White-faced Ibis

Overview

The White-faced Ibis closely resembles the Glossy Ibis in overall plumage, sharing the same deep chestnut body color with an iridescent green-purple sheen on the wings, and the two species overlap in parts of their range. The most reliable distinguishing feature in breeding adults is a narrow border of white feathers surrounding the bare red facial skin around the eye and base of the bill, a feature absent in the Glossy Ibis.

• Deep chestnut body plumage with a glossy green-purple sheen on the wings
• Breeding adults show a thin white feather border around bare red facial skin
• Long, slender, downcurved bill
• Red legs and eyes in breeding condition, more subdued outside the breeding season

Feather Identification

White-faced Ibis feathers are nearly identical to those of the Glossy Ibis in color and sheen, with the clearest distinguishing feature being the narrow white feather border found around the face in breeding adults.

• Body contour feathers: deep chestnut brown, similar to Glossy Ibis
• Wing and back feathers: glossy green-purple iridescence over a chestnut base
• Facial border feathers (breeding adults): a thin band of white feathers surrounds the bare red skin of the face, a key distinguishing feature from Glossy Ibis
• Shaft color: dark, blending with the vane
• Vs. Glossy Ibis: virtually identical body feather color; the white facial feather border in breeding birds is the most reliable clue when present
• Vs. American White Ibis: entirely different, since American White Ibis feathers are white with black wingtips rather than chestnut and glossy

Plumage Details

Breeding adults show rich chestnut plumage with a glossy green-purple sheen on the wings and back, along with a narrow band of white feathers bordering the bare red facial skin, red legs, and red eyes. Non-breeding adults are duller, losing much of the facial white border and the vivid red bare-part coloration. Juveniles are browner and more mottled, lacking both the rich chestnut tone and the white facial border until they mature. A complete molt follows breeding, restoring the sheen and facial markings for the next cycle.

Habitat & Range

White-faced Ibis breed across parts of western North America and into Mexico and South America, favoring freshwater marshes, wet meadows, and flooded agricultural fields. Northern populations are migratory, moving south for the winter, while some southern populations are largely resident. It frequently forms mixed foraging flocks with other wading birds in productive wetlands.

Behavior & Field Notes

White-faced Ibis forage by probing mud and shallow water with their long, downcurved bill for invertebrates, small amphibians, and other prey, often in flocks moving steadily across a marsh or flooded field. They nest colonially in reeds, shrubs, or low trees, frequently alongside herons, egrets, and other ibis species. Vocalizations are low, guttural croaks given mostly at the breeding colony. Careful attention to the facial feather border in breeding adults is the best way to separate this species from the closely related Glossy Ibis where their ranges overlap.