White Ibis: Wetland Wanderer by Keith L. Bildstein

Publishers Weekly

Ornithologist Bildstein, director of research at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton, Pa., presents the results of a ten-year study of the white ibises that breed on Pumpkinseed Island, a tiny parcel of salt marsh off the coast of northeastern South Carolina. In one year, as many as 11,000 pairs of ibises might colonize the island, providing the author with the opportunity to note all aspects of their behavior. While Bildstein includes more charts and scientific data than the average bird-watcher may want, he writes lucidly, and the reader who stays with his book will be rewarded. The painstaking research showed that the ibises, who fly long distances to inland marshes to secure freshwater crayfish for their young, abandon their nesting sites when supplies of this prey are depleted. This observation enabled the author to solve the mystery of why scarlet ibises no longer breed in Trinidad and why the white ibises abandoned Pumpkinseed Island for a year after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. The conclusions underscore the interrelationship of coastal ecosystems and the importance of sustaining them. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)

Library Journal

White ibises are large, heronlike birds with long decurved bills found in low areas of the southeastern United States and Middle America. Bildstein, a professional biologist, spent several years studying them in coastal South Carolina, focusing on their nesting and feeding behavior. He also served as a consultant in Trinidad on their national bird, the spectacular scarlet ibis, here the subject of Chapter 10. Filled with detailed information and also highly readable, this well-illustrated book takes an in-depth look at the biology of these showy birds, as well as the ecology and human cultures of the areas they inhabit. Chapters discuss the birds' nesting areas, feeding, growth, breeding, habitat use, and conservation, as well as the effects of Hurricane Hugo on their habitat and the influence of salt on their diet. There is also basic information on the world's 23 other ibis species. An excellent bird-life history that holds the reader's interest. Warmly recommended.-- Henry T. Armistead, Thomas Jefferson Univ. Lib., Philadelphia

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