Gallery Spotlight
WHITE IBIS TRIO
By Kim B. Parrish
© 2020 – 36 x 36” Oil on Canvas
AMERICAN WHITE IBIS
Eudocimus albus
Protected by U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act
The Audubon guide describes the beautiful White Ibis as “one of the most numerous wading birds in Florida.” The gregarious White Ibis like to travel in groups and they’re very common here in Florida, but somehow they still look unusual and exotic to me — with their crazy, curved pink beaks and matching pink legs. I didn’t realize until recently that they actually have bright blue eyes.
In a world of struggling species, Florida’s White Ibis seem like more of a success story—probably due to their flexible nature of adapting to just about any moist habitat in our state. They seem equally comfortable wading in South Florida’s coastal mangroves as they are mobbing an urban front lawn in Orlando. For now, White Ibis are everywhere in Florida, and that’s the way we like it. Next time you see them, take a closer look. My original white ibis painting, “White Ibis Trio” is 36 x 36 inches on canvas, portraying a sunbathing group perched in a Florida Thatch palm.