Hadada Ibis

Bostrychia hagedash

Their loud, distinctive call is often called the 'alarm clock of Africa' and is so loud it can startle sleeping humans from deep sleep.

Scientific name: Bostrychia hagedash
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Pelecaniformes › Threskiornithidae › Bostrychia
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern
Population trend: increasing
Biome: grassland
Habitat: Grasslands, savannas, wetlands, and suburban gardens
Diet: Carnivorous: mainly earthworms, snails, insects, spiders, and occasionally small reptiles
Range: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania
Size: 65-76 cm in length, wingspan of 95-105 cm
Lifespan: 15-20 years
Active: diurnal
Threats: Pesticide use on lawns, power line collisions, and localized hunting, though none pose major threats.
Safe to approach?: Harmless. Maintain a safe distance of 5-10 meters to avoid startling them into their extremely loud warning flight. If they forage in your garden, let them be, as they are excellent natural pest controllers. They are not aggressive, but if handled, they may peck defensively with their long bill; if nipped, wash the area with soap and water.

The hadada or hadeda ibis ( Bostrychia hagedash ), is an ibis found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Photo: Annika Lindqvist, CC-BY, via iNaturalist