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