Bird Album
African Sacred Ibis
Threskiornis aethiopicus (Latham, 1790)
68 cmLength118 cmWingspan1.5 kgWeight
This almost entirely white-bodied ibis has a bare black head and neck and a thick, decurved bill.
Most records: China, South Africa, Kenya
How to identify
Field marks
- White body with dark ornamental feathers on the rump
- Bare black head and neck
- Thick, curved black bill
- Black trailing edge to the wings in flight
Male, female and young
Sexes similar; chicks are grayish-white, with a shorter bill and some feathers on the neck.
Voice
Usually very quiet, occasionally giving a sound like a puppy's shriek.
Where and when it's recorded
African Sacred Ibis has been recorded at 661 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 60 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Private estate near Green MubazzarahUnited Arab Emirates3,258 records
- Strandfontein WTPSouth Africa2,817 records
- Huajiang IBA – Huajiang Wild Duck Nature Park (Huajiang to Zhongxing Bridge)Taiwan (China)2,574 records
More places
- Nairobi NPKenya1,953 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania1,613 records
- Aogu Wetland IBATaiwan (China)1,517 records
- Guandu IBATaiwan (China)1,307 records
- Lake Nakuru NPKenya1,287 records
- Amboseli NPKenya1,240 records
- Guandu IBA – Nature ParkTaiwan (China)889 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) is a species of ibis, a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to much of Africa, as well as small parts of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. It is especially known for its role in Ancient Egyptian religion, where it was linked to the god Thoth.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the African Sacred Ibis?
The African Sacred Ibis is about 68 cm long, with a wingspan of 118 cm and weighs around 1.5 kg.
Where does the African Sacred Ibis live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Africa south of the Sahara, Iraq. It is most often recorded in China, South Africa and Kenya.
Is the African Sacred Ibis endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the African Sacred Ibis as Least Concern.
What does the African Sacred Ibis eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the African Sacred Ibis in?
It belongs to the family Ibises, Spoonbills (Threskiornithidae), order Pelecaniformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 68 cm
- Wingspan
- 118 cm
- Weight
- 1.5 kg
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 364 mm
- Tail
- 148 mm
- Bill
- 160 mm
- Tarsus
- 107 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Africa south of the Sahara, Iraq
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Pelecaniformes
- Family
- Ibises, Spoonbills Threskiornithidae
- Genus
- Threskiornis
Other birds in the genus Threskiornis
Malagasy Sacred IbisThreskiornis bernieri
Black-headed IbisThreskiornis melanocephalus
Australian White IbisThreskiornis molucca
Straw-necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollis
Red-naped IbisPseudibis papillosa
White-shouldered IbisPseudibis davisoni
Giant IbisPseudibis gigantea
Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremita
Southern Bald IbisGeronticus calvus
Crested IbisNipponia nippon
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by CI Jay. ↗
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