African sacred ibis
Scientific name: Threskiornis aethiopicus (Latham, 1790)
Overview
The African sacred ibis is a species of ibis, a wading bird of the family Threskiornithidae. It is native to much of Africa, as well as small parts of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait. It is especially known for its role in Ancient Egyptian religion, where it was linked to the god Thoth. The species is currently extirpated from Egypt.
From the Wikipedia article “African sacred ibis”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Conservation status
Least concern on the IUCN Red List, as recorded on Wikidata, citing The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021.3.
Size and lifespan
| Measurement | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | 62 g |
Source: Wikidata, citing “AVIAN BODY SIZES IN RELATION TO FECUNDITY, MATING SYSTEM, DISPLAY BEHAVIOR, AND RESOURCE SHARING”, article by Terje Lislevand et al published June 2007 in Ecology.
Where it lives
The Catalogue of Life records it in: Africa.
Common names
Also known in English as Sacred Ibis.
Names in other languages (11)
- Arabic
- أبو منجل المحرم
- Chinese
- 埃及聖䴉
- French
- Ibis sacré
- German
- Heiliger Ibis, Pharaonenibis
- Indonesian
- Ibis keramat afrika
- Japanese
- アフリカクロトキ
- Persian
- مرغ مقدس حبشی
- Portuguese
- íbis-sagrada, Íbis-sagrado, íbis-sagrado-africano
- Russian
- Священный ибис
- Spanish
- Ibis sagrado
- Turkish
- Kutsal aynak
Related animals
Sources
-
Catalogue of Life — scientific name, classification, common names and range.
Version 2026-09-11, CC BY 4.0.
This species in the Catalogue of Life.
Citation
Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Aedo, C., Aescht, E., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (Version 2026-09-11). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgz5n Source database: The Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- GBIF — species page and recorded occurrences.
- Wikidata — conservation status, measurements, names in other languages. Q208763, CC0 1.0.
- Wikipedia — overview, from the article “African sacred ibis”, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Photo — Steve Garvie from Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
- Range map — DaddyCell, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. File page.
Last updated: 4 October 2026