What is it??? by thewatersphotos

What is it???

This bird showed up in our field eating bugs last week. He stayed for a while. We got close enough to photograph it then it flew. The wing span was about 4 to 5 feet wide (I'll show that tomorrow). It looks to be a "young" whatever it is. It actually flew back that afternoon and I saw it again the next day fly over the field and land in a different part to feed. We have not seen it since. Any guesses. It does not look like anything else we have here in our area of Southeast, USA.
Looks kind of like a heron to me... not sure... pretty bird though.
July 8th, 2020  
Pat
Lovely bird.
My bird identifier app has brought up a white faced ibis but I'm not sure how accurate it is.
July 8th, 2020  
Looks like a glossy ibis maybe? You get those in Africa but also in Florida area and the Caribbean. Lovely shape to that bill. Here is a Wikipedia link. See what you think: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossy_ibis
July 8th, 2020  
Lovely bird, it’s a white faced Ibis similar to the glossy Ibis. I think!?
July 8th, 2020  
amazing beak
July 8th, 2020  
Such a beak - what a super find!
July 8th, 2020  
Agree It looks like a Staw-Necked Ibis.
Nice find!
July 9th, 2020  
Fascinating to see wildlife you're unaccustomed to seeing, pulling out the resource books and Google-ing them to try and identify them. Always good to get a photograph. Good one Gary.
July 9th, 2020  
@kvphoto That was my first thought, but then not really...
July 9th, 2020  
@pattyblue Thanks for the suggestion. It does have that look, but not the same wing colors.
July 9th, 2020  
@casablanca Thanks for the suggestion. It could be, but we are a LONG way from any of those places.
July 9th, 2020  
@craftymeg Thanks for the ideas...it does look similar to both.
July 9th, 2020  
@thewatersphotos I had a further bit of research and discovered rarely, but it does happen, that they come inland to Alabama.......so you never know!
July 9th, 2020  
@zambianlass Isn't it?!! We don't typically have anything like this here. Wondering how it got so far off course.
July 9th, 2020  
@milaniet Thanks. It is a mystery.
July 9th, 2020  
@randystreat Thanks, Kathy! I'm glad my camera was handy and that it was so willing to just sit there!
July 9th, 2020  
@casablanca Fascinating!! Do mind sending me the link?
July 9th, 2020  
@thewatersphotos Sure, here you go: https://www.outdooralabama.com/herons/glossy-ibis If you search on the internet for Glossy Ibis in Alabama, you find some interesting notes. It's very common further south but it can come in now and then.
July 9th, 2020  
@thewatersphotos I wonder / I’m sure the changing world climate is confusing many birds
July 9th, 2020  
@zambianlass That is very possible!
July 9th, 2020  
@casablanca Thank you!
July 9th, 2020  
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