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African Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus
IUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Not Recognised |
| 1994 | Not Recognised |
| 1988 | Not Recognised |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Low |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 17,600,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | 200000-450000 | poor | Estimated | 2009 |
| Population trend | Decreasing | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 10.1 | - | - | - |
| Trend justification: The overall trend is decreasing, although some populations may be stable (Wetlands International 2006). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angola | Native | No | |||
| Azerbaijan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Bahrain | Introduced | No | |||
| Benin | Native | No | |||
| Botswana | Native | No | |||
| Burkina Faso | Native | No | |||
| Burundi | Native | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Native | No | |||
| Central African Republic | Native | No | |||
| Chad | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Native | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Native | No | |||
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Egypt | Native | Yes | Yes | ||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Ethiopia | Native | No | |||
| France | Introduced | No | Yes | ||
| Gabon | Native | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Ghana | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iraq | Native | No | |||
| Kazakhstan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Lesotho | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Native | No | |||
| Mali | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | |||
| Niger | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| Oman | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Rwanda | Native | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Sierra Leone | Native | No | |||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| South Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Spain | Introduced | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | |||
| Swaziland | Native | No | |||
| Tanzania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Togo | Native | No | |||
| Uganda | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | |||
| Zambia | Native | No | |||
| Zimbabwe | Native | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Guinea-Bissau | Arquipélago dos Bijagós |  |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Dez river marshes and plains | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Horeh Bamdej | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Karun river marshes | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Shadegan marshes and tidal mudflats of Khor-al Amaya and Khor Musa | |
| Iraq | Haur Al Rayan and Umm Osbah | |
| Iraq | Haur Om am Nyaj | |
| Iraq | Khawr Abdallah | |
| South Sudan | Sudd (Bahr-el-Jebel system) | |
| Sudan | Lake Kundi | |
| Tanzania | Wembere steppe | |
| Yemen | Nukhaylah - Ghulayfiqah | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Ponds (below 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Ponds (below 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Salt Exploitation Sites | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Salt Exploitation Sites | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Wastewater Treatment Areas | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Wastewater Treatment Areas | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Arable Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Rural Gardens | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Urban Areas | suitable | non-breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | breeding |
| Forest | Subtropical/Tropical Mangrove Vegetation Above High Tide Level | suitable | non-breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | breeding |
| Grassland | Subtropical/Tropical Seasonally Wet/Flooded | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Coastal Freshwater Lakes | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Mud Flats and Salt Flats | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Threats & impact
| Threat (level 1) | Threat (level 2) | Impact and Stresses | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & trapping terrestrial animals / Intentional use (species is the target) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Ongoing | Minority (<50%) | Slow, Significant Decline | Low Impact: 5 | ||||||
| |||||||||
| Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases / Avian Botulism (Clostridium botulinum) | Timing | Scope | Severity | Impact | ||||
| Future | Minority (<50%) | Rapid Declines | Low Impact: 4 | ||||||
| |||||||||
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Eggs | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Food (human) | Whole | Nestlings | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Threskiornis aethiopicus. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Threskiornithidae (Ibises and spoonbills) |
| Species name author | (Latham, 1790) |
| Population size | 200000-450000 mature individuals |
| Population trend | Decreasing |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 17,600,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
| - Summary information on this species | |
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