A large, bulky, gray-brown ibis with an iridescent green-purple gloss on the wings. It has a bicolored black-and-red bill and a white streak across the cheek under the eye. Pairs and small flocks occur in a variety of habitats including open country, wetland margins, and forest edge; they forages on the ground, digging, probing soft soil, and picking up invertebrates with their long bills. The frequently-heard call is one of the most characteristic sounds of Africa: a loud, raucous, trumpeting “ha-da-da” which gives the bird its name.