White Ibis - Gular pouch

The White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) has fared well in Florida, adapting to the presence of humans who have spread in shoreline communities throughout the state. It's common to see them (the Ibises) in roadside culverts, or foraging on lawns and parklands in the understory. I watched a group of 5 White Ibises on the lawn at Gulf Front Lagoon, where we stay with my cousin Rich while in Florida. The birds kept approaching me, so I had to back away just to keep them at a distance where I could get some photos. I focused on one individual with bright red coloration and a rather conspicuous gular pouch, which having noticed it before I feared might be an abnormality. Turns out that the female White Ibis in "high" breeding plumage,. i.e., when the birds display for mates, develops this balloon-like swelling for a brief period, presumably a signal of readiness.

From U. Mich: "A red gular pouch is also shown by female white ibises for about 10 days during the displaying phase of breeding. (Bildstein, 1987; De Santo, et al., 1990; Heath and Frederick, 2006; Heath, et al., 2003; Heath, et al., 2009; Kushlan-A, 1977; Petit and Bildstein, 1986)