Sacred Ibis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sacred Ibis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Ciconiiformes
Family:
Threskiornithidae
Genus:
Threskiornis
Species:
T. aethiopicus
Binomial name
Threskiornis aethiopicus
(Latham,
1790)
The Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis
aethiopicus) is a species of wading bird of the ibis family,
Threskiornithidae, which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, SE Iraq and formerly in Egypt,
where it was venerated and often mummified as a symbol of the god Thoth. It has
also been introduced into France, Italy, Spain and Australia.
The bird nests in tree
colonies, often with other large wading birds such as herons. It builds a stick
nest often in a Baobab.and lays 2-3 eggs.
The Sacred Ibis occurs in
marshy wetlands and mud flats, both inland and on the coast. It will also visit
cultivation and rubbish dumps. It feeds on various fish, frogs and other water
creatures, as well as insects. An adult individual is 68 cm long with all-white
body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump. The bald head and neck, thick
curved bill and legs are black. The white wings show a black rear border in flight.
Sexes are similar, but juveniles have dirty white plumage, a smaller bill and
some feathering on the neck.
This bird is usually
silent, but occasionally makes some croaking noises.
The introduced and rapidly
growing populations in southern Europe are seen as a potential problem, since
these large predators can devastate breeding colonies of species such as terns.
They also compete successfully for nest sites with Cattle and Little Egrets. The
adaptable Ibises supplement their diet by feeding at rubbish tips, which helps
them to survive the winter in these temperate regions.
The Sacred Ibis is one of
the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Sacred
Ibis in Myth and Legend
Venerated and often
mummified by Ancient Egyptians as a symbol of the god Thoth, the Ibis was
according to Herodotus and Pliny the Elder also invoked against incursions of
serpents. It was also said that the flies that brought pestilence died
immediately upon propitiatory sacrifices of this bird (Pliny, Natural
History Book X Chapter 41).
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Threskiornis
aethiopicus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN
2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for
why this species is of least concern
- Barlow, Wacher and Disley, Birds of The
Gambia. ISBN 1-873403-32-1
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacred_Ibis&action=history
|
Sacred Ibis
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
Scientific classification |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Binomial name |
||||||||||||||
|
Threskiornis aethiopicus |
The Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis
aethiopicus) is a species of wading bird of the ibis family,
Threskiornithidae, which breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, SE Iraq and formerly in Egypt,
where it was venerated and often mummified as a symbol of the god Thoth. It has
also been introduced into France, Italy, Spain and Australia.
The bird nests in tree
colonies, often with other large wading birds such as herons. It builds a stick
nest often in a Baobab.and lays 2-3 eggs.
The Sacred Ibis occurs in
marshy wetlands and mud flats, both inland and on the coast. It will also visit
cultivation and rubbish dumps. It feeds on various fish, frogs and other water
creatures, as well as insects. An adult individual is 68 cm long with all-white
body plumage apart from dark plumes on the rump. The bald head and neck, thick
curved bill and legs are black. The white wings show a black rear border in flight.
Sexes are similar, but juveniles have dirty white plumage, a smaller bill and
some feathering on the neck.
This bird is usually
silent, but occasionally makes some croaking noises.
The introduced and rapidly
growing populations in southern Europe are seen as a potential problem, since
these large predators can devastate breeding colonies of species such as terns.
They also compete successfully for nest sites with Cattle and Little Egrets. The
adaptable Ibises supplement their diet by feeding at rubbish tips, which helps
them to survive the winter in these temperate regions.
The Sacred Ibis is one of
the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Sacred
Ibis in Myth and Legend
Venerated and often
mummified by Ancient Egyptians as a symbol of the god Thoth, the Ibis was
according to Herodotus and Pliny the Elder also invoked against incursions of
serpents. It was also said that the flies that brought pestilence died
immediately upon propitiatory sacrifices of this bird (Pliny, Natural
History Book X Chapter 41).
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Threskiornis
aethiopicus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN
2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for
why this species is of least concern
- Barlow, Wacher and Disley, Birds of The
Gambia. ISBN 1-873403-32-1
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sacred_Ibis&action=history