The
African sacred ibis (
Threskiornis aethiopicus) is a wading bird and a species of
ibis, of the family
Threskiornithidae. The bird, native to Africa and the Middle East, is especially known for its role in the religion of the
ancient Egyptians, where it was linked to the god
Thoth. Visually, the African sacred ibis has an all-white body
plumage, apart from the dark plumes on the rump. This African sacred ibis was photographed in
Lake Ziway, Ethiopia.
Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp