The Aquarium has acquired two White Ibises (Eudocimus albus) and is displaying this species for the first time in the Shorebird Sanctuary exhibit located outdoors on the second floor adjacent to the June Keyes Penguin Habitat. The male ibis is seven years old, and the female is eleven years old. The female is the smaller of the two birds.
The White Ibises came to the Aquarium at the end of 2015 after another institution was looking for a new home for these birds. Native to Florida and other coastal areas of the Southeastern U.S., White Ibises are wading birds that feed in flocks and nest in large colonies. They feed mostly on crustaceans like crayfish and crabs, using their specialized bill to forage in shallow water.
White Ibises have seen their populations decrease in recent decades due to loss of feeding and nesting habitat.