White Ibis 75 
The female is slightly smaller; the young bird has brown, on the 
wings, and does not attain its full plumage till the third year. 
Distribution.—From, Florida and the Gulf states south to the Straits 
of Magellan. A rare wanderer to Illinois and Colorado. 
The Spoonbill has been twice noticed in Colorado. Trippe reported 
i Morrison, that wu female was caught, and died shortly after, near 
Silverton, in June, 1888, and H. G. Smith saw one in Denver, which 
was said to have been killed near Pueblo in August, 1890. 
Family IBIDIDZ. 
Bill long and down-curved throughout, the sides 
somewhat compressed, a longitudinal groove on each 
side, at the base of which are the nostrils ; tail of twelve 
rectrices ; tarsi reticulate or scutellate. 
Genus GUARA. 
Face, including the chin, naked in the adults; head not crested ; 
claws stout and strongly curved; plumage not metallic, either white 
or scarlet. 
Key oF THE SPECIES. 
wt 
a. Plumage white. G. alba, p. 75. 
b. Plumage scarlet. G. rubra, p. 76. 
White Ibis. Guara alba. 
A.0.U. Checklist no 184—Colorado Records—H. G. Smith 96, p. 65; 
Cooke 97, p. 59. 
Description.—Adult—Plumage white except the tips of the wings, 
which are black; iris pearly-blue, bare face, bill and legs orange to 
carmine. Length 26; wing 11-75; tail 5-0; culmen 5 to 7; 
tarsus 3-5. 
The female is slightly smaller; young birds are dull brown above, 
and have less bare skin about the face. 
Distribution.—The southern United States north to North Carolina, 
Illinois and Utah; south to the West Indies and northern South 
America. 
A single instance of the occurrence of the White Ibis is reported 
from Colorado : H. G. Smith identified a specimen shot at Barr Lake 
near Denver in 1890. 
