Threskiornis aethiopicus
The African Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis aethiopicus, is a striking wading bird instantly recognizable by its predominantly white plumage contrasted sharply with a bald black head, neck, and legs. Measuring 65-75 cm (26-30 in) in length with a wingspan of 112-124 cm (44-49 in), it boasts a long, decurved black bill perfectly adapted for probing. Its most distinctive field marks include the bare black head and neck, coupled with the black outer primaries that create a black trailing edge in fligh...
Primarily found in a variety of wetlands, including marshes, swamps, floodplains, estuaries, and coastal lagoons. It also frequently utilizes agricultural fields, human-modified landscapes, and urban parks, typically at low to moderate elevations.
An opportunistic omnivore, feeding primarily on a wide range of invertebrates (insects, crustaceans), as well as frogs, fish, small reptiles, eggs, carrion, and human refuse. They forage by probing mud and gleaning prey from vegetation or surfaces.
African Sacred Ibises are diurnal and highly social, often foraging and roosting in large, communal flocks. They employ a characteristic foraging strategy, wading through shallow water or damp ground, probing the substrate with their long, decurved bills for invertebrates, or gleaning prey from t...
The African Sacred Ibis has a wide native breeding range across sub-Saharan Africa, extending from Mauritania and Senegal in the west, eastwards through the Sahel and Horn of Africa, and south throughout much of southern Africa, including Madagascar. A small relict native population also persists...
Least Concern
- The African Sacred Ibis was so revered in ancient Egypt that it was frequently mummified, with hundreds of thousands of mummified ibises found in catacombs. - It was considered a sacred animal associated with Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom, writing, and magic. - Despite its 'sacred' status, ...