Madagascar Crested Ibis
Encyclopedia
The Madagascar Ibis also known as the Madagascar Crested Ibis, White-winged Ibis or Crested Wood Ibis, is a medium-sized (approximately 50 cm long), brown-plumage
d ibis
. It has bare red orbital skin, yellow bill
, red legs, white wings and its head is partially bare with a dense crest of green or gloss blue and white plumes on the nape
. The Madagascar Crested Ibis is the only member
in the genus Lophotibis.
The Madagascar Ibis is endemic
to the woodland
s and forest
s of Madagascar
. Its diet consists mainly of insect
s, spider
s, frog
s, reptile
s, snails and invertebrates. The female usually lays three eggs
in platform nest made from twigs and branches.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the Madagascar Crested Ibis is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
of threatened Species.
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
d ibis
Ibis
The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....
. It has bare red orbital skin, yellow bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
, red legs, white wings and its head is partially bare with a dense crest of green or gloss blue and white plumes on the nape
Nape
The nape is the back of the neck. In technical anatomical/medical terminology, the nape is referred to by the word nucha, which also gives the adjective corresponding to "nape" in English, "nuchal"....
. The Madagascar Crested Ibis is the only member
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
in the genus Lophotibis.
The Madagascar Ibis is endemic
Endemism in birds
An endemic bird area is a region of the world that contains two or more restricted-range species, while a "secondary area" contains one or more restricted-range species. Both terms were devised by Birdlife International....
to the woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s and forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
. Its diet consists mainly of insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
s, reptile
Reptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
s, snails and invertebrates. The female usually lays three eggs
Bird egg
Bird eggs are laid by females and incubated for a time that varies according to the species; a single young hatches from each egg. Average clutch sizes range from one to about 17...
in platform nest made from twigs and branches.
Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the Madagascar Crested Ibis is evaluated as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species , founded in 1963, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's main authority on the conservation status of species...
of threatened Species.