Hadada ibis

Hadada ibis
In the National Park of Tarangire, Tanzania
Calls recorded near Kitale, Kenya
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Pelecaniformes
Family: Threskiornithidae
Genus: Bostrychia
Species:
B. hagedash
Binomial name
Bostrychia hagedash
(Latham, 1790)
range in 2024
   native range (Sub-Saharan Africa)
   introduced (Malaysian Peninsula)
Synonyms
  • Tantalus hagedash Latham, 1790
  • Geronticus hagedash (Latham, 1790)
  • Ibis hagedasch Wagler, 1827
  • Tantalus cafrensis Lichtenstein, 1793
  • Ibis chalcoptera Vieillot, 1817

The hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) or hadeda (/ˈhɑːddɑː/) is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Although not as dependent on water as some ibises, they are found near wetlands and often live in close proximity to humans, foraging in cultivated land and gardens. A medium-sized ibis with stout legs and a typical down-curved bill, the wing coverts are iridescent with a green or purple sheen. They are non-migratory but are known to make nomadic movements in response to rain particularly during droughts. Their ranges in southern Africa have increased with an increase in tree cover and irrigation in human-altered habitats.