Wood Ibis in Ventura County, California
Wood Ibis in Ventura County, California
On July 26, 1925, I shot a Wood Ibis (Mucteria americana) near the mouth of the Santa Clara River in Ventura County, California. It was one of a flock of nine, all in the immature plumage. The birds were feeding in the shallow margins of sloughs, in a dense growth of pondweed (Potamogeton, sp.?). When feeding, they kept the head and neck down continuously, often immersing the bill almost to the base and raising the head only slightly when swallowing. They stayed in one spot for a long period; turning or advancing a step or two; and as they walked, they shook or wiggled the toes of one foot in the water, either in front near the bill or off to one side (see Law, Condor, XIV, 1912, p. 41). The last published records for this region are for 1901 and 1904, but the caretaker in a neighboring gun-club says that he saw a small flock in 1918 or 1919.
Ralph Hoffmann
Carpinteria, California, November 14, 1925
