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Friends of Woodland Park

P.O. Box 71
Houston, TX 77001
Phone Number
Dedicated to preserving the natural habitat, historical significance, & enjoyment of Houston's 2nd-oldest park, Woodland Park.

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Friends of Woodland Park

  • About
    • History
    • Mission and Purpose
    • FWP Board
    • Park Videos - Trails, Birding, History, & More
    • Woody the Turtle
    • Firefly Field
    • News
    • I-45 Expansion Impacts
  • Activities
    • Scavenger Hunt
    • Trail Maps
    • Community Center
    • After-School Program
    • Indoor Volleyball
    • Indoor Basketball
    • Indoor Pickleball
    • CoH Youth Tennis
  • Projects/Volunteers
    • 15 Projects for 15 Years
    • Gateway Project
    • Major Projects/Master Plan
    • Volunteer Projects
    • Report Park Issues
  • Membership
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
    • Membership
    • Your Account
  • Nature
    • Birds at the Park
    • Fish at the Park
    • Latest Bird Species Data
    • Mammals at the Park
    • Reptiles at the Park
    • Trees at the Park
    • Trail Maps
  • Calendar
  • Shop
    • Store
    • In-Person Purchases
Terry Foote.jpg

White Ibis

The American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) is a species of bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is found from the mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the United States south through most of the New World tropics. This particular ibis is a medium-sized bird with an overall white plumage, bright red-orange down-curved bill and long legs, and black wing tips that are usually only visible in flight. Males are larger and have longer bills than females. The breeding range runs along the Gulf and Atlantic Coast, and the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Outside the breeding period, the range extends further inland in North America and also includes the Caribbean. It is also found along the northwestern South American coastline in Colombia and Venezuela. Populations in central Venezuela overlap and interbreed with the Scarlet Ibis. The two have been classified by some authorities as a single species.

Their diet consists primarily of small aquatic prey, such as insects and small fishes. Crayfish are its preferred food in most regions; however, it can adjust its diet according to the habitat and prey abundance. It is a tactile, non-visual forager, whose main foraging behavior is probing with its beak at the bottom of shallow water to feel form, and to capture its prey.

During the breeding season, the American White Ibis gathers in huge colonies near water. Pairs are predominantly monogamous and both parents care for the young, although males tend to engage in extra-pair copulation with other females to increase their reproductive success. Males have also been found to pirate food from unmated females and juveniles during the breeding season.

Human pollution has affected the behavior of the American White Ibis via an increase in the concentrations of methylmercury, which is released into the environment from untreated waste. Exposure to methylmercury alters the hormone levels of American White Ibis, affecting their mating and nesting behavior and leading to lower reproduction rates.

Learn more at Wikipedia

White Ibis

The American White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) is a species of bird in the ibis family Threskiornithidae. It is found from the mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the United States south through most of the New World tropics. This particular ibis is a medium-sized bird with an overall white plumage, bright red-orange down-curved bill and long legs, and black wing tips that are usually only visible in flight. Males are larger and have longer bills than females. The breeding range runs along the Gulf and Atlantic Coast, and the coasts of Mexico and Central America. Outside the breeding period, the range extends further inland in North America and also includes the Caribbean. It is also found along the northwestern South American coastline in Colombia and Venezuela. Populations in central Venezuela overlap and interbreed with the Scarlet Ibis. The two have been classified by some authorities as a single species.

Their diet consists primarily of small aquatic prey, such as insects and small fishes. Crayfish are its preferred food in most regions; however, it can adjust its diet according to the habitat and prey abundance. It is a tactile, non-visual forager, whose main foraging behavior is probing with its beak at the bottom of shallow water to feel form, and to capture its prey.

During the breeding season, the American White Ibis gathers in huge colonies near water. Pairs are predominantly monogamous and both parents care for the young, although males tend to engage in extra-pair copulation with other females to increase their reproductive success. Males have also been found to pirate food from unmated females and juveniles during the breeding season.

Human pollution has affected the behavior of the American White Ibis via an increase in the concentrations of methylmercury, which is released into the environment from untreated waste. Exposure to methylmercury alters the hormone levels of American White Ibis, affecting their mating and nesting behavior and leading to lower reproduction rates.

Learn more at Wikipedia

   Photographer Les Ruthven at Woodland Park

Photographer Les Ruthven at Woodland Park

   Photographer Terry Foote

Photographer Terry Foote

 

 

Woodland park is located at 212 parkview, houston, texas 77009

Friends of Woodland Park is a 501(c)(3) noNprofit organization.
p.O. Box 71 • Houston, Texas • 77001

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