Subject: white ibis
Date: Jan 18 17:36:11 2001
From: EXT-Haynie, Carl B - Carl.Haynie at PSS.Boeing.com


Gene's description fits the bird I observed at Bay Center on 12/30/00
(except we did not get eye color). I guess I ought to go back and
re-read the tweeters digest on the initial sighting. I could swear the
initial observer described a 1st year bird...

I've seen this "off-white" plumage before in Texas and have always
attributed it to 2nd year birds, but staining is certainly another
possibility. Photographs I've taken of winter adults in s. Florida in
late December show a clean white plumage with only muted soft
part coloration, unlike the scarlet red soft parts of breeding
plumaged birds.

Carl Haynie


> Subject: white ibis
> "Eugene Hunn" <enhunn at Home.com>
> Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 21:37:25 -0800
>
> There may be some confusion about White Ibis plumages. The bird now present
> near Raymond is not a first year bird. The plumage is basically white, even
> showing the neat black tips to several outer primaries. The bill and legs
> are pink, not scarlet, but the eye is pale blue. However, the white plumage
> is smudged with a pale buffy tan over most of the back. The image of the
> Newport, Oregon bird seems cleaner, whiter, but also not a 1st year bird,
> which has blackish primaries, etc. Could it be a sub-adult, 2nd year plumage
> that is not illustrated in the guides? Or is it just a winter adult plumage,
> perhaps stained?
>
> Gene Hunn.
>