Finding a level very high
Landing on a quiet place
Taking a slow pace
Foraging for food
To feed their brood
Having built their nest
It is time to rest
Giving the young care
For them to soar above the clouds
And find new spaces away from crowds
Once in a while when I am in front of my
house or walking in the neighborhood I see a beautiful white bird with a long
neck and a sharp pointed beak probing in the grass. It moves slowly on its long legs and then
turns its head from side to side. Its
movements are graceful and smooth and are very relaxing for me to watch. Sometimes, it will stay very still as if it
is listening to something and then moves on as if searching. I am fascinated by it and yet puzzled to
identify it as an egret or an ibis. Not
being an ornithologist (expert on the study of birds) I decided to research the
identity of these two birds.
Herons are long-legged freshwater and
coastal birds with some 64 recognized species. Some are called egrets or
bitterns. Egrets are not a biologically
distinct group from the herons; and, they tend to be named differently because
they are mainly white or have decorative plumes. Although they have the same build as herons,
they are smaller. There is still no
clear consensus about their genus classification. During the 19th and early 20th
century egrets were endangered having been hunted for their plumes by hat
makers in Europe. A visit to the
Wakodahatchee Wetlands or Green Cay here in Palm Beach County allows one to see
many birds some of which are egrets.
The American ibis, often referred to as the
white ibis, is among the wading birds like the egret and both are indigenous to
Florida. It is a modestly sized bird
weighing about two pounds. It has been
the most abundant in the Everglades.
However, today it has become urban. The University of Miami adopted the American
white ibis as its official athletics mascot in 1926 and the yearbook was named
as the Ibis that year. There appear to
be such a variety of ibises and egrets that it is difficult to say which is
larger. You will need to determine which species of each to compare their size.
Both birds are monogamous, care for
their offspring, are nomadic, forage for food and for the most part have
adapted to our backyards. If you happen
to see one and can identify it as an ibis or an egret please let me know.
