An Exceptional Influx of Wood Ibises Into Southern California
An Exceptional Influx of Wood Ibises into Southern California
Although there doubtleas are Wood Ibises (Mycteria americana) in southern California every summer the numbers that have been observed this year are so large as to warrant special notice. In July, 1938, people began coming or telephoning to the San Diego Natural History Museum to report that they had seen the large white birds, until it became almost a daily occurrence. Ocean inlets, rivers, lakes and irrigated fields in localities too numerous to mention, and even the ponds at the zoo in Balboa Park, were reported as visited by the ibises. They evinced their customary fearlessness, allowing close approach and observation from automobiles along highways. The majority of the birds appear to have been immature. The largest figures reported were 1500 to 2000, seen by L. M. Huey in an go-acre alfalfa field (where the ibises were eating grasshoppers) on August 7 and again on August 17, one mile east of Seeley, Imperial County. About 500 were reported by Bernard Bailey at Hedionda Slough, San Diego County, from about August 1 to 14. Individuals are still here, there being on this date seven birds in the Mission Valley pool to which I referred in a previous note (Condor, vol. 33, 1931, p. 29)) and one in the zoo grounds, which has become so tame that it feeds from the hand.
Clinton G. Abbott
San Diego Socfety of Natural History, Balboa Park, San Diego, Caifornia September 19, 1938
