Iridescent White faced Ibis morning preen

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The White-faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) is a striking bird adorned with iridescent plumage that shimmers in hues of purple, green, and bronze. During the breeding season, these elegant creatures enhance their appearance with a ruby-red eye, encircled by a sharp white mask, and pink legs. This guy is just starting to show the colors forming around the end of the beak, and the morning light, still slightly low on the horizon, lit off the colors in his feathers to show off the iridescent coloring that is often har to see in later day/harsher light.
White-faced Ibises are often found in marshes and wet agricultural fields, particularly alfalfa fields. In the arid western United States, they frequently fly long distances from roosting areas to foraging grounds. Keep an eye out for them during early mornings and late afternoons as they transit between these locations. This one was captured in a local Wildlife Sanctuary run by the Irvine Water District in SoCal
These long-legged birds use their distinctive, curving bills to probe moist soil. They search for earthworms and other invertebrates, typically at the edges of marshes or in wet farm fields. Their foraging behavior is essential because wetlands are scarce and often ephemeral in the American West, where they primarily reside