Monday, January 7, 2013

238 : Hadada Ibis


Hadada Ibis - Bostrychia hagedash

This is a stocky Ibis with noticeably short legs. One of a huge number of birds I am sorting out from the snaps from Tanzania. I saw this bird again on the first game drive in down the Mara river. It was the most magical couple of hours. 
 
These birds are named afrer their call - " Ha Da Da !" - I didn't manage to hear the call. Other facts I have picked up subsequently are that breed on their own rather than in large colonies and that they more often feed on land than on water. I expect that this accounts for the shorter legs. They are of course a touch feeder when feeding in water using the decurved bill to probe for small curstacea and invertabrates in the silt and mud.
 
We have a small collection of Ibises now so please enjoy these links to Sacred Ibis , Black Headed Ibis and Red-naped Ibis .

Olakira Camp, Mara River, Tanzania
July 2013  

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