Rare Birds Visit North Iowa Marshland

Washburn's Outdoor Journal / May 1, 2025

Photography courtesy of Lowell Washburn, all rights reserved.

Birding enthusiasts are always on the lookout for something out of the ordinary – a new or rare species that they’ve never seen before. North Iowans got their wish this week when a migrating flock of nine white-faced ibis made a three day stop at Cerro Gordo County’s Haugen Wildlife Area, located north of Ventura.

Feeding binge complete, a group of white-faced ibis return to the Haugen Wildlife Area to preen and rest.

White-faced ibis are a long legged, long necked, mallard-sized wading bird sporting an outrageously long, downcurved bill. Ibis have glossy, metallic-like plumage that ranges in color from dark maroon, to green, to golden bronze, breeding age adults are further identified by the thin white face mask located at the base of its bill. White-faced ibis are a bird of western marshes, nesting from Montana to California and wintering in Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico.

During their stay in North Iowa, the ibis flock has been foraging in a wet meadow located along Apple Avenue at the west side of the Haugen Area. The only prey items I’ve been able to identify with certainty are large pond snails. After vigorously feeding for an hour or so, the flock takes wing and flies back to the Haugen Area to rest and preen. Once their nap is complete, they return to the meadow for more food.

A flock of nine white-faced ibis take a break from migration to forage in a wet meadow adjacent to the Haugen Wildlife Area located north of Ventura.

This bird is so far out of its range that even to see a single straggler would be a lifetime event for most Iowans. To see a foraging flock of nine is simply out of this world.

About The Author

Lowell Washburn

Born in North Central Iowa, Lowell Washburn has enjoyed a lifelong interest in the out of doors. He began photographing wild birds at age 10, and outdoor photography soon became his passion and eventually a career. Washburn is best known for images that portray migratory waterfowl and other wetland wildlife in their natural habitats. His best photographs are often obtained after spending hours floating amid natural marshlands, half submerged within the dark confines of a floating muskrat house blind. Upon completing military service as a sergeant with the Fourth Infantry Division in the central highlands of South Vietnam, Washburn returned to Iowa in 1970. His wildlife photos began appearing in Iowa newspapers in 1971 and he began authoring outdoor news columns in 1978. Today, his photos and writing have appeared in over 50 national and international magazines including Outdoor Life, International Wildlife, Field&Stream, Ducks Unlimited, Pointing Dog Journal, the NAFA Journal, and others. After working as a naturalist for Iowa’s county conservation board system, Washburn was recruited by the Department of Natural Resources in 1984. His primary duties included statewide communication with Iowa newspaper, television, and radio news agencies with a primary goal of increasing the level of public awareness and appreciation for Iowa's natural resources. During his tenure he also served as staff member for the Iowa Conservationist Magazine and for the DNR’s Iowa Outdoors Magazine. Washburn retired from the DNR in 2010. In addition to wildlife photography, his ongoing outdoor passions include falconry, traditional bow hunting, waterfowling, spending time with hunting dogs of all types, and herpetology.

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