What do ibis feed on

Rodgers, Jr. Kale II, and H. Smith Eds. Rare and endangered biota of Florida, Vol. V: Birds. Herring, G. Gawlik, M. Cook, and J. Sensitivity of nesting great egrets Ardea alba and white ibises Eudocimus albus to reduced prey availability. Auk Katja Schulz. Accessed 22 Mar Skip to main content. Report Issues Report fish kills, wildlife emergencies, sightings, etc. Go Outdoors Florida!

White Ibis Eudocimus albus. Behavior The diet of the white ibis primarily consists of crabs, crayfish, fish, snakes, frogs, and insects. Highly sociable at all seasons, roosting and feeding in flocks, nesting in large colonies.

When groups wade through shallows, probing with their long bills, other wading birds such as egrets may follow them to catch prey stirred up by the ibises. Photo gallery. Feeding Behavior Forages by walking slowly in shallow water, sweeping bill from side to side and probing at bottom. Eggs , up to 5.

Young Both parents feed young, by regurgitation. Diet Varied; includes many crustaceans. Nesting First breeds at age of 2 years. Climate threats facing the White Ibis Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases.

More News. Explore Similar Birds. The Bird Guide Adopt a Bird. Limpkin Latin: Aramus guarauna. These birds need your help. Get Audubon in Your Inbox Let us send you the latest in bird and conservation news. Email address. Find Audubon Near You Visit your local Audubon center, join a chapter, or help save birds with your state program. Explore the Network. Become an Audubon Member Membership benefits include one year of Audubon magazine and the latest on birds and their habitats.

Join Today. The researchers are comparing six urban and six natural areas in Palm Beach County. They're placing identification bands on captured birds before releasing them, tracking movements using GPS devices, recording basic data about each ibis marked, taking blood samples and collecting feces for salmonella testing.

The scientists are focusing on salmonella because it causes one of the most significant diarrheal diseases in people and results in mortality in young wading birds such as ibises. To date, the biologists have found that GPS-tracked ibises at urban sites move very little compared to those at natural sites. The prevalence of salmonella in ibises at urban sites, as well as salmonella in city water and soil, is higher than that in ibises and in the environment at natural sites, says Hernandez.

Soon the scientists will have further insights to offer. Their next fieldwork is planned for Feb. They will place GPS tracking devices on as many as 50 ibises in urban parks and 50 in natural areas. The researchers hope the project will raise awareness about how "helping" wildlife species by feeding them may have unintended consequences.

The findings will also lead to improved ways people and wildlife can share habitats in cities. The result? Less danger in human-bird disease connections -- and more optimism for our co-existence with wild species.

White ibises with spoonbills, wood storks and other wading birds in Florida's Fisheating Creek.