Curiosities About The Sacred Ibis
The sacred ibis is one of the best-known species of ibis, a group of birds with a curved beak that appears in numerous drawings in Ancient Egypt. It is a species full of curiosities that is interesting to know.
Characteristics and ecology
The sacred ibis is a very characteristic bird: its body is white, but the neck, head and beak are black, as well as the tips of its primary feathers, which gives this bird a very beautiful appearance. It is an animal that exceeds a meter in wingspan and can reach a kilo and a half in weight.
These animals are predators of wetlands and swamps, consuming mainly insects, worms, crustaceans, molluscs, fish, reptiles and even frogs or eggs. Interestingly, it is a very silent animal: other types of ibises are much louder, like the singanga, for example. Its main predators are birds of prey.
As for reproduction, this animal breeds once a year in the rainy season, when it makes a nest of branches in trees such as the baobab, while forming colonies of up to 1,000 specimens. Females lay one to five eggs, which are incubated by both parents for a month.
The sacred ibis in ancient Egypt
This bird breeds in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Iraq, and was one of the symbols of Egypt, an animal linked to the god Thoth. In fact, thousands of specimens were sacrificed and mummified annually in his honor, which led to the existence – literally – of farms of this species.
Similar to the apes in Ancient Egypt, ancient Egyptians are believed to have sacrificed eight million birds, which is why these farms were needed.
The animals were considered legendary and, in ancient Greece, it was speculated that they reproduced with their beaks, while others said that basilisks were born from their eggs and even that ibis feathers paralyzed snakes.
The sacred ibis, a natural colonizer
The sacred ibis managed to colonize several countries as an invasive alien species, mainly because of zoos that had animals that could fly freely. These birds can be seen in wild colonies in Italy, France, Florida or Spain, including the Canary Islands.
Although these animals are also found naturally in Asia, populations are becoming increasingly scarce in countries like Yemen, Iraq or Kuwait, having nothing to do with their wide African distribution or their ability to colonize new countries like Africa. southern.
Even so, in general, the specimens are not endangered and the species is considered of little concern by the IUCN. That way, we will certainly have these legendary birds flying through the skies for a long time to come.
