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Northern bald ibis
"From a distance the northern bald ibis looks black, but their feathers have a metal sheen. In the sunlight green, purple and bronze colours appear, which you can only see if you look really closely."
Discover in real lifeHabitat
Turkey, Morocco, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Sudan
Lifetime
up to 21 years old
Weight
1050 to 1300 grams
Span
120 to 135 centimeters
Number of eggs
2 to 4 eggs
Incubation time
27 to 28 days
IUCN Status
endangered
EEP?
yes
Keep your head cool
Northern bald ibises live in very hot regions. With their black plumage, they can quickly become too hot. But this bird has a clever adaptation to prevent overheating. The skin around its face is thin and has many blood vessels running through it. This allows it to lose enough heat through its bald head.
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Theme area: Details Matter
You can see the Northern bald ibis in the ‘Details Matter’ themed area. Here, you can see things that aren’t immediately obvious: patterns, adaptations and clever forms of camouflage or deterrence.