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Nick@Amsterdam

Oriental White Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)???

Can anyone identify this species? Is this Threskiornis melanocephalus (Black-headed Ibis or Oriental White Ibis)? These birds have a fully feathered head?!

Oriental White Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)???
Nick@Amsterdam, 8 Sep 2011
    • Nick@Amsterdam
      Can anyone identify this species? Is this Threskiornis melanocephalus (Black-headed Ibis or Oriental White Ibis)? These birds have a fully feathered head?!
      8 Sep 2011
    • Chlidonias
      I don't know what to make of these birds. I can only think of two possibilities: juvenile Oriental white ibis - but I have never seen in life or photos juveniles that are so clean and white - or (perhaps a remote idea) hybrids between Oriental white ibis and one of the spoonbills?

      Anybody else want to make suggestions?

      The other photo is here: http://www.zoochat.com/859/oriental-white-ibis-threskiornis-melanocephalus-234686/
      27 May 2012
    • Maguari
      If you cover up the bill you'd swear it was a (possibly juvenile) Black-faced Spoonbill (Platalea minor). I don't think your hybrid theory is as crazy as it sounds - I don't think there's anything else that would look like that.
      27 May 2012
    • Chlidonias
      that's what I was thinking. The bodies are very spoonbill-like - you can see it especially in the one at the back with its bill underwater - and the legs and bill are very black.
      27 May 2012
    • Nick@Amsterdam
      Mmm… Interesting… Does anyone know whether hybridization between a spoonbill and an ibis is possible at all? Are they 'genetically' compatible?
      28 May 2012
    • Chlidonias
      yes there are a number of spoonbill X ibis hybrids documented from various species. I've got a thread on here about one in the wild in Europe I'll dig out in a minute....
      28 May 2012
    • Chlidonias
      28 May 2012
    • Nick@Amsterdam
      The other possibility, though much less likely, is of course… a new species… :)

      After all, western China hasn't been thoroughly visited yet by many scientists…
      28 May 2012
    • Chlidonias
      you do know that China has a lot of its own internationally-respected zoologists? Its kind of insulting to suggest that only "western scientists" could possibly find new species in China!!
      29 May 2012
    • Nick@Amsterdam
      Oeps... This is an unfortunate usage of words! I didn't mean it this way of course! :eek: My apologies if I offended anyone. Any way, I changed the text.
      29 May 2012
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