The American white ibis is a species of bird in the ibis family, found
from the mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coast of the United States south through
most of the New World tropics. It is a medium-sized bird with an overall
white plumage, bright red-orange down-curved bill and long legs, and
black wing tips that are usually only visible in flight. Males are
larger and have longer bills than females. Crayfish are its preferred
food in most regions. During the breeding season, the American white
ibis gathers in huge colonies near water. Pairs are predominantly
monogamous and both parents care for the young, although males tend to
engage in extra-pair copulation with other females to increase their
reproductive success. Males have also been found to pirate food from
unmated females and juveniles during the breeding season. Human
pollution has affected the behavior of the American white ibis via an
increase in the concentrations of methylmercury, which is released into
the environment from untreated waste. Exposure to methylmercury alters
the hormone levels of American white ibis, affecting their mating and
nesting behavior and leading to lower reproduction rates.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_white_ibis>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1461:
Ming Chinese general Cao Qin staged a failed coup against the
Tianshun Emperor.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellion_of_Cao_Qin>
1782:
The Bronze Horseman, an equestrian statue of Peter the Great
that serves as one of the symbols of Saint Petersburg, Russia, was
unveiled.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Horseman>
1944:
IBM presented the first program-controlled calculator to
Harvard University, after which it became known as the Mark I
(pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Mark_I>
1970:
Jonathan Jackson kidnapped California Superior Court judge
Harold Haley in an attempt to free Jackson's brother George from prison.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marin_County_courthouse_incident>
2008:
Georgia launched a large-scale military offensive against the
separatist region of South Ossetia, opening the six-day Russo-Georgian
War.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Georgian_War>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
dressage:
An equestrian sport in which the horse and rider perform a test of
specific movements in an arena, and are judged on the horse's obedience,
acceptance of the bridle and of the rider's aids, gaits, impulsion, and
the harmony between horse and rider.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dressage>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
 If the government can round up someone and never be required
to explain why, then it's no longer the United States of America as you
and I always understood it. Our enemies have succeeded beyond their
wildest dreams. They have made us become like them.
--Garrison Keillor
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Garrison_Keillor>