White Ibis
White Ibis has edged down: down 19% on the route-weighted index since 1968.
About the White Ibis
The White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) is a North American member of the Ibises & Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the wetland birds.
- Size
- 21.5–35.5 in long (55–90 cm) — a large wader (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Marshes, ponds, lakeshores and other freshwater wetlands.
- Diet
- Aquatic invertebrates, small fish, frogs and plant matter.
- Range
- Recorded on 410 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 13 states, most concentrated in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.
- Family
- Threskiornithidae · Wetland birds
Notable White Ibis Trends
No notable trend signals for White Ibis. See the full index history below.
White Ibis Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, White Ibis is projected to rise about 90% by 2029 — from 0.86 in 2024 to a central estimate of 1.6 (95% range 0.76–2.5). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±117.8%, with 20% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.6 | 0.68 | 2.4 |
| 2026 | 1.6 | 0.70 | 2.5 |
| 2027 | 1.6 | 0.72 | 2.5 |
| 2028 | 1.6 | 0.74 | 2.5 |
| 2029 | 1.6 | 0.76 | 2.5 |
Where the White Ibis Is Detected
BBS routes recording White Ibis, sized by most recent count.
White Ibis Population Trend by State
| Alabama | +318% | 1969 | 36 |
| Arkansas | -80% | 2001 | 7 |
| Florida | -61% | 1968 | 118 |
| Georgia | +23% | 1968 | 56 |
| Louisiana | +397% | 1969 | 77 |
| Maryland | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Mississippi | -5% | 1977 | 22 |
| New Jersey | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| North Carolina | +148% | 1970 | 20 |
| Oklahoma | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| South Carolina | -26% | 1968 | 19 |
| Texas | +980% | 1970 | 48 |
| Virginia | insufficient data | n/a | 3 |
White Ibis Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Oaks and Prairies | 16× | 1980 | 10 |
| West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas | +76% | 1988 | 39 |
| Mississippi Alluvial Valley | +75% | 1970 | 39 |
| Southeastern Coastal Plain | -45% | 1968 | 188 |
| Peninsular Florida | -55% | 1968 | 81 |
| Gulf Coastal Prairie | 24× | 1969 | 46 |
White Ibis Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it down about 18% since 1968.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.