just came across this on another forum, a wild-occurring hybrid between an African spoonbill and a sacred ibis in a colony in Italy. You have to scroll down the page a bit to the third post to see the photo. Its pretty interesting. Birding Italy Net
I have never heard of this hybrid before. It must be very unusual. I wonder if there has ever been a hybred in Austarlia as we have 2 species of Spoonbill and three Ibis. I think it would have trouble feeding as the two species feed with dfferent ways. Maby it will be able to do both less efficently.
Good point. Does it 'sweep' like a Spoonbill or probe like an Ibis? Probably has learnt its own most efficient way to manage.
a very short clip of the hybrid bird feeding. Doesn't show much at all, but here you go: apparently the African spoonbill at the site is a solitary vagrant that settled there (I would have assumed an escaped bird). It first bred in 2004 with a European spoonbill, producing several hybrid chicks. It later took a new mate, the sacred ibis (part of a large established introduced population), and produced one hybrid chick in 2007 and two in 2008.
"Handbook Of Avian Hybrids Of The World" by Eugene M. McCarthy (2006) gives only the following spoonbill X ibis hybrids: roseate spoonbill X scarlet ibis in 1901 in captivity (doesn't name the facility) African spoonbill X sacred ibis - six offspring produced at Cape Town World Of Birds (South Africa) in 1988
another example of spoonbill x ibis hybridisation ("confirmed" in as much as I have seen them personally and believe them 100% to be hybrids) at Chengdu Zoo: http://www.zoochat.com/859/oriental-white-ibis-threskiornis-melanocephalus-234685/ Does anyone know who to pass this onto (apart for Eugene McCarthy mentioned in the last post) because it is surely of importance if it is an otherwise unknown example, especially given the paucity of hybrid records?
also note the link in the first post of this thread no longer works (the user has deleted their account).
There is also an African spoonbill X ibis hybrid in Osnabruck Zoo, Germany, it looks very interesting, but unfortunately I do not have pictures, but they should be around somewhere.
Just posted a photo from a Zooguide of the berlin Zoo from 1899 (!) on which a mated pair Oriental white ibis x Black-faced spoonbill - in the guide called ( in German ) Chinesischer ibis and Japanischer loeffler - with their single young. The year in which this breeding took place is not mentioned but it had to be before 1899. Spoonbills and ibisses are closely releated so it's not that strange hybrids are produced.
I have just uploaded photos of the Chengdu Zoo hybrids, and listed the links on the original photo: http://www.zoochat.com/859/oriental-white-ibis-threskiornis-melanocephalus-234685/
