Ibises belong to the family of birds of the stork order . Outwardly, they look like a small heron. In ancient Egypt they were considered sacred, they were worshiped.
External description
Birds of the ibis family grow up to 50-110 cm. An adult weighs from 400 g to 1.3 kg. A distinctive feature is the beak. It is thin, long and bent down. Well suited for finding food at the bottom of a pond and in muddy ground. Most varieties of these birds, like storks, do not have a vocal apparatus.
The wings of the ibis are long, wide, composed of 11 primary wing feathers. Thanks to this, birds fly very fast.
Head and neck are partially exposed. Most individuals have a crest, which is formed by feathers from the back of the head. Ibis is a bird with long legs, the first three fingers of which are connected by a swimming membrane.
The color of the plumage is always the same color: white, black, gray and, the brightest - scarlet.
They live on all continents, with the exception of only Antarctica. Tropical, subtropical and southern temperate zones are preferred.
Ibis is a bird that lives near the water. Feels good in marshy areas, among the quagmire, on lakes, avoids the banks of rivers with a strong current.
Birds live in packs of 30-50 individuals. The inhabitants of the southern territories are sedentary, and the northern species make seasonal flights.
Typically, the morning of the birds goes in search of food in shallow water or on the shore of the reservoir, during the day they rest, and go to trees at night to sleep.
The basis of nutrition is animal food: fish, shellfish, worms, frogs. Less commonly, ibises catch insects (such as locusts) on the ground or eat carrion.
Breeding
These birds are monogamous, have a constant pair. Reproduction occurs once a year. In the northern species in the spring, in the southern - when the rainy season begins. Ibis is a bird in which two parents participate in the upbringing of the young generation.
On trees or in thickets of reeds or reeds, they build nests that are spherical in shape and consist of branches.
Usually, an ibis female lays 2 to 5 eggs. Three weeks later, chicks appear. They are absolutely helpless and for a long time (up to two months) remain in the nest under the protection of their parents.
Kinds
In nature, ibis are distinguished not only by color. There are 28 species of these birds. The most famous are the following:
1. Scarlet ibis. A bird living in the northern part of South America. With the exception of the black beak and the same tips of the wings, it has a bright scarlet plumage. In places of cohabitation with white ibis, a cross of species is observed. Flocks number from 30 to 70 individuals.
2. White ibis. He leads a settled lifestyle, lives in Florida, California, Venezuela and northwestern Peru. During the breeding season, it nests with thousands of colonies. With the exception of the pink beak and legs , the bird is completely white.
3. Ibis forest. It is currently considered a rare bird. It is dark, almost black, only the head and beak are red, with a crest on the back of the head. In the wild, only 400 individuals remain, they live only in the mountains of Morocco. Now they are bred in captivity, and released into the natural habitat.
4. The ibis is bald. It differs from the forest in the absence of a crest on the back of the head. He lives in South Africa, only 8,000 birds remain in the world.
5. The ibis is black-faced. It differs from others in a more diverse plumage. His neck and head are tan, his cheeks, belly and chin are dark, his legs are reddish, the rest of his body is gray. They live and breed on the plains of South America.
Of the 28 species in Russia, four can be found: spoonbill and loaf in the southern part of the country, Japanese ibis in Primorye, sometimes sacred in the Caucasus.
The extinction of these birds is mainly due to climate change and habitat conditions.
Holy ibis
Representatives of this family, who have been worshiped since ancient times, are known in the world. In ancient Egypt there was a god with the head of an ibis bird - Thoth. In his temple contained whole flocks. In one of the found and open tombs, a large number of mummified birds were found. They were called sacred ibis.
There are several versions explaining this attitude to this species. Someone believes that the honors are deserved for the constant extermination of snakes. Another version - the ibis bird in Ancient Egypt appeared during the spill of the Nile River, which was considered sacred. This was accepted as a sign of the gods.
Nowadays, birds can be found in Iran and North Africa. It is mainly white, the head and tip of the tail are black. Sacred ibis live in small flocks in wetlands.