White-faced Ibis in Pennsylvania! ~ September 18, 2021

Early on Friday evening, I found out that a White-faced Ibis had been found by Zach Baer in Chester County. There was no way I'd be able to make the nearly two-hour drive before dark, so I got up very early on Saturday and headed down there, getting there around sunrise. Eric Witmer was already there and directed me onto the bird in the grassy sections near the middle of the pond. Eventually, it got light enough to see more details on it. I was occasionally able to see the reddish eye and very rarely see a hint of reddish coloration in the knee area. There was a light border from the eye to the top of the base of the bill. When I later looked at the Sibley guide, the face pattern appeared to most closely resemble that of a "drab adult". The bill was grayish and evenly colored throughout. The head was a lighter shade than the neck and body. I could only manage to get some poor, distant photos in the harsh light.

To my knowledge, if accepted, this bird represents the fourth record for Pennsylvania! More photos of the bird can be found in my Pennsylvania Notables Album.

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