Full Text:
In Native American folklore, the white ibis was the last animal to seek shelter before a hurricane, and the first to emerge after the storm. The ibis therefore symbolized the danger of an approaching storm, and also the safety after the maelstrom passed. But now ibises may more often signal danger--at least in public parks.
People feeding white ibises in such places are turning wild birds into tame ones, scientists say. The researchers believe the practice may spread disease among ibises, and between ibises and humans. The biologists are studying how hand-feeding is changing the health, ecology and behavior of white ibises in south Florida, where development is paving over the birds' natural wetland habitats.Image credit: Henry Adams, University of Georgia
