Hadeda
The Hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) is a long-legged wading bird native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four-note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Although not as dependent on water as some ibises, they are found near wetlands and often live in close proximity to humans.
Hadada ibises are large grey-to-partly brown birds. Males and females are alike in plumage. They have a narrow, white, roughly horizontal stripe across their cheeks. This is sometimes called the "mustache" though it does not reach the mouth corners. The plumage over the wings has an iridescent purple sheen produced by optical microstructures within the feathers. Hadada ibises have blackish legs and a large grey-to-black bill but during the breeding season, they have a red culmen on the basal half of the upper mandible. The upper surfaces of their toes are of a similar red during the onset of breeding. The wings are powerful and broad, enabling quick take-offs and easy maneuvering through dense tree cover.
Hadada ibises are found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa in Sudan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gambia, Kenya, Somalia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and South Africa. They don’t migrate but may make local movements in response to rainfall during periods of drought. Within their native range, these birds inhabit open grasslands, savanna, wooded streams, and wetlands, as well as urban parks, school fields, green corridors, cultivated areas, and large gardens.
Hadada ibises are social birds. They are usually seen in pairs or small groups of up to 30 individuals. They also roost in groups on trees. They fly out in the mornings with loud calls and return in the evenings with regularity. Like other ibis species, and like some other probing feeders, Hadada ibises have sensory pits around the tips of their bills. In their foraging for unseen prey, such as shallow subterranean larvae, these pits help them to locate feeding insects and earthworms. These birds have extremely loud and distinctive ‘haa-haa-haa-de-dah’ call. This call is often heard when they are flying or are startled, or when they communicate socially, for example early in the morning in residential suburbs. While roosting Hadada ibises produce a single loud ‘haaaa’. When foraging, their contact call is a low growl similar to that made by a young puppy.
Hadada ibises are carnivores (insectivores, vermivores) and feed mainly on insects, millipedes, and earthworms, using their long scimitar-like bill to probe soft soil. They also eat spiders and small lizards. These birds also feed readily on snails and often clear garden beds around residential homes.
Hadada ibises are monogamous and solitary nesters that form strong pair bonds. Breeding begins after the rains. In the Cape Province, they breed mainly from October to November. Their nest is a platform of twigs placed in a major branch of a large tree, typically in a fork. Both parents take part in incubating the clutch of 3 to 4 eggs. Incubation takes about 26 days. The parents feed their chicks by regurgitating food. The young usually fledge in about 33 days and become independent 2 months after hatching.
The biggest threats to Hadada ibises include habitat loss, prolonged droughts that cause food scarcity, and hunting for traditional medicine purposes.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Hadada ibis total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are increasing.
