Birds at Africa Alive!

Sacred Ibis

Threskiornis aethiopicus

The Sacred Ibis is found near shores and marshes throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. Once common in Egypt, it became extinct in this area about a century ago.

Sacred Ibis nest on the ground in papyrus thickets or in bushes and trees, building untidy platforms of sticks. Three or four eggs are laid and take 21-23 days to hatch. Both parents share incubation duties. They feed on amphibians, insects, insect larvae and other small aquatic animals, and have also been known to eat snakes.

Did you know?

The Sacred Ibis was once common in Egypt where the ancient Egyptians believed it was the embodiment of "Thoth" the god of wisdom. Many ibis have been found mummified in the tombs of Pharaohs.

Hammerkop

Scopus umbretta

These are brown coloured water birds found throughout most of Africa. They favour slowly running streams and rivers, lakes and marshes and feed mainly on frogs and tadpoles.

Hammerkops are remarkable for their gigantic nests. These nests are enormous stick structures with side entrance holes, built in tree forks near water.

These birds have a slight resemblance to both herons and storks. Their bills resemble those of herons but are hook-tipped. They have thick square crests, giving the head a hammer-like appearance, which is the origin of the bird's name.

East African Crowned Crane

Balearica regulorum gibberriceps

Cranes are found worldwide, except in South Amercia, Madagascar, New Zealand and parts of Malaysa. The East African crowned crane is one of the smaller cranes and as its name suggests, is found throughout East Africa.

Its most striking feature is the crowned head. This is composed of a tuft of stiff straw-coloured feathers which stand up in a fan. The head is otherwise covered with short black plumes. One of its most outstanding characteristics is its habit of dancing; a mating pair gives the most elaborate dancing display, but dancing occurs throughout the year in groups of either or both sexes.

Other Birds at Africa Alive!

Abyssinian Blue-Winged Goose	Helmeted Guinea Fowl
African Barn Owl	Kenyan Eagle Owl
African Grey Parrot	Milky Eagle Owl
Demoiselle Crane	South African shelduck
Egyptian Vulture	Vasa Parrot
Fulvous Tree Duck	White Stork
Greater Flamingo	White-faced Scops Owl