Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Family: Threskiornithidae

This bird, along with various other species, are free to roam in part of the Tropical building at the Calgary Zoo. While we do not get these birds in the wild, if one is lucky, one can see a White-faced Ibis on various slough locations outside Calgary, such as Frank Lake, SE of the city. Both species have such gorgeous, iridescent feathers. This photo was taken on 6 October 2015. “The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa. This large, glossy, blue-black ibis has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, decurved red bill. It breeds colonially on and amongst rocks and on cliffs, laying two or three eggs which are incubated for 21 days before hatching. It feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents and small birds. The ibises are gregarious long-legged wading birds with long down-curved bills; they form one subfamily of the Threskiornithidae, the other subfamily being the spoonbills. The two Geronticus species differ from other ibises in that they have unfeathered faces and heads, breed on cliffs rather than in trees, and prefer arid habitats to the wetlands used by their relatives.” From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_bald_ibis www.arkive.org/southern-bald-ibis/geronticus-calvus/

This photo was taken on 6 October 2015 at the Calgary Zoo. I always find it difficult to get decent photos in this building - it's so hot and humid, with poor light and a camera lens that steams up. I'm not sure, but I think this was the first time I had seen this kind of Ibis at the Zoo. “Hadada ibises have a wide range across sub-Saharan Africa, south to South Africa. They are Africa's most common and least aquatic ibis. Hadadas live in open grasslands, savannahs and rain forests, especially along wooded streams, marshes and river courses. They are also common around small towns and villages, in pastures and cultivated land and in timbered areas and are occasionally seen in the glades of deep forests. They are carnivores. In the early 1900s, Hadada Ibis underwent a marked decline in South Africa due to hunting during a period of colonial expansion. Since 1910, it has been expanding toward western Africa, probably as a result of reduced human persecution following legal protection; proliferation of imported tree species, providing new sites for resting and nesting in formerly treeless areas; construction of reservoirs; increase in irrigated land; and arrival of cattle in zones recently colonized by mans, as cow dung favors expansion of coprophagous insects, frequent prey of the species. The bird's name comes from its raucous call of "ha-ha-a-a-a-a," usually uttered on the wing. Hadadas typically call around dusk or sunrise, when returning to the roost or leaving it. One bird starts, followed by others. In large roosts, several groups may call simultaneously.” From the Oregon Zoo. www.oregonzoo.org/discover/animals/hadada-ibis en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadada_ibis

Yet again, I'm having to dig into my archives. I've only been able to get out on two walks since the car accident I was involved in (but not at fault) on 28 November 2015, and barely got any new photos. Today, I have had to cancel another volunteer shift and will have to cancel a dental appointment for tomorrow, just so that I can do things like phoning my Insurance Company. Hoping I don't need to go and report it to the Police. Also need to make an appointment to take my car in to be looked at. Yesterday morning, just as I was arrivng at the meeting place for a morning birding walk, I noticed a slight rattling sound. Then, in the evening, the rattle was much worse, sometimes sounding like one metal piece was scraping against another. Such a pain at any time, but December is a really bad month to be without a drivable car! I have been meaning to add one of the photos I took of very distant White-faced Ibis to my Marsland Basin album. The birds were so far away, so all I could get were fully-zoomed, cropped, poor images. People are doing everything they can to protect this beautiful wetland, so I wanted to include a photo of these special birds that have been seen there, for the record. On 28 June 2015, a large group of us went east of Calgary to a friend's wonderful property out on the prairies. Down an embankment from her house and extensive yard lies a beautiful wetland, which is part of their property. The temperature on this day was 32C (90F), but there was a very welcome, gentle breeze, which made it bearable. Much more pleasant than inside my house, which felt like an oven. We spent a few hours watching and photographing the distant birds, with some people making a very careful list of the birds seen at this location. An absolute little gem of a place, with 57 species of birds seen (as usual, there were many that I did not see, without binoculars). I will add the list compiled by our leader, Gus Yaki. 1. Canada Goose-7 2. Gadwall-150 3. Am. Wigeon-22 4. Mallard-7 5. Blue-winged Teal-150 6. Cinnamon Teal-30 7. Northern Shoveler-55 8. Northern Pintail-4 9. Green-winged Teal-5 10. Canvasback-1 11. Redhead-2 12. Lesser Scaup-24 13. Bufflehead-4 14. Ruddy Duck-1 f. 15. Am. White Pelican-1 16. Great Blue Heron-1 17. Black-crowned Night-Heron-1 18. White-faced Ibis-22 19. Swainson’s Hawk-3 20, Red-tailed Hawk-2 21. American Coot-1 22. Killdeer-26 23. Black-necked Stilt-25 24. American Avocet-85 25. Greater Yellowlegs-25, Southbound Autumn Migrants. 26. Lesser Yellowlegs-40, “ “ “ 27. Solitary Sandpiper-4, “ “ “ 28. Willet-8 29. Marbled Godwit-10 30. Baird’s? Sandpiper-1, “ “ “ 31. Wilson’s Phalarope-26 32. Franklin’s Gull-800 33. Ring-billed Gull-3 34. California Gull-1 35. Forster’s Tern-2 36. Black Tern-2 37. Mourning Dove-3 38. Northern Flicker-1 39. Least Flycatcher-2 40. Western Kingbird-2 41. Eastern Kingbird-1 42. Warbling Vireo-1 43. Black-billed Magpie-8 44. Tree Swallow-10 45. Bank Swallow-7 46. Barn Swallow-2 47. House Wren-2 48. American Robin-10 49. European Starling-40 50. Yellow Warbler-2 51. Clay-colored Sparrow-1 52. Red-winged Blackbird-40 53. Yellow-headed Blackbird-11 54. Common Grackle-12 55. Brown-headed Cowbird-3 56. Baltimore Oriole-2 57. House Sparrow-40 Many thanks, Lyn, for inviting us to come and see your beautiful property! What a treat. You certainly have an amazing variety of birds. Thanks, too, to the friends who gave me a ride - always greatly appreciated!

One of the places where these White-faced Ibis can be seen fairly locally is Frank Lake or, as in this photo, at a slough a short drive from Frank Lake. On 6 July 2015, the weather forecast looked good for that area. However, when I got there, the sky was overcast, the distant Rocky Mountains had completely disappeared, and the light was not good for taking photos, as can be seen in this rather grainy shot. For some reason, all the birds at Frank Lake, including the Ibis, were unusually active, which didn't help! There were three things that I thought I would try and photograph - yellow Canola fields, any kind of bird sitting on a fence post with Canola behind it, and an Eared Grebe with young ones on her back. Managed the first two, but there was just the one Grebe near the blind but too far to really photograph when she had a single baby on her back. I was lucky, though, to find several close White-faced Ibis at a slough NE of Frank Lake, one of which is seen in this photo. Caught this one through my rolled-down car window and just managed to catch the light shining on those gorgeous, iridescent feathers. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

One of the places where these White-faced Ibis can be seen fairly locally is Frank Lake or, as in this photo, at a slough a short drive from Frank Lake. Yesterday, 6 July 2015, the weather forecast looked good for that area. However, when I got there, the sky was overcast, the distant Rocky Mountains had completely disappeared, and the light was not good for taking photos. For some reason, all the birds, including the Ibis, were unusually active, which didn't help! There were three things that I thought I would try and photograph - yellow Canola fields, any kind of bird sitting on a fence post with Canola behind it, and an Eared Grebe with young ones on her back. Managed the first two, but there was just the one Grebe near the blind but too far to really photograph when she had a single baby on her back. I was lucky, though, to find several close White-faced Ibis at a slough NE of Frank Lake, one of which is seen in this photo. Caught this one through my rolled-down car window and just managed to catch the light shining on those gorgeous, iridescent feathers. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

This is a photo that was taken on 12 July 2014. These beautiful birds are now being seen this spring, but I have not seen any yet. One of the places where these birds can be seen is Frank Lake or, as in this photo, at a slough around Frank Lake. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis

Taken in the TransAlta Rainforest building at the Calgary Zoo on 14 October 2014. Whenever one goes into this building, it’s very warm and humid. This is bad enough in the summer, but now that we need sweaters, long-johns and jackets, it feels unbearably warm in there, though not as bad as in the Conservatory's butterfly room. Not the best photo, but the light in this area is not good for taking photos. “The African spoonbill (Platalea alba) is a long-legged wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae. The species is widespread across Africa and Madagascar, including Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. It lives in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water and nests in colonies in trees or reedbeds. They usually don't share colonies with storks or herons. The African spoonbill feeds in shallow water, and fishes for various fish, molluscs, amphibians, crustaceans, insects and larvae. The animal uses its open bill to catch foods by swinging it from side-to-side in the water, which catches foods in its mouth. Long legs and thin, pointed toes enable it to walk easily through varying depths of water. The spoonbill's nest, generally located in trees above water, is built from sticks and reeds and lined with leaves. During breeding season, the female lays three-five spotted eggs, and the male and female both take turns incubating them. African spoonbill chicks typically hatch after a month of incubation and are ready to leave the nest after another month of care.” From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_spoonbill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Today, 29 November 2014, the sun is trying its best to come out. Everywhere looks so beautiful in the sunshine, after several more inches of snow fell yesterday and overnight. My car is still at the garage, having a set of winter tires put on. This was expected to be finished yesterday, but I haven't heard anything further. Even if my vehicle had been ready to pick up yesterday late afternoon/evening, I wouldn't have gone, as the weather was awful and the roads treacherous. The temperature is -22C (-8CF) with a windchill of -31C (-24F). Stay warm, everyone!

These birds, along with other species, are free to roam in part of the Tropical building at the Calgary Zoo. While we do not get these birds in the wild, if one is very lucky, one can see a White-faced Ibis on various slough locations outside the city, such as Frank Lake, SE of the city. I've posted a previously posted photo of a wild White-faced Ibis in a comment box below. Both species have such gorgeous, iridescent feathers. The photo above was taken on 3 November 2014. Not sure I’ve ever seen this captive bird perched in a tree (indoors) before. IUCN Status is Vulnerable. “The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa. This large, glossy, blue-black ibis has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, decurved red bill. It breeds colonially on and amongst rocks and on cliffs, laying two or three eggs which are incubated for 21 days before hatching. It feeds on insects, small reptiles, rodents and small birds. The ibises are gregarious long-legged wading birds with long down-curved bills; they form one subfamily of the Threskiornithidae, the other subfamily being the spoonbills. The two Geronticus species differ from other ibises in that they have unfeathered faces and heads, breed on cliffs rather than in trees, and prefer arid habitats to the wetlands used by their relatives.” From Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_bald_ibis www.arkive.org/southern-bald-ibis/geronticus-calvus/

I don't think I've posted any photos from 28 July 2014, when I drove along some of the dusty, gravel backroads SE of the city. It was another really hot day, so I just had to get out of the house and into the air-conditioning of my vehicle. Once again, I was lucky to come across a lone White-faced Ibis on one of the small sloughs in the area. Quite a distance away, but not too bad using 48x zoom plus a tiny bit of cropping. There were a few other Ibis flying over the area, but too far away to try and photograph. This one was hanging out with a family of American Avocets. I always think that these beautiful birds look like they have escaped from the Zoo. Other birds seen that afternoon/evening included a Barn Swallow, a young Marsh Wren that was enjoying a dust bath, a single young Sora, several Coots including one young one, two or three different species of shore bird (will eventually post photos, but I may not have the IDs), American Avocets, a couple of Swainson's Hawks, and a Meadowlark (looking rather scruffy, so may have been a young one). "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis I'm not sure, but there seemed to be no sign of the beautiful Maximilian's Sunflowers that I love to see each year. This species found its way here, I believe from eastern Canada, and this was the only location where I have seen it. I did notice a couple of large holes in this area, which looked like someone may have dug up the plants. If so, who knows if it was because they wanted the plants in their garden or because this species in a non-native plant here. This is a long weekend here in Canada - Monday, 4 August 2014 is Heritage Day. Have a good, safe holiday, everyone!

These are such spectacular birds, with their beautiful, colourful, iridescent plumage. I always think they look as if they have escaped from the Zoo. Usually when I see them, they are flying high or else down in the mud way off in the distance. Various friends had been lucky enough to get even closer shots than this one, but I was really happy to spot this lone Ibis on a small slough near Frank Lake. Full zoom meant that some of the habitat was included. Two days ago, 12 July 2014, I spent a few hours in the late afternoon till mid-evening, driving just a few of the backroads SE of the city, in the Frank Lake area. I had been there the day before, too, and just couldn't resist a few more hours there. Some of the fields were aglow with vibrant yellow Canola crops, which I look forward to every year. The sun was shining, but it was such a hazy day, I believe from the large forest fires in the next province to our west (British Columbia). My first stop was at Frank Lake, where I saw a few more Eared Grebes with their quite large "babies". The light was really bad, so it was impossible to get photos that showed colour and details. Saw Soras again - love these little guys, they are so cute. A few very distant White-faced Ibis were in the area, but I lucked out later, finding this lone Ibis at a slough. The Barn Swallows are vicious at the moment, dive-bombing anyone who approaches the blind! You not only hear them as they whoosh past your head, you also feel them! Hang on to your camera if you take photos from inside the blind, as they will continue to dive-bomb. It's too bad, as they really don't make it very pleasant for people. Also saw a couple of small birds that I'm not sure of the ID for, along the country backroads. Posted one of them yesterday and will upload a very poor photo of the other sometime soon. "A dark wading bird with a long, down-curved bill, the White-faced Ibis is a western replacement for the Glossy Ibis. Similar in appearance and habits, the two species can be distinguished only by slight differences in coloring of the face and legs. From AllAboutBirds. In the book, "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher & Acorn, it says that, in Alberta, White-faced Ibis are very rare from May to September. Length is 22-25" (56-64 cm), wingspan 3'1" (94 cm). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-faced_ibis