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The Wood Ibis as a Winter Visitant to California

A. B. Howell

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The Wood Ibis (Nycteria americana) has been noted in southern California only during the summer, so it seems desirable to put on record the presence of at least one small flock, numbering eleven individuals, in the vicinity of Calexico, Imperial County, during the last two days of November, 1919. I saw these birds twice (once close enough to make identification absolute) while they were flying over, and the manager of my ranch stated that he had seen the flock every few days during the past six weeks. As there had been considerable cold weather with some ice previous to this date, it is safe to presume that the birds were not merely laggards from the regular summer invasion of the species of the Colorado Valley. This flock was reported to have spent considerable time in the alfalfa fields, which were not being irrigated because of recent rains. I regard this information as coming from a reliable source, and although this species is not known to feed on grasshoppers, nor indeed on anything which they do not secure from the water, what else could they be doing in an alfalfa field? It is not many years since this valley was put under cultivation, and it has had a very marked effect in modifying the bird population. Although the winter nights are chilly, the days are decidedly warm, and it would not surprise me if the Wood Ibis, as well as other species that have heretofore been considered warm weather visitants, gradually decide to resort to this section throughout the year.

Berkeley, California, Janunry 4, 1920

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