![Peregrine falcon sends flock of white-faced ibis into a panic Peregrine falcon sends flock of white-faced ibis into a panic](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2021/06-14-2021-White-faced-Ibis-and-Peregrine-Falcon/i-wrQNHS5/0/c621226e/X4/20210614%20-%2006-40-07%20-%200197-X4.jpg)
This was a crazy scene to witness.
Taken on our recent trip to southwestern Colorado. I headed out for an early morning photo drive while the rest of the crew slept in. On the way back to camp, I happened across a good-sized flock of two dozen white-faced ibis hanging out at an irrigation pond.
These cool, iridescent birds are normally seen where I live during immigration and I missed them coming through this year so I was pretty excited.
I spent a while photographing them as they ate and preened when suddenly, for no apparent reason, the ibis took flight and seemed quite panicked. They circled a couple of times and instead of returning to the shore, landed in a bush in the middle of the pond.
As I looked around, I found the cause of their concern – a peregrine falcon. The falcon had apparently buzzed the flock and afterwards was hanging out on the ground nearby. The flock and the falcon were at a standoff and I gave up waiting for one to make a move after about a half hour. Pretty fun to see.
In going back and looking at my pictures, I unknowingly captured the falcon buzzing the ibis in one of the images. You can see it in the widest view shot with the house, right side, middle.
![White-faced ibis seek safe shelter after a peregrine falcon panicked them. (© Tony's Takes)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2021/06-14-2021-White-faced-Ibis-and-Peregrine-Falcon/i-7CWVJWm/0/fb57e9d5/X4/20210614%20-%2006-39-50%20-%200183-X4.jpg)
![White-faced ibis seek safe shelter after a peregrine falcon panicked them. (© Tony's Takes)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2021/06-14-2021-White-faced-Ibis-and-Peregrine-Falcon/i-NgfrN8b/0/e344805f/X4/20210614%20-%2006-44-46%20-%200266-X4.jpg)
![A peregrine falcon keeps watch on a flock of white-faced ibis, waiting for a time to strike. (© Tony's Takes)](https://photos.smugmug.com/Tonys-Takes/n-hsSJf/2021/06-14-2021-White-faced-Ibis-and-Peregrine-Falcon/i-6tDrbK9/0/5325b608/X4/20210614%20-%2007-30-21%20-%200342-X4.jpg)