[Birdtalk] Glossy Ibis?

[Cliff and Lisa Weisse]

One further word of caution.  We're seeing as many hybrids
as Glossies.  If there is any hint of purple/red/pink to the
face be very suspicious even if the facial pattern is
perfect for Glossy.  Likewise the pale edges of the facial
skin should be pale blue, or powder blue, not lavender.
I've been able to see a reddish tinge to the iris on all of
the hybrids but it takes a close look in good light.  With
the sun high I had a very hard time seeing it on a couple of
them even at 60x.  With low sun behind you it's readily
visible.  The Glossies look exactly as they're drawn in
Sibley and I found it easiest to locate them by scanning
flocks looking for gray legs (if the legs are visible above
the vegetation) among the red of White-faced Ibis.  The
knees can/will be red but the legs are gray and really stand
out.

Cliff