The WHITE-FACED IBIS is a breeding bird in the northeast and at selected sites in the Central Valley or s. California. Good numbers winter in the Central Valley or around Salton Sea, and populations seem generally on the upswing in recent years. Vagrants are regularly scattered toward the coast (including Monterey Co.) and across the deserts in spring & fall and more recently a few of the coastal birds have wintered.
The only California records are listed below are (1) my personal "state bird" and (2) a selection of those with unusual dates or locales or high numbers. All my other observations are well within normal status & distributional limits. These are my personal White-faced Ibis records of interest, mostly from MTY where it is scarce but regular in small numbers:
2/25/73 Los Banos NWR, MER my state birdSee the family page for county abbreviations. All photos & text © 2001 Don Roberson; all rights reserved.
5/17-18/75 Furnace Creek INY 2
5/25-26/75 Oasis MNO
10/31/75 Struve Slough MTY
10/31/75 Salinas R. mouth MTY
3/26/78 Hwy 132, SOL flock of 84
1/2/84 Kirby Park, Elkhorn Slough MTY
9/15/84 Salinas ponds MTY imm
8/24/91 MoonGlow Dairy MTY
5/9/92 Castroville ponds MTY 8 adults
9/27-28/92 Crespi Pond, Pt. Pinos MTY imm; photo'd
9/25/93 Salinas ponds MTY imm
4/23/94 MoonGlow Dairy MTY 2 adults
9/30/94 Crespi Pond, Pt. Pinos MTY 2 imm
3/25/95 Moonglow Dairy, Moss Landing MTY 2 imms molting to 1st summ pl.
1/8 & 5/25/96 Moonglow Dairy MTY wintered & lingered to June
9/8/96 Moonglow Dairy MTY
9/3/98 Carmel R. mouth (Odello Lagoon) MTY imm
2/14/99 Bolsa Chica ORA imm
7/8/01 Harkins Slough SCZ adult in alternate plumage