This Plegadis ibis was photographed at Village Creek Drying Beds,
eastern Fort Worth, Texas on May 9, 2001 by Martin Reid. I was
able to get fairly close in my car, allowing full-frame looks
at just the head, via my telescope:- the eye was deep ruby-red;
the pale borders of the facial skin were the light powder-blue
typical of adult Glossy, but with a tinge of red where these two
areas met the eye, and a tinge of red was also noted just ahead
of the eye on the otherwise-dark-gray loral skin. This individual
was with five or six normal-looking White-faced Ibises, and it
appeared to be the largest bird in the flock (Glossies average
larger than White-faceds, but there is overlap). Glossy Ibis is
now annual at this location in Spring, usually in with a flock
of White-faced Ibises:
