Hadada Ibis: how to recognise it
A bird of Africa and Asia. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Peter Vos · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Bostrychia hagedash
- Family
- Ibises and Spoonbills
- Size
- About 76 cm
- Habitat
- Wooded streams, wet grassland, gardens and parks
- Found in
- Africa and Asia
The key marks
Large dark grey-brown ibis with a metallic bronze-green sheen on the wing, a pale streak on the cheek and a long downcurved bill with a red ridge on top. African Sacred Ibis is white with a bare black head and neck.
Voice
A very loud, far-carrying 'ha-ha-ha-de-dah'.
Good to know
Its very loud call rings out at dawn, at dusk and when the bird is flushed, and the species is named after that sound.
Do not confuse with
Compare it with the African Sacred Ibis. Look at the marks above one by one rather than the overall colour, and practise telling the two apart with real photos.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in wooded streams, wet grassland, gardens and parks. It is especially common in South Africa and Kenya. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.