Ibis

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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 thousands of falcons. The Ibis was renowned in antiquity for self-administering an enema to clear blockage by inserting its beak into its cloaca and injecting a spray of water.

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

References

External links

• Ibis videos - at Internet Bird Collection

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Last updated on Tuesday February 26, 2008 at 10:06:24 PST (GMT -0800)
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