A Genetically Mutated Black Ibis!

Heat84

I happened to look out my bedroom window and saw a flock of Ibises in my front yard hunting for worms, and one of them was black. I wonder how rare they are. This is obviously a genetic mutation. In the second picture, you can see the feathers are actually very dark red.

On DSLR there was a section for posting pictures. I thought there was a section for that here. Why isn’t there a section for that here? The Digital Imaging and Photography section is more for discussing the mechanics of photography.

Astyanax

That’s a glossy ibis which we also have. I don’t see them often either.

Somewhat-Reticent

Heat84
This is obviously a ~~genetic mutation~~ glossy ibis in breeding plumage.

And not entirely exclusively black.

broknsymetry

Heat84 The Digital Imaging and Photography section is more for discussing the mechanics of photography.

I don’t think anyone would stop you from posting pics there; you could even start a “Gallery” thread.

egeezer

Somewhat-Reticent

Yep, +1 for glossy ibis. I’ve seen several, usually one or two in with white ibis. They like to feed in lawns in the morning where we lived, and there were usually flocks of them in with the egrets, storks and herons at Eagle Lakes, Corkscrew Swanp and Big Cypress.

Heat84

egeezer Yep, +1 for glossy ibis. I’ve seen several, usually one or two in with white ibis. They like to feed in lawns in the morning where we lived, and there were usually flocks of them in with the egrets, storks and herons at Eagle Lakes, Corkscrew Swanp and Big Cypress.

What about the beak being black? Doesn’t that indicate genetic mutation?

Sparkchaser

Heat84 a flock of Ibises in my front yard

You can tell I’m a city kid. I see IBIS and I think hotel chain. 🙃
Interesting pic and thanks for posting.

Somewhat-Reticent

Heat84 No, it’s breeding coloration.
Reddish-orange in otherwise white polar bears or foxes is weather-influenced.
It’s adaptation within one organism’s lifetime; mutations take generations.

egeezer

Heat84 What about the beak being black? Doesn’t that indicate genetic mutation?

No. The bill description ranges from gray to black. Also in the sun the bird’s colors are iridescent, not black. They’re quite pretty.

See
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Glossy_Ibis/overview

Somewhat-Reticent

egeezer not just black

Fixed. 😉

Astyanax

egeezer With all this rain we’ve been having all the bugs and worms have been coming out of the ground and lawns so it’s like an all you can eat buffet for them.

It’s really cool when like 10-20 of them fly overhead in their echelon formation. You can even hear them cutting whooshing through the air as they pass over.

Somewhat-Reticent

Astyanax really cool … formation

Yeah, a school courtyard can collect v-patterns of droppings.
The lead goes a split-second before all the rest.
Crossing a campus cleanly can require diligent alertness.