BirdNutz Photos

Bird Photos: Escapees: Sacred Ibis

This bird was present at Charleston Slough at the southwestern edge of the San Francisco Bay in the town of Mountain View, Santa Clara County, CA, around 8/92. This is a wonderful place to find wintering waterfowl, raptors and shorebirds. But a Sacred Ibis was off the radar of expectations. I have no idea where this bird could have originated.


		The Sacred Ibis is a striking bird that could be mistaken for other white waders like egrets. I photographed this bird in August 1992. It has a superficial resemblance to a Wood Stork, a very rare species for the San Francisco Bay Area. The stork would have a much broader black trailing edge to the wings and a stouter, less curved bill.

		This bird's range extends across North Africa, south of the Sahara, to Iran, and in Madagascar. It is also noted in a South Africa field guides. It is a bird that is well-represented in Egyptian art from the time of the pharoahs.

		Note the black-tipped tertials on the upper wing and the toes extending past the tail.

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