Hadeda ibis

Introduction: The Hadeda ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) inhabits well-wooded valleys with surrounding open grassland and patches of dense woodland, marshes with short grass, watered crop lands, pastures, playing fields, airfields and garden lawns. They visit these locations in pairs of small family groups, at times sharing roosting sites with little egrets and the white-breasted cormorant.

Distribution: Absent from most of the country except for north-eastern Namibia, Caprivi, Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve.

Diet: Probes surface soil for invertebrates, earthworms, molluscs and reptiles. Has been known to tuck into dog food from bowls.

Description: Medium-sized ibis with a fairly short bill, feathered head and neck, predominately brown plumage and loud and vocal, raucous call. Bostrychia is a Greek word meaning 'curved', referring to the curved beak. Hagedash refers to the onomatopoeic rendition of the ibises repetitive call.

Breeding: Females lay between 1 and 5 eggs in a stick and twig platform lined with grass, leaves and weeds.

Size: 75cm.

Weight: 1.25kg.