The white ibis (Eudocimus albus) is a common sight in many yards and parks in Florida. With their distinctive curved bill and all-white plumage, these wading birds are easy to identify as they forage in grassy areas. White ibises are opportunistic feeders and will eat a wide variety of prey. If you have white ibises regularly visiting your yard, you may be wondering exactly what they are finding to eat there. Understanding their diet can help you appreciate the role these birds play in local ecosystems.
Typical diet of white ibises
White ibises mostly eat invertebrates, which are animals without backbones. Their curved bill allows them to probe into mud or sand to feel for prey hidden below the surface. Common foods include:
- Earthworms
- Insects like grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and caterpillars
- Spiders
- Snails
- Crabs
- Crayfish
They also eat other small aquatic animals like frogs, fish, and salamanders. While most of their diet is animal-based, white ibises will sometimes also eat seeds or grains.
Foraging behaviors
White ibises use several different foraging techniques to find food:
- Probing – They insert their long bills into soft, wet mud or sand to feel for prey hidden below the surface. The sensitive bill tip allows them to detect vibrations or movements.
- Capturing – When they detect prey with their bill tip, they quickly open and close their bill to capture food items.
- Pecking – They peck at the ground to capture active prey like insects and other invertebrates moving on the surface.
You may see white ibises practicing these foraging behaviors as they walk slowly across your lawn looking for food.
Foods white ibises eat in yards
Yards provide good foraging habitat for white ibises. Here are some of the things they commonly eat:
Earthworms
Earthworms are a staple food for white ibises. The birds probe for them in soft, moist soil. Irrigated lawns and gardens are especially attractive to ibises when the ground is wet. The mud allows them to easily probe for worms.
Insects
White ibises eat a variety of insects and other arthropods such as:
- Beetles
- Crickets
- Grasshoppers
- Caterpillars
- Spiders
- Centipedes
- Millipedes
They capture insects from the lawn surface as well as probing for them in the soil. Areas of thatch buildup in lawns can harbor many invertebrates for them to feed on.
Mollusks
Mollusks like snails and slugs are also eaten. Dense, moist vegetation and areas of leaf litter provide habitat for these prey.
Amphibians and reptiles
Small amphibians and reptiles are opportunistic prey. Young frogs, toads, lizards, and snakes may get snatched up.
Fish
If you have garden ponds or water features, white ibises will eat small fish and aquatic invertebrates like tadpoles. They may also forage at pond edges.
Bird eggs and nestlings
Rarely, white ibises may eat the eggs or young of birds nesting on the ground. Robins, killdeer, quail, and turtle doves are examples of birds with vulnerable ground nests.
Grains and seeds
While less common, white ibises may also eat grains from bird feeders or grass seed from recently seeded lawns.
When and where white ibises forage in yards
Paying attention to when and where the white ibises are feeding in your yard can provide clues to what they are eating.
Early morning and evenings
Insect activity peaks in the cooler hours of early morning and evening. You may notice ibises actively feeding during these times as they take advantage of active insect prey.
Time of Day | Expected Feeding Activity |
---|---|
Early morning | Active foraging for insects |
Mid-day | Resting, moderate feeding |
Late afternoon/evening | Active foraging for insects |
Recently irrigated areas
Watch for ibises feeding in sections of the yard that were recently irrigated or received rainfall. These damp areas will have earthworms and other invertebrates close to the surface.
Areas with thatch buildup
Thatch is a dense mat of grass stems and roots that accumulates on the soil surface. It provides great habitat for earthworms, insects, and other white ibis prey.
Near water and wetlands
White ibises will concentrate feeding around small wetlands, pond edges, and shallow flooded areas. These muddy environments allow them to easily probe for prey.
Benefits of white ibises in your yard
Rather than being a nuisance, white ibises provide important benefits:
- They help control insect and snail populations.
- They aerate soil with their probing while searching for earthworms.
- As members of a wetland ecosystem, they help move energy between aquatic and terrestrial food webs.
By understanding what white ibises eat in your yard, you can appreciate their ecological roles. Observing where and when they forage provides hints about their diet and behaviors. So next time white ibises visit your yard, take a moment to ponder what those curved bills might be capturing!
Conclusion
White ibises are common backyard visitors in many Florida neighborhoods. Yards provide the mud and dense vegetation that ibises need to forage for their invertebrate prey. Earthworms, insects, spiders, mollusks, and other small animals make up the bulk of their diet. Grains and seeds are also occasionally eaten. Paying attention to their foraging patterns in terms of time and location can provide clues to what they are eating. Rather than being nuisance birds, white ibises fill important ecological roles by controlling invertebrate populations, aerating soil, and transporting energy between ecosystems. By understanding their dietary habits, we can better appreciate the benefits these aesthetically striking wetland birds provide in suburban yards.