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Creature Feature: The Northern Bald Ibis
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons. By: Richard Bartz.
The Northern Bald Ibis (aka the Hermit Ibis or Waldrapp) is a decent sized member of the Ibis family (about 28-31 inches or 70-80 cm). Once found across northern Africa, southern Europe, and the Middle East, this critically endangered bird is now limited to Morocco (about 500) and Syria—where less than 10 remain. Although there have been some semi-wilding breeding colonies or reintroduction programs added to a few countries, including Turkey, Austria, and Spain, these birds are still in a very bad situation.
This particular kind of Ibis is rather unique from the other members of its family, because it is a non-wading bird. This might explain why they choose habitats that are barren, rocky, or have a desert-like quality to them—although, they do keep running water nearby. Their heads and faces are bald (hence part of the name) and they love to feed on lizards and other small animals.
Nesting sites can be found on cliff ledges or throughout boulders along steep slopes. Between 2 and 4 eggs are laid each time and this bird can brag about something that a lot of other species can’t (including humans). Once they pick their partner, the Ibis pair will stay together for life. Both parents are also very involved with the raising of their chicks, from the incubating period to when they take their first flight. In captivity, these birds can live for an average of 20-25 years, but in the wild they’ve only been able to survive for 10-15 years.
Although the Ibis has been acknowledged and revered as a bird of spiritual importance by many cultures (especially Egyptian, as it’s associated with the god Thoth), this species has been on the decline for a very long time. Remember how they were once native to Europe? They disappeared from there over 300 years ago. Among the threats the Northern Bald Ibis faces, you’ll find hunting, invasive species, pollution, human intrusion, pesticide use, and residential or commercial development.
To find out more about this awesome bird, check out these links:
Arkive
Intensive Fauna Surveying of Central Syrian Desert
International Advisory Group of the Northern Bald Ibis
IUCN Red List Assessment
Poison Blamed for Ibis’ Deaths
Birdorable
Birdlife International
By Heidi Marshall
Tags: Africa, bird, Creature Feature, critically endangered species, Europe, Hermit Ibis, Middle East, Northern Bald Ibis, spiritual, Thoth, Waldrapp
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