Glossy Ibis on Henry Miller Road, Merced County

February 17, 2008

found by John Sterling
seen also by Steve Glover

all photos by John Sterling ©

We watched this bird for about 20 minutes in a flooded field several miles east of Santa Nella on Henry Miller Road (east of large pond and the "jog" in the road at Volta).  It was with ~2,000 Ring-billed Gulls and ~200 White-faced Ibis.  The bird was noticeably different from the other ibis by the dark eye, dark legs with no hint of pink, dark facial skin and the different color on the pale stripes bordering the facial skin.  This color was a pale gray with perhaps a bluish cast, unlike the more white stripes on a few adult White-faced Ibis in the area.  Of course, I don't know enough to rule out a possible hybrid GlossyXWhite-faced at this point, so comments are welcome.