Are the scarlet ibis related to the flamingo at all?


Our shire council stating the obvious ...

The “arty” sunset was great, Copago, and so was the evening sky at Cherbourg, picqero.

Lovely birthday cards, Jane.

Jack Straw’s Castle used to be one of several pubs on the fringe of Hampstead Heath which were popular resorts for Londoners on weekend and bank holiday excursions. In Victorian times its customers included Dickens and Thackeray. Now it’s been turned into a block of expensive flats.

I checked the differences in Answers.com Copago, and it appears they are from different bird families. The flamingo is of the Phoenicopteridae family, while the ibis is of the Threskiornithidae family.

The flamingo is described: "Large, very long-legged and long-necked waterbirds with specialized down-curved, filter-feeding bills, and pink, black, and white plumage." Also, "large gregarious wading birds."

The ibis is described as: "storklike wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae of temperate and tropical regions, having a long, slender, downward-curving bill."

It seems to me they are a bit alike -- both have downward curving bills, and similar in color.

So, are they related? They look alike except for maybe the flamingo is a bit pinker! My humble opinion, only. The biggest difference is in their size. The flamingo is taller (31.5"-63") and the ibis only 22"-30".
I probably couldn't tell them apart unless they were standing together..... And neither one delivers babies!

LOL
We have black ibis here (and white ibis but rarely) but they look a bit different to your scarlet one - no where near as grand! Our black ones have a different bill shape too. Must try and get a photo of one.

While in Australia we visited Cairns and the Wild Life Station. Here is a Duck Boat, a WWII amphibious vehicle. At home in and out of the water.





Larger photo of one in the water

Well am I red or what!

After looking at our brochure for the World Aquarium once again, I find myself just a bit turned around! The photos above are indeed photos of flamingos.

Here is a photos of a "real" scarlet ibis...



And here's the larger image.

I'm as red as the ibis! Jeez, they just all look alike to me!

seen one pink bird seen 'em all! That looks like our ibis' - that long curved beak. It's weird how they get those colours - mother nature is superb.

This hotel downtown used to do a very good buffet on the weekend. I haven't been for awhile, though, and have heard that it has changed. Pity, if it's true.

I missed the toys theme, so I decided to post it here. It is a set of wodden building blocks I have had since I was knee high to a grasshopper. They fit together by little slots cut into the wood that just kinda fit. It's great, and my 5 year old half-brother loves it. It even entertained me for half an hour or so.

Near to the Whampoa shopping mall-cum-ship is a funny little statue. He is perched on a pole and I can't help thinking he is part of the ship's crew. I will look it up later.

Although my birthday date occurred last week while I was away sailing, we had a family party yesterday. Two of my grand-children collected conkers from beneath a nearby tree, and used them to make a 'Happy Birthday Grandad' sign on the lawn!

Happy belated Birthday picqero

Here is a night shot of that famous Opera House.

Charing Cross Road in London isn't one of the capital's most attractive streets unless you're a book addict, in which case you'll probably be happy to spend all day among its secondhand bookshops.

Helene Hanff fans who go there looking for a bookshop at No. 84 will be disappointed: that address is now occupied by one of the utterly characterless "All Bar One" bars (you can't call them pubs, can you?)

lioness, we call those "Lincoln Logs" here, I guess because Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin. Go figure!

GORGEOUS photo of Sydney, argus.

Here's a photo of the great American pastime, taken on the 4th of July. This is a minor league team (AA ball), the "Lancaster JetHawks". Fun way to spend the evening, though it was literally 100 degrees at 10pm.

Here is one of my nieces birthday cakes, what one of their friends had made for them.

Happy Belated Birthday, Pic! Great photo
Love the baseball one too

This is my son looking in a 'showbag' from the school trip. He wasn't going to miss a thing in it.

We went to Hoover Dam yesterday, the first time I've been there since September 11, 2001. After the disaster, the dam was closed to all commercial vehicles, buses, and RV's (recreational vehicles). It is still closed to commercial vehicles but buses and RV's undergo a search before being allowed to cross. A new road is being built to allow traffic to cross without going on the dam. This is the view below the dam where the bridge supports for the new road can be seen in the upper left corner.

This view gives you an idea of how high the new road is going to be over the existing road. The new road is supposed to be completed in 2 to 3 years.

OK, that looks scary, ClaraSue. Not getting me on that road, no sir.

Here are some more autumn colours, from my walk this afternoon. It was another lovely, warm, sunny day.

My newest shoes, soft as silk and cheap as chips. In fact they took me under 5 minutes to buy!

I was hoping to go for a drive in the country and get some recent shots, but the weather is not co-operating. Here is a photo of a Tasmanian Devil from our trip down under. He's small but what big teeth he had.

Tom's been following my old haunts- Hampstead Heath had all the best pubs and now has just two left, one of which I don't like and the other the lesser of the two evils. My favourite was demolished and the other as Tom showed looks the same but can't actually be used, despite the council insisting (ha ha, shows what money can do) they kept a pub there as well. I used to visit the bookshops in Charing Cross Road a lot as well in the 70s and worked just up the road at weekends and holidays in the family shop.

Here is my second favourite main road (after Finchley Road which goes through civilised areas mainly), the North Circular. That is because I've lived next to it most of my life and had to use it nearly every day. A lot has changed since 1960 I can tell you, some good and some bad as you'd expect. This was taken facing Golders Green from the footbridge at Brent Cross. Hendon is the left side of it.

I liked the shot of the ball game, djsgal.

ClaraSue, the scenery round the Hoover Dam looks beautiful.

Wow, Argus, that devil is a fearsome beast.

“O plump head-waiter at The Cock,
To which I most resort,
How goes the time? ‘Tis five o’clock.
Go, fetch a pint of port.”

Personally, I find port far too sweet to drink by the pint, but it’s nice to think that Tennyson enjoyed an early evening drink in a good old City pub. Unlike so many other celebrated hostelries, the Cock is still there in Fleet Street, London.

This is a cloud. I like clouds when you can see light etc.

Another awesome shot,Sue!