ibis

 

(ī'bĭs) , common name for wading birds with long, slender, decurved bills, found in the warmer regions of both hemispheres. The body is usually about 2 ft (61 cm) long. Most ibises nest in colonies. They feed in ponds, lakes, and brackish marshes on fish and other aquatic animals. The sacred ibis of ancient Egypt, Threskiornis aethiopica, a white and black bird, no longer frequents the Nile basin, although it inhabits other parts of Africa. In the southern part of North America are found the white ibis, Eudocimus albus; the white-faced and eastern glossy ibises, Plegadis falcinellus; and a bird that was formerly called the wood ibis, which is really a stork. The scarlet ibis of South America, E. ruber, is occasionally seen in the S United States. Ibises are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Ciconiiformes, family Threskiornithidae.

Ibises
Straw-necked Ibis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Ciconiiformes Family: Threskiornithidae Subfamily: Threskiornithinae Poche, 1904
Genera
Threskiornis Pseudibis Thaumatibis Geronticus Nipponia Bostrychia Theristicus Cercibis Mesembrinibis Phimosus Eudocimus Plegadis Lophotibis

Ibises (pronounced "EYE-bis-es") are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae. They all have long down curved bills, and usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans. Most species nest in trees, often with spoonbills or herons.

The word ibis comes from Greek, originally borrowed from Ancient Egyptian hîb.

Folklore

The Sacred Ibis was also an object of religious veneration in ancient Egypt, particularly associated with the god, Thoth. At the town of Hermopolis, ibises were reared specifically for sacrificial purposes and in the Serapeum at Saqqara, archaeologists found the mummies of one and a half million ibises and hundreds of thousand of falcons. (cf. "The Way to Eternity: Egyptian Myth", Time-Life Books, Duncan Baird Publishers, 1997, pages 66-67)

Species in taxonomic order

• Genus Threskiornis
  • Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis aethiopicus
  • Madagascar Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis bernieri
  • Réunion Sacred Ibis, Threskiornis solitarius extinct
  • Black-headed Ibis, Threskiornis melanocephalus
  • Australian White Ibis, Threskiornis molucca
  • Straw-necked Ibis, Threskiornis spinicollis
• Genus Pseudibis
  • Indian Black Ibis, Pseudibis papillosa
  • White-shouldered Ibis, Pseudibis davisoni
• Genus Thaumatibis
  • Giant Ibis, Thaumatibis gigantea
• Genus Geronticus
  • Northern Bald Ibis, Geronticus eremita
  • Southern Bald Ibis, Geronticus calvus
• Genus Nipponia
  • Japanese Crested Ibis, Nipponia nippon
• Genus Bostrychia
  • Olive Ibis, Bostrychia olivacea
  • Dwarf Olive Ibis, Bostrychia bocagei
  • Spot-breasted Ibis, Bostrychia rara
  • Hadada Ibis, Bostrychia hagedash
  • Wattled Ibis, Bostrychia carunculata
• Genus Theristicus
  • Plumbeous Ibis, Theristicus caerulescens
  • Buff-necked Ibis, Theristicus caudatus
  • Andean Ibis, Theristicus branickii
  • Black-faced Ibis, Theristicus melanopis
• Genus Cercibis
  • Sharp-tailed Ibis, Cercibis oxycerca
• Genus Mesembrinibis
  • Green Ibis, Mesembrinibis cayennensis
• Genus Phimosus
  • Whispering Ibis, Phimosus infuscatus
• Genus Eudocimus
  • American White Ibis, Eudocimus albus
  • Scarlet Ibis, Eudocimus ruber
• Genus Plegadis
  • Glossy Ibis, Plegadis falcinellus
  • White-faced Ibis, Plegadis chihi
  • Puna Ibis, Plegadis ridgwayi
• Genus Lophotibis
  • Madagascar Crested Ibis, Lophotibis cristata

Gallery

Sacred Ibis	Australian White Ibis	American White Ibis	Scarlet Ibis
Young Scarlet Ibis	American White Ibis	American White Ibis captures a toad

External links

• Ibis videos on the Internet Bird Collection

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