Ibis
The ibises (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae. This family also includes the spoonbills.
| Ibis | |
|---|---|
| |
| Straw-necked Ibis | |
| Scientific classification e | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Order: | Pelecaniformes |
| Family: | Threskiornithidae |
| Subfamily: | Threskiornithinae Poche, 1904 |
They all have long down curved bills, and usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually crustaceans. Most species nest in trees, often with spoonbills or herons.
The word ibis comes from Greek and Latin, and probably from the Ancient Egyptian. According to Josephus, Moses employed ibes against serpents during a desert campaign into Ethiopia in his early life. Pliny the Elder also recounted, "The Egyptians invoked ibes against the serpents."
Ancient Egyptians
Ancient Egyptians would make ibises into mummies and offer them to the god Thoth, whom they drew and carved with the head of an ibis. Egyptologists have found many thousands of ibis mummies in tombs. In 2019, scientists looked at the DNA from the ibis mummies and from living ibises around Africa and came to believe that the ibises that were made into mummies were not caught in the wild. Instead, ancient Egyptians fed the ibises in large lakes near their temples and caught them when they wanted them.[1][2][3]
Ibis Media
- N190 w1150.jpg
Ibises illustration, c.1835-1840
- Threskiornis molucca - Perth.jpg
Threskiornis molucca - Perth
- Indian Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa by Dr. Raju Kasambe DSCN2445 (26).jpg
Indian Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa by Dr. Raju Kasambe DSCN2445 (26)
- Hermit Ibis in Vienna Zoo on 2013-05-14.png
Hermit Ibis in Vienna Zoo on 2013-05-14
- Nipponia nippon.jpg
Nipponia nippon (Temminck, 1835), Xi'an, China.
- Hadeda Ibis Portrait, crop.jpg
Hadeda Ibis Portrait, crop
- Wildlife in and around Reserva Laguna Nimez in El Calafate, Argentina - there is some uncertainty here amongst some authorities- is this the Black Faced Ibis (Theristicus melanops) - OR - the (24560030193).jpg
Wildlife in and around Reserva Laguna Nimez in El Calafate, Argentina - there is some uncertainty here amongst some authorities- is this the Black Faced Ibis (Theristicus melanops) - OR - the (24560030193)
- Cercibis oxycerca Tarotaro Sharp-tailed Ibis (6288776691).jpg
Cercibis oxycerca Tarotaro Sharp-tailed Ibis (6288776691)
- Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis) (30903118634).jpg
Green Ibis (Mesembrinibis cayennensis) (30903118634)
Bare-faced Ibis (Phimosus infuscatus) (28370845522)
- Error missing media source
white-faced ibis in the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, California
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References
- ↑ PLOS (November 14, 2019). "Ancient Egyptians gathered birds from the wild for sacrifice and mummification". Eurekalert.org. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- ↑ Nicola Davis (November 14, 2019). "Experts crack mystery of ancient Egypt's sacred bird mummies". The Guardian.
- ↑ Sally Wasef, Sankar Subramanian, Richard O’Rorke, Leon Huynen, Samia El-Marghani, Caitlin Curtis, Alex Popinga, Barbara Holland, Salima Ikram, Craig Millar, Eske Willerslev, David Lambert (November 13, 2019). "Mitogenomic diversity in Sacred Ibis Mummies sheds light on early Egyptian practices". PLOS ONE. 14 (11): e0223964. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0223964. PMC 6853290. PMID 31721774.
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