and bright red eyes, making it distinctive among other marsh birds. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Pelecaniformes - **Family:** Threskiornithidae - **Genus:** Plegadis ## Interesting facts - Their legs and eyes turn bright red during breeding season, a stunning transformation! - They often forage alongside other wetland birds, sometimes even sharing nesting colonies. - This ibis makes a loud, grunting call that sounds surprisingly like a pig! - Young ibises look plain brown at first, completely different from their vibrant parents. ## Special abilities - **Mud Prober:** White-faced Ibises can probe deep into soft mud with their long, decurved beaks to find hidden prey. - **Rainbow Feathers:** This ibis has iridescent feathers that shimmer with spectacular green, bronze, and purple hues in bright sunlight. - **Wetland Wanderer:** White-faced Ibises have long legs and partially webbed feet that help them wade easily through shallow water and mud. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 46-56 cm - **Wingspan:** 90-97 cm - **Weight:** 0.45-0.52 kg - **Lifespan:** 1-14 years - **Speed:** 45 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-5 - **Incubation:** 21-23 days - **Migration Distance:** 2000 km ## Diet & Feeding These birds use their curved beaks to find tasty insects, worms, and tiny aquatic animals. - **Primary Foods:** aquatic insects, earthworms, snails, crayfish, small fish - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons often raid nests for eggs and young chicks. - **Eats:** [Earthworm](https://www.snappit.app/explore/earthworm) (*Lumbricus terrestris*) — The ibis probes soft soil and mud for these common worms. - **Eats:** Red Swamp Crayfish (*Procambarus clarkii*) — They forage for these crustaceans in muddy wetland bottoms. - **Eaten by:** [Golden Eagle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-eagle) (*Aquila chrysaetos*) — Larger raptors occasionally prey on adult ibises. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Insectivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/insectivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet primarily consists of insects and other small invertebrates. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch birds from a distance to keep them safe and happy. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify White-faced Ibis? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is White-faced Ibis? 46-56 cm ### What is White-faced Ibis's wingspan? 90-97 cm ### How much does White-faced Ibis weigh? 0.45-0.52 kg ### How long does White-faced Ibis live? 1-14 years ### How fast can White-faced Ibis move? 45 km/h ### What does White-faced Ibis eat? These birds use their curved beaks to find tasty insects, worms, and tiny aquatic animals. ### Where is White-faced Ibis usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-tahoe-basin-management-unit) — Nevada, US · Forest - [P Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/p-ranch) — Oregon, US · Historic Site - [Eagle Borax Works](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/eagle-borax-works) — California, US · Historic Site - [Southern Nevada Zoological-Botanical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/southern-nevada-zoological-botanical-park) — Nevada, US · Zoo - [Sedgwick County Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sedgwick-county-zoo) — Kansas, US · Zoo - [Fort Duncan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-duncan) — US · Historic Site [View all places to see White-faced Ibis](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/white-faced-ibis) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [White-faced Ibis: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-faced-ibis)