White Ibis with Muddy Beak

Stunning detail in this close-up portrait of a White Ibis in breeding plumage (Scientific name: Eudocimus albus). Every spring, the color around the face darkens making them even more striking than other times of the year. The dark markings on the beak are streaks of mud from the rich soil this bird has been probing for grubs.

I took this photograph at Gatorland in Orlando, Florida where the wild birds who turn the breeding marsh into a very busy rookery every spring. The alligators protect the nests by keeping predators at bay (snakes, raccoons, and others that like to steel eggs). I highly recommend a visit if you're in Orlando anytime between March and early June.
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