A White-faced Ibis in Virginia

White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi is rare or accidental in the Mid-Atlantic states, so I was especially pleased to find this adult White-faced (above, right) amongst a small group of Glossy Ibis P. falcinellus at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia, on July 4, 2010. I must admit, I think this was the first time I’d seen these two species side by side, so I enjoyed the opportunity to study the subtly different field marks that distinguish them. White-faced and Glossy Ibis are very similar, but adults can be separated reliably by the color of the eyes and facial skin:

In this crop from the first image, note the red iris and pink facial skin of the White-faced Ibis. Glossy Ibis has dark brown eyes. The facial skin of Glossy Ibis is also dark, with whitish or powdery blue lines (see the bird on the left in the first image). Note also the generally brighter chestnut coloration of the White-faced, as well as the reddish legs.

White-faced also has more extensive white at the base of the bill, as can be seen in the above image.

Here is another image of the White-faced (center), with two Glossies, again illustrating the difference in eye and facial skin coloration.

In this image, the wings of the White-faced (front right) are noticeably bronzy green, not blue-green as in Glossy.

This shot of the White-faced in flight again nicely illustrates both the bronzy-green wings and the pink facial skin and red eyes. This bird, and the Glossies were foraging in one of the few remaining pools of water along the north side of Snow Goose Pool, right alongside the auto loop.