Everglades National Park

 South Florida was once a large series of wetlands that ran from the Kissimme River down to the Biscayne Bay. The numerous ponds, slough, sawgrass marshes, hardwood hammock and forested uplands were the basis of an intricate ecosystem that was home to many unique plants and animals. Unfortunately this amazing wetlands was a nightmare for early settlers that were looking for land to settle, farm, and graze their livestock. As these settles began to drain portions of the wetlands the fragile ecosystem began to suffer. Species at the top of the food chain, like the osprey above, were lead indicators of the damage to the environment.

By 1900 early environmentalists and conservationist became concerned about the impact that people were having on the habitat. Besides draining the wetlands, hunters were also killing millions of the wading birds, like the white ibis above. In 1900 Florida instituted a ban on plume hunting in southern Florida but many people were making a living off slaughtering these birds. The ban lead to tensions that eventually got conservation officers killed. In 1928 Ernest Coe began an effort to create the Everglades National Park and  in 1934 congress finally designated the park. It took supports another 13 years to purchase the land and in 1947 the Everglades National Park was dedicated.

Wading Birds

There are many species of birds that can be quite territorial. Some species are territorial all of the time while most species are territorial only during the breeding season. Many species of wading birds are not territorial at all. In the picture above there are 3 different species all feeding together. The larger white birds with the pinkish red beaks and legs are white Ibis, the two with white and black backs and brownish heads are American avocet, and the small black and white bird is a black-necked stilt. Besides feeding together many of the wading birds nest communally with many nesting right next to each other. Often times two to 5 species will all be nesting in the same rookery.

White Ibis

The white Ibis is an ibis that lives in the tropical and subtropical regions of North, Central and South America. They are found in a variety of habitats including coastal wetlands and mangrove swamps. The white ibis is a tactile hunter. They can often be seen wading through the water with their long beak held slightly open scraping the bottom. When they feel prey swimming through the water they grab it with their open beak. Prey typically consists of fish, aquatic insects and crustaceans. Crayfish are their favorite prey.

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Ibis

 

 The ibises are a group of wading birds that have long down-curved beaks. They use their unique beaks to probe mud along the shoreline and shallows of wetlands looking for prey, usually crustaceans. Ibises often feed and nest mixed in with other wading birds such as herons and egrets.

The ibis have been around for a long time. There are references to the ibis going back to Greek and Roman times. There are 28 different species of ibis, around the world, that are divided into 12 different genus. Here in North America we have 3 native species, the American white ibis (top photo), the white-faced ibis (above), and the glossy ibis, which looks similar to the white-faced with out white on the face.White and glossy ibis are mainly found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast. The white-faced breeds on inland waterways in the west central United States and winters in Mexico, Central and South America. I photographed the white ibis in south Texas and the white-faced in Montana.