 The American white ibis is classed as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List . The population consists of 150 @,@ 000 mature adults , and is stable , although some populations have unknown trends . A partial survey of under 50 % of the North American population published in 2007 found an almost six @-@ fold increase in the last four decades . The estimated breeding range is huge , at 1 @,@ 200 @,@ 000 km2 ( 460 @,@ 000 sq mi ) . Fluctuating breeding populations and high mobility of colonies make estimating the population difficult . Attempted censuses of breeding colonies across Texas , Louisiana , Florida , and the Carolinas yielded a count of 166 @,@ 000 breeding birds in 2001 , and 209 @,@ 000 in 2004 . The conservation status has been listed in two states — it is a Species of Special Concern in Florida , and a species of Moderate Conservation Concern in Alabama . The preservation of colony sites and freshwater foraging areas is important to maintaining populations ; however , the highly mobile nature of breeding colonies makes this challenging . 
