First breeding record of the White Ibis (Eudocimusalbus) in Virginia

by Paula C. Frohring and Ruth A. Beck

Refuge, and severalflocks totaling over 100 THaEsWHITEa regular IBISbreeding (Eudocimus bird onalbus) the Atlanticislisted juveniles were sightedat Smith Lake, Norfolk coastfrom Florida to SouthCarolina with post- County, Virginia (Raven 1970. 42:38). Since nestingdispersal by immaturesinto NorthCar- 1968 immature White Ibises have been olina (Palmer, 1962. Handbook of North reported sporadically in Virginia. In 1970 AmericanBirds, I. NewHaven, p. 525).Since small numbers of juveniles appeared in seven 1962 a breedingpopulation has been estab- differentlocations throughout the state (Raven lished in North Carolina. The influx of 2000 1970. 42:38). A few sightingsoccurred in 1972 lmmaturesinto Battery Island Rookery, South- (Raven 1972. 44:79), and in 1973 (Raven 1974 port, North Carolina in 1968 was considered 45:75). All 1976 reports cited individual indicativeof northwardexpansion by the spe- immature birds (American Birds 1977. 30:47, cies(Audubon Field Notes 22:597-599).Adults 826, 939). The largest flock of iramatures in eventuallyestablished in this heronry,and by Virginia since1968 was seenby R. Waterfield 1977, 1500 pairs of White Ibis nested in the at Back Bay National Wildlife Refugeon June BatteryIsland Rookery(Parnell, pers.comm.). 22, 1977. Over half of the 20 sub-adults first At AlligatorBay, North Carolinain 1969,133 seen on the refuge remained through July 20 juvenilesroosted (Chat 1971.35:7). Although (JohnSchroer, pets. comm.). adults have not nested this far north in North During the 1977 breeding season adult Carolina, it is notable that in 1970 a small White Ibiseswere reported in threelocations in groupof adultswintered in the LowerNewport Virginia. A pair of adultswas seenin a flock of River area near Morehead City. This popula- of sevenGlossy Ibises near Shelly Bay, Chm- tion remainedthe followingwinter (Chat 1971. coteague, Virginia by R. N. Williams. Bill 35 80), and doubled in number to 100 residents Williams observedan adult in the heronry on by the winter of 1972-1973(Chat 1973.37:52). Hog Island, NorthhamptonCounty, Virginia, Fifty pairs of White Ibis nestednear Morehead and reportedthat he, William Akers, and Tom City duringthe 1977breeding season (Parnell, Wiebolt had seen two White Ibis adults in the pers.comm.). Individual adults were reported FishermansIsland heronry.The latter sighting in the wintersof 1974-1975(Chat 1975. 39:9, followed a series of observations on Fis hermans 95),1975-1976 (Chat 1976.40:35), and through Island Wildlife Refuge(37ø6'N, 75ø58'W). Doc- the fall until December 30 on Pea-Bodie Island tor and Mrs. Greg Capelli and Dan Engstrom National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina reportedan adult White Ibis on the refugeon (Chat 1977. 41:37). Althoughseveral adults May 5. Mitchell Byrd, Thomas Stock and the werepresent in the Pea Island heronryin the first author again observedone adult in breed- 1977 nestingseason, no White Ibis nestswere ing plumage there. on May 8. Byrd alerted found(Parnell, pers. comm.). observersof previous White Ibis movements and of a possible first nesting record in Virginia. The first author recorded five more OST-NESTINGDISPERSALby immature White sightings in May, and four observationsin Ibis wasexceptional in 1968,for juveniles June. On May 17 three adults were first seen weresighted as far north as Far Hills, Somerset within the heronry.Two adults were observed County, New Jersey (Raven 1968. 39:28-29). on May 21 standingin the tall Spartina alterre- During that summer a flock of 30 immatures flora zone of a marsh on the refuge. The pair was reported at Back Bay National Wildlife flew up, called, and circled low overheadsev-

126 AmericanB•rds, January 1978 eral times. On four occasionsa single White 4 m abovethe ground. We found two ten-day- Ibis flew into the samevicinity of the heroncol- old chicks in the nest. Their solid black heads, ony as noted on May 8. sheathedwhite featherson the backs, rumps and chests,and vocalizationsdistinguished them from neighboringGlossy Ibis nestlings. FISHERMANSa five-acre stand,ISLAND comprisedheronryisof located Black During our observation,both parentsvocalized Cherry (Prunusserotina), Sassafras(Sassafras from perchesabove us. The moreactive parent albidium), and American Holly (Ilex opaca) called and moved from branch to branch, often which abruptly changesto Wax Myrtle (Myrica standingin dear view. The discolorationof this cerifera). The taller cherry stand is densely bird's neck and back indicated that it had populated by Black-crowned Night Herons youngbegging for food (JamesKushlan, pers. (Nycticoraxnycticorax) nesting from 4.5 to 6 m high. Three small groupsof Great Egrets(Cas- merodius albus) also nest in this area. The den- ser Wax Myrtle stand contains Black-crowned Amazing new Night Herons at the higher elevations, with More THISTLE SEED Snowy Egrets (Egretta thula), Louisiana Her- FEEDER attracts Birds goldfinches,purple ons (Hydranassa tricolor), and Glossy Ibis finches,red polls, (P!egadisfalcinellus falcine!!us) nesting from 2 siskins, chickadees, to 4 m. Little Blue Herons (Florida caerulea) tufted titmouse. nestat a similar height but as a more homoge- Your Easy-to-install! Saves on seed! neousgroup in a more opensection of the Wax Yard Birdspick out one Myrtle stand.In 1976,Cattle Egrets(Bulbulcus thistleseed at ibis) reoccupiedother species'nests adjacent or your atime. to, and among the Little Blue Herons.In 1977, money the majority of the Cattle Egret population back! reoccupied nests apart from the Little Blue Herons. Hatching dates for the Cattle Egrets coincidewith the third or fourth peak for other species(early July), and continue until mid- September.It was during this latter hatching BIRD TREE B 5 Swallow Lane, period that the coauthorsfound the first White St. Paul, MN 55110 Ibis nest reported in Virginia on July 10, 1977. Send __Feeders including FREE I lb. thistle seed • The nestwas locatedin a mature Wax Myrtle $8.25 each PPD. If not de- lighted I will return within 30 at the sharptransition zone between cherry and days for full refund.

Wax Myrtle near the centerof the heronry. Name

Street City State Zip HEativeNEST to surroundingWASDISTINCTIVELY ones, situated LARGE. in rel-the fork of Wax Myrtle branchesat approximately

MERLIN BIRDING TOURS

T.Ben 1977-1978Feltner, Owner ,a••-:•-' •.. Trips of exceptional qualityscheduled th roughoutthe Republic of Mexico,Panama, Texas, Alaska, Arizona and Canada. '•' "" .:•.,,; Foritinerary write: Elaine Robinson, Director Merlin Birding Tours, P.O. Box 19687, Houston, Texas 77024, 713-461-2589

Volume 32, Number I 127 comm.).After we moved'to an observation point 6 m from the site, the active parent approachedthe nest, exchangingcalls with the Communications older chick. We revisitedthe nestthe following day and on July 13 both chickswere measured and banded with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serv- ice bands 806-39145 and 806-39146. To the editor: This record constitutes a northward exten- In the article on the Newburyport,Mass., sion of the breeding range of the speciesof Ross'Gull by Miliotis and Buckley(/lB 29:643- approximately150 nauticalmiles. 646, 1975), the bird was incorrectlyreferred to --Department of Biology, College of William as "the first Ross' Gull ever recorded in North and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185. America away from Arctic waters." This error was repeated in the account of the December 1976 bird shot in Newfoundland (/lB 31:307). Althoughnot well known. there is a previous record of Ross' Gull from Victoria, British Columbia: on Nov. 9, 1966, an immature Ross' was photographedby Ralph Fryer at Victoria's Clover Point. An excellentphotograph of this bird was publishedin Syesis4:218, 1971 (Jour- nal of the British Columbia Provincial Museum).Thus the speciesshould be watched for on the Pacific coast as well. --Wayne C. Weber, Department of Zoology, MississippiSt., Univ., MississippiState, MS 39762. [Similarly from SpencerG. Sealy, Univ. of Manitoba, Winnipeg,R3T 2N2.]

To the editor: The Changing Seasonsfor September,1977, Porcelainsof Point Reyes was a wonderfuljob. However,the accountof Collection the Gray-breasted Martin (AB 31:971) in, Florida, as representingthe first record in the $400.00 United States, is in error. In the Checklist of color brochure available. send .25 to: the Birds of Texas and Oberholser's Bird Life PATRICE BOYD STUDIO of Texas (1974), you will find accountsof both P.O. BOX 200 specimensand nestingrecords for this species PITKIN, COLORADO 81241 for Texas. Also, there are many unsubstan-

POINT REYES BIRD OBSERVATORY offers many outstandingnatural excursionsin 1978:

Transect of California June 14-22 Birds of the High Sierra June 27-July 1 Birds of SE Arizona July 6-13 Birds of Ecuador August Birds of San Bias Mexico Nov. 17-25 or Dec. 22-30 For detailedinformation or brochurewrite PRBO, 4990 Shoreline Highway, Stinson Beach, Ca. 94970.

128 AmericanBirds, January 1978