Hadeda Ibis, South Africa and Kenya
By Charlie • July 15, 2007 • 3 commentsHadeda Ibis Bostrychia hagedash
Somerset West, Cape Town, South Africa
The chunky, short-legged Hadeda Ibis is found throughout open grasslands, savanna and rainforests of Sudan, Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda, Tanzania, Gabon, Zaire, Cameroon, Gambia, Kenya, Somalia and South Africa, and also in urban parks and large gardens. It feeds mainly on earthworms, using its long scimitar-like bill to probe soft soil. They may be confused with the similarly dark plumaged Glossy Ibis but even at a distance the white cheek mark is clearly visible, and unlike the Glossy Ibis this species is often found foraging on lawns (this bird was photographed near a hotel car-park in Cape Town).
These birds probably have one of the most distinctive calls of all African birds: a loud, raucous onomatopoeic ‘Haa-Dee-Daa’ - hence its colloquial name - which is given even when they are in flight. Hadedas are particularly vocal at dawn and dusk on the way from and to their overnight roosts.
Cape Town, South Africa. July
Uhuru Park, Kenya. November
All photographs copyright Charlie Moores
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Nice Photo’s !
Although your subject is not one of my best like birds , in fact more the opposite !!
Here is a site that talk about the Hadeda as a “pest” !?
http://sites.google.com/site/hadedaaway/
I found a Hadeda on my lawn at the back of my house 2 days ago.he wasn’t looking well and was just sitting on the lawn. Usually I am not THAT fond of them as they are NOISY. Guess who is nursing him back to health? me! and I think he is too sweet! he is walking around, I scratched his head and neck a little to calm him down to be able to move him to my front lawn. Now I keep my distance, so he will leave when he is ready. luckily there’s a lot of Hadedas in and around our complex all the time.
Nice story Ronel, thanks for sharing - and good luck