Members of the Threskiornithida family have long necks and legs. The bill is also long, curved downward in the case of the ibises, straight and flattened in the spoonbills. They fly with their necks and legs extended. They are strong fliers and can conserve energy by soaring. They lack a true voice-producing mechanism and is silent except for occassional grunt like sounds. They are found throughout much of the world, often by water but also in dry areas.
The sexes are similar in appearance, but males average larger than females. They are large birds, but mid-sized by the standards of their order. The smallest of the family, the dwarf olive ibis, is 45 cm (18 in) long and weighs 450 g (0.99 lb),. The largest, the giant ibis, 100 cm (39 in) long and weights 4.2 kg (9.3 lb) .
They feed on of invertebrates and small vertebrates. Ibises hunt by probing in soft earth or mud, spoonbills by swinging the bill from side to side in shallow water. Ibises have sensory pits around the tips of their bills, enabling them to locate insects and earthworms. At night, they roost in trees near water. They are gregarious, feeding, roosting, and flying together, often in formation.
Most
ibises are colonial nesters, while spoonbills nest singularly or in small groups. The nests are created out of reeds and sticks and located in trees. The male brings the material to the female which builds the nest. Both sexes take part in incubating the eggs and later feeding the chicks.
Taxonomy
In the 1990s, the ibis and spoonbill family was considered to belong to the same order as the storks, Ciconiiformes. DNA evidence currently implies that Threskiornithida should beloing to the same order as the pelicans. There are 13 ibis genera and only one spoonbill genus.
Etymology
The name Threskiornithidae comes from the greek for “sacred bird”. In fact, the ibis species Threskiornis aethiopicus is called the sacred ibis. That name goes back to ancient Egyptian religions, so Egypt also has a claim for the root of the family name
Genus Bostrychia
Ibis,_Hadada Bostrychia hagedash
Image by: 1)
Cristiano Crolle - South Africa
2, 3,Dick Daniels - South Africa 4)
Dick - Tanzania
5)
Dick -
National Aviary 6)
Dick - Kenya
![](../People/CrolleSM/Ibis,_Hadada_Crolle.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/PhotosSmall/Ibis, Hadaha SouthAfrica.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Tanzania/Photos Small/ibis, hadada 12-01 d.jpg)
![](../Daniels/NationalAviarySM/Ibis,_Hadada.jpg)
Ibis,_Olive Bostrychia olivacea
Image by:
1)
Merrittimages 2)
Michal Porebiak - Ethiopia
1) Juvenile
![](../Images4SM/Ibis,_Olive_juvenile_Merrittimages.jpg)
Ibis,_Sao_Tome Bostrychia bocagei
Image by:
1, 2) Nik_Borrow
![](../People/BorrowNikSM/Ibis,_Sao_Tome_Nik_Borrow.jpg)
Ibis,_Spot-breasted Bostrychia rara
Image by: 1)
Kani
Ibis,_Wattled Bostrychia carunculata
Image by:
1, 2) Colleen Taugher 3)
Veli
4)
Nik_Borrow - Ethiopia
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Wattled Colleen Taugher2.jpg)
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Wattled Colleen Taugher.jpg)
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Wattled Veli Pohjonen.jpg)
Genus Cercibis - 1 species
Ibis,_Sharp-tailed Cercibis oxycerca
Image by: 1)
Miguel Jacques 2)
Barloventomagico - Venezuela 3)
Cornell_Univ's_Neotropical_Birds_Online - Carlos_Siegert in Venezuela
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Sharp-tailed_MiguelJacques.jpg)
![](../People/BarloventomagicoSM/Ibis,_Sharp-tailed_Barloventomagico_eq.jpg)
Genus Eudocimus
These ibis forage by probing with their long, down-curved beaks. Eats fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects. Flies with neck and legs outstretched, often in long, loose lines, especially on their way to or from the night-time roosts.
Ibis,_Scarlet Eudocimus ruber
Image by: 1)
Casliber 2)
Dick -
Birds of Eden 4, 5) Dick Daniels -
Sylvan Heights 3, 6) Sandy Cole -
Birds of Eden, South Africa 7)
Gabriel_Caparó
1) Range (orange) 2, 3) Juvenile
![](../Images6SM/Ibis,_Scarlet_range_Casliber.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/BrdsOfEdenSmall/Ibis, Scarlet7.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/BrdsOfEdenSmall/Ibis, Scarlet Sandy3.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SylvanHeightsSmall/Ibis, Scarlet 3.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SylvanHeightsSmall/Ibis,_Scarlet_2014.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/BrdsOfEdenSmall/Ibis, Scarlet Sandy7e.jpg)
Ibis,_White also
American White Ibis Eudocimus albus
Image by: 1)
Casliber 2, 3, 6, 7)
Dick Daniels in North Carolina
5, 8, 9) Dick - Florida 4)
Alan D. Wilson - South Padre Island,
Texas
1) Range (blue) 2, 3, 4) Juvenile
![](../Images6SM/Ibis,_Scarlet_range_Casliber.jpg)
![](../Daniels1SM/ibis, white immature 01-28.jpg)
![](../Daniels2SM/Ibis,_White_juvenile_CedarIsland.jpg)
![](../People/Wilson/WilsonSm/Ibis, White, juvenile Alan_D_Wilson_6367.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Ibis, White EvergladesCity.jpg)
![](../Daniels1SM/ibis, white 02-20 b.jpg)
![](../Daniels1SM/ibis, white 02-20 f.jpg)
![](../Daniels2SM/Ibis,_White_CedarIsland2.jpg)
Genus Geronticus
The bald ibis have blad heads which gives them a vulture like appearance. They also differ from other ibis by breeding on cliffs rather than trees and preferring arid locations to wetlands.
Geronticus is derived from the Greek work for “old man”, which refers to the bald head of the species.
Ibis,_Northen Bald also
Waldrapp Geronticus eremita
Image by: 1, 2)
Agustin Povedano - Spain 3)
Dezidor 4)
Cristiano Crolle - Northern Italy
![](../People/Povedano_SM/Ibis,_Northen Bald_Agustin_Povedano.jpg)
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Northen_Bald_AgustinPovedano.jpg)
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Northern Bald Dezidor.jpg)
Ibis,_Southern Bald Geronticus calvus
Image by: 1)
Sarefo - Cologne Zoo,
Germany
2, 3) Dick Daniels - Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
4, 5) Dick - San Diego Zoo 6)
Sandy Cole - San Diego Zoo
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Southern Bald Sarefo 2.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Ibis, Southern Bald Tampa'sLowryParkZoo1.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Ibis,_Southern_Bald4_SDS.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Ibis,_Southern_Bald7_SDS.jpg)
Genus Lophotibis- 1 species
Ibis,_Madagascar Lophotibis cristata Found:
Image by: 1)
Eric Savage at the Bronx Zoo, USA 2)
Joe
- Bronx Zoo
3, 4) Dick Daniels - San Diego Zoo
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Madagascar Crested Eric Savage.jpg)
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Madagascar Crested Joe Mazzola.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Ibis,_Madagascar_Crested5.jpg)
Genus Mesembrinibis - 1 species
Ibis,_Green Mesembrinibis cayennensis
Image by: 1)
Dario Sanches -
Brazil 2)
Claudio Timm 3)
Blake Matheson 4)
Alastair Rae
![](../People/SanchesDarioSM/Ibis,_Green_DarioSanches.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Green_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/MathesonBlakeSM/Ibis,_Green_BlakeMatheson.jpg)
Genus Nipponia
Ibis,_Crested Nipponia nippon
Image by: 1)
Hisagi 2)
Ken 3)
Danielinblue
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Crested_Hisagi.jpg)
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Crested_Ken.jpg)
Genus Phimosus - 1 species
Ibis,_Bare-faced Phimosus infuscatus
Image by:
1, 2) Cláudio Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 3)
Gustavo Duran 4)
Barloventomagico - Venezuela
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Bare-faced2_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Bare-faced_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Bare-faced_GustavoDuran.jpg)
Genus Platalea
Spoonbill, African Platalea alba
Image by: 1)
Dick Daniels - St. Lucia, South Africa 2)
Dick - San Diego Zoo
3)
Dick -
Birds of Eden, South Africa 4)
Charlie Westerinen - Zimbabwe 5)
Nik_Borrow - Uganda
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/PhotosSmall/Spoonbill, African StLucia2.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Spoonbill,_African2_SDS.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/BrdsOfEdenSmall/Spoonbill, African2.jpg)
![](../People/Westerinen/WesterinenSM/Spoonbill, African_CharlieWesterinen.jpg)
![](../People/BorrowNikSM/Spoonbill,_African_Nik_Borrow.jpg)
Spoonbill, Black-faced Platalea minor
Image by: 1)
Charles Lam 2)
Darren Bellerby - Hong Kong Wetland Park, Hong Kong 3)
Cp9asngf
![](../People/LamCharlesSM/Spoonbill,_Black-faced_Charles_Lam.jpg)
![](../People/BellerbySM/Spoonbill,_Black-faced_Darren_Bellerby .jpg)
Spoonbill, Eurasian also
Common Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia
Image by: 1)
Creando 2)
Bhardwaj Shanthanu - India 3)
Iacopo
lea - Italy 4)
Andreas Trepte 5)
Cristiano Crolle - Texel, Holland
![](../Images5SM/Spoonbill,_Eurasian_Creando.jpg)
![](../People/BhardwajSM/Spoonbill,_Eurasian_Bhardwaj.jpg)
![](../Images5SM/Spoonbill,_Eurasian_Iacopo_lea.jpg)
![](../People/TrepteSM/Spoonbill,_Eurasian_AndreasTrepte.jpg)
Spoonbill, Roseate Platalea ajaja also
Ajaia ajaja Found
Image by:
1, 3) Dick Daniels - Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel Island, Florida
2)
Sandy Cole -
Flamingo
Gardens, Flroida 4)
Sandy Cole -
Sylvan Heights 5)
Dick - San Francisco Zoo 6)
Dick - San Diego Zoo 7)
Dick -
National Aviary 8)
Dominic Sherony
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Spoonbill, Roseate DingDarling1.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Spoonbill, Roseate FG Sandy.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Spoonbill, Roseate DingDarling2.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SylvanHeightsSmall/Spoonbill,_Roseate_Sandy.jpg)
![](../Daniels3SM/Spoonbill,_Roseate_SFzoo.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Spoonbill,_Roseate2_SDS.jpg)
![](../Daniels/NationalAviarySM/Spoonbill,_Roseate.jpg)
Spoonbill, Royal also
Black-billed Spoonbill Platalea regia
Image by:
1, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Australia 2)
Dick - Australia
![](../Daniels/Australasia/PhotosSmall/spoonbill, royal, Cairns 5.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Australasia/PhotosSmall/spoonbill, royal, Cairns 4.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Australasia/PhotosSmall/spoonbill, royal- braking to a stop Cairns 8.jpg)
Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Platalea flavipes
Image by: 1)
Petr Baum - Zoo in Healesville, Victoria
2,
3) Sandy
Cole - San Diego Zoo 4)
patrick kavanagh
![](../Images5SM/Spoonbill,_Yellow-billed_PetrBaum.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Spoonbill,_Yellow-billed_Sandy2.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SanDiego/SanDiegoSM/Spoonbill,_Yellow-billed_Sandy3.jpg)
Genus Plegadis
The
Plegadis genus is probably most closely related to the
Eudocimus genus.
Eudocimus is the older lineage.
Ibis,_Glossy Plegadis falcinellus Found
Image by:
1, 2) Dick Daniels-
Flamingo Gardens, Florida 3) Sylvan de Munck 4)
Mehmet Karatay 5)
Agustin_Povedano 6) )
Dick - Venice, Florida 7)
Alan D. Wilson - California
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Ibis, Glossy FG1.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Florida/FLsm/Ibis, Glossy FG2.jpg)
![](../Images4SM/Ibis,_Glossy_MehmetKaratay.jpg)
![](../People/Povedano_SM/Ibis,_Glossy_Agustin_Povedano.jpg)
![](../Daniels1SM/ibis, glossy 01-09 b FL.jpg)
Ibis,_Puna Plegadis ridgwayi Found: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru
Image by: 1)
Thomas Quine 2)
Francesco_Veronesi Dick Daniels - Urubamba, Peru 3)
Dick - Andes of Peru
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Puna Thomas Quine.jpg)
![](../People/VeronesiSM/Ibis,_Puna_Francesco_Veronesi.jpg)
![](../Daniels/PeruSM/Ibis,_Puna_SacredValley.jpg)
Ibis,_White-faced Plegadis chihi
Image by:
1, 4, 5 Cláudio Timm - Brazil 2)
Dan Pancamo - Texas 3)
Kevin Cole along the Pacific Coast, USA
6)
Alan D. Wilson - near Burns, Oregon 7)
nebirdsplus - Massachusetts
1) Juvenile 2 - 5) Nonbreeding 6, 7) Breeding
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_White-faced_juvenile_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../Images3SM/Ibis,_White-facedDanPancamo.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_White-faced2_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_White-faced_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/Wilson/WilsonSm/Ibis, White-faced Alan_D_Wilson_3130.jpg)
Genus Pseudibis
Ibis,_Giant Pseudibis gigantea Spmetimes placed in its on genus
Thaumatibis gigantea
Image by: 1)
Chaiyan_Kasorndorkbua 2)
James_Eaton
![](../ImageALLRIGHTS4/Ibis,_Giant_Chaiyan_Kasorndorkbua.jpg)
Ibis,_White-shouldered Pseudibis davisoni Found: SW China to Myanmar, peninsular Thailand and Indochina
Image by: 1)
David_Cook - Cambocia
Genus Pseudibis
Southeast Asian Ibis
Ibis,_Red-naped also
Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa
Image by: 1)
J M Garg in Haryana, India 2)
Joby Joseph - India 3)
Niraj Mistry 4)
Jan Arendtsz 5)
Charlene Wood
![](../People/GargSM/Ibis, Red-naped J. M. Garg.jpg)
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Red-naped_JobyJoseph.jpg)
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Red-naped Niraj Vijaykumar Mistry.jpg)
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Red-naped_JanArendtsz_eq.jpg)
Genus Theristicus
Found in open, grassy habitats in South America. All have a long, decurved dark bill, relatively short reddish legs that do no extend beyond the tail in flight, at least the back is gray.
Ibis,_Black-faced Theristicus melanopis Found
southern South America
Image by: 1)
dFaulder at Puerto Montt, Chile
2, 3, 5) Cláudio
Timm Calafate, Argentina 4)
Dick Daniels - Andes of Peru
1) Juvenile 2, 3, 4) Nonbreeding 5) Breeding 4) Andean subspecies also known as Andean Ibis
![](../People/FaulderSM/Ibis,_Black-faced_dFaulder.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Black-faced1_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Black-faced2_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../Daniels/PeruSM/Ibis,_Andean_BW.jpg)
Ibis,_Buff-necked also
White-throated Ibis Theristicus caudatus
Image by:
1, 2) Claudio Timm - Brazil 3)
Dario Sanches 4)
Fabio Meffei
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Buff-necked_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Buff-necked_ClaudioTimm2.jpg)
![](../People/SanchesDarioSM/Ibis, Buff-necked Dario Sanches.jpg)
Ibis,_Plumbeous Theristicus caerulescens
Image by: 1)
Dario Niz - Uruguay
2, 3)
Cláudio
Timm in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 4)
Bernard_Dupont - Brazil
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Plumbeous Dario Niz.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Plumbeous2_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
![](../People/TimmClaudioSM/Ibis,_Plumbeous_ClaudioTimm.jpg)
Genus Threskiornis
They occur in the warmer parts of the Old World in southern Asia, Australasia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Ibis,_Australian White Threskiornis molucca Found: Australia
Image by:
1, 2, 3) Dick Daniels - Australia
![](../Daniels/Australasia/PhotosSmall/ibis, australian white AU 1.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Australasia/PhotosSmall/ibis, australian white AU 3.jpg)
Ibis,_Black-headed Threskiornis melanocephalus Found: south Asia, India, Japan
Image by: 1)
Allan Hopkins 2, 5) Vijay Ismavel 3)
Ravi Vaidyanathan 4)
J M Garg
1) Juvenile
![](../People/HopkinsAllanSM/Ibis,_Black-headed_juvenile_AllanHopkins_eq.jpg)
![](../People/IsmavelSM/Ibis,_Black-headed_VijayIsmavel.jpg)
![](../Images2SM/Ibis, Black-headed Ravi Vaidyanathan.jpg)
![](../People/GargSM/Ibis, Black-headed J. M. Garg.jpg)
Ibis,_Sacred Threskiornis aethiopicus Also known as African Sacred Ibis
Image by: 1)
Dick Daniels - Flamingos Wildlife Reserve in Las Vegas. 2)
Dick -
World of Birds, South Africa
3) Charlie Westerinen - the Okavango Delta in Botswana
4, 5) Dick - Fish Eagle Lodge, Knysna Lagoon, Kenya
6)
Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, Kenya 7)
Cristiano Crolle - near Novara, Italy
![](../Daniels/FlamingosWR/PhotosSmall/ibis, sacred 04-16e.jpg)
![](../Daniels/SouthAfrica/CapeBirdWorldSmall/Ibis, Sacred WldOfBirds2.jpg)
![](../People/Westerinen/WesterinenSM/Ibis,_Sacred.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Kenya/KenyaSM/Ibis,_Sacred.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Kenya/KenyaSM/Ibis,_Sacred5.jpg)
![](../People/MochogeJosephSM/Ibis,_Sacred_pair_JosephMochoge.jpg)
Ibis,_Straw-necked Threskiornis spinicollis Found: Australia, New Guinea
Image by: 1)
Cyron Ray Macey 2) Dick Daniels - Australia
3)
JJ Harrison - Australia 4)
Laurie_Boyle 5
) Charlie Westerinen - Goulburn Australia
![](../Images5SM/Ibis,_Straw-necked_CyronRayMacey.jpg)
![](../Daniels/Australasia/PhotosSmall/ibis, straw-necked AU.jpg)
![](../People/HarrisonJJ_SM/Ibis,_Straw-necked_JJ_Harrison.jpg)
![](../People/Boyle_SM/Ibis,_Straw-necked_Laurie_Boyle.jpg)