Ibises are a family of birds squad stork.Outwardly, they look like a medium-sized heron.The ancient Egyptians considered sacred they worshiped.
Appearance
family ibises birds grow to 50-110 cm. The adult weighs from 400 g to 1.3 kg.A distinctive feature is the beak.He is thin, long and bent down.Well adapted to search for food at the bottom of the reservoir and silty soil.Most species of birds like storks like not developed voice box.
Wings ibises have long, broad, composed of 11 primary flight feathers.Because of this the birds fly very fast.
head and neck partially bare.Most of the animals have the crest, which is formed from the back feathers.Ibis - a bird with long legs, the first three fingers of which are connected to the swimming membrane.
Color feathers are always the same color: white, black, gray, and most striking - red.
They live on every continent except Antarctica is just.Preference is given to tropical, subtropical and southern temperate zone.
Ibis - a bird that lives near the water.Good feeling to marshland, among bog lakes, avoids riverbanks with a strong current.
live poultry flocks of 30-50 individuals.The inhabitants of the southern territories are sedentary, and northern species make seasonal migrations.
morning birds usually takes place in the search for food in shallow water or on the shore of the pond, they rest during the day and sleep at night leave the trees.
basis of power of animal food: fish, shellfish, worms, frogs.Less ibises catch insects on the ground (such as locusts) or eat carrion.
Reproduction These birds are monogamous, have a permanent couple.Duplication occurs every year.In the spring of northern species, the southern - when the rainy season comes.Ibis - a bird that has in the education of the younger generation involved two parents.
on trees or in dense thickets of reeds or cane they build nests, which are spherical in shape and are made up of branches.
ibis usually female lays 2 to 5 eggs.Three weeks later, the chicks appear.They are absolutely helpless, and for a long time (up to two months) remain in the nest under the protection of parents.
Types
In nature, ibises differ not only in color.There are 28 species of these birds.The best known are the following:
1. scarlet ibis.Bird, who lives in the northern part of South America.Except for the black beak and wings of the same ends, it has a bright scarlet plumage.In places cohabitation with white ibis observed mating species.Flocks have between 30 to 70 individuals.
2. Ibis White.He leads a sedentary life, living on the territory of Florida, California, Venezuela and the north-western part of Peru.During the breeding season nests in colonies of many thousands.Except for the beak and feet pink bird is completely white.
3. Ibis forest.Now it is considered a rare bird.It is dark, almost black, only the head and beak are red on the back of the head crest.In the wild, there are only 400 individuals, they live only in the mountains of Morocco.Now they are bred in captivity and released into their natural habitat.
4. bald ibis.It differs from the lack of forest tuft on his head.He lives in South Africa, the world's only remaining 8000 birds.
5. Ibis Černolice.It differs from other more diverse plumage.His neck and head are yellow-brown, cheeks, chin and belly dark reddish legs, the rest of the body of gray.They live and breed on the plains of South America.
Of the 28 species in Russia can be found four: spoonbills and glossy ibis in the southern part of the country, the Japanese ibis in Primorye, sometimes sacred in the Caucasus.
disappearance of these birds is mainly due to climate change and habitat conditions.
African Sacred Ibis in the world famous representatives of this family worshiped since ancient times.In ancient Egypt was a god with the head of an ibis bird - One.In his temple contained the whole pack.In one of the opening of the tomb and found it was discovered a large number of mummified birds.They were called sacred ibis.
There are several theories to explain this attitude to this type.Someone thinks that deserved accolades for his constant destruction of snakes.Another version - ibis bird in ancient Egypt there was a spill of the Nile River, which is considered sacred.This was taken as a sign of the gods.
Nowadays, the bird can be found in Iran, and North Africa.It is mostly white head and tail tip are black.Sacred ibises live in small flocks on wetlands.
