Wattled Ibis Bostrychia carunculata Scientific name definitions

65–75 cm. Very dark ; conspicuous  black and white upperwing coverts. Pendant throat wattle often difficult to see. Immature duller and paler, with less white on wing; lacks wattle.

Restricted to highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Inhabits the highlands of Ethiopia and Eritrea at 1500–4100 m. Most frequent along river courses with rocky cliffs; also in open country , including high altitude moorland, swamps, cropland and in open woodland, typically in olive or juniper woodland; occasionally in stands of Eucalyptus. In the Bale Mountains National Park  , Ethiopia, feeding flocks select level agricultural land that has been left fallow for 1–2 years, areas of short damp grass and highland vegetation including rough tussock grass; they avoid wheatfields, cornfields, stubble and freshly ploughed land (1 Hughes, J. (2006). Preliminary survey of Wattled Ibis Bostrychia carunculata in Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, with notes on abundance, habitat and threats. Bull. African Bird Club. 13(2): 157–161. Close ). Small flocks seen around human settlements, including Addis Ababa. Usually nests on rocky cliffs, less often on trees and buildings

Diet unknown, but probably mainly worms and insects, including adults and larvae of coprophagous beetles; perhaps less often large insects, amphibians and small mammals. Usually feeds in flocks , which are often small soon after leaving roost, but build up to 50–100 birds, or more, as day goes on. It normally forages in open country, walking about deliberately, probing regularly in mud or soft ground; may locate some of its prey by ear. Searches dung for beetles, and sometimes accompanies herds of domestic animals. It has also been recorded feeding alongside Warthogs Phacochoerus aethiopicus (1 Hughes, J. (2006). Preliminary survey of Wattled Ibis Bostrychia carunculata in Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, with notes on abundance, habitat and threats. Bull. African Bird Club. 13(2): 157–161. Close ).

Quite vocal. Main call is a loud, raucous, rolling "kowrrr...kowrrr...kowrrr.." or "harrr...harrr..harrr..", often given when taking flight. At dawn, roosting birds utter series of clicks, croaks, grunts and squeaks, finally leaving with loud, raucous, crowing calls as described above.

Laying mainly during short rains of Mar–May, and in main rains of Jul; occasionally in dry season, in Dec. Usually colonial, but sometimes solitary or in small groups of 2–3 pairs. Nest is platform of branches and sticks, lined with soft vegetation like grass stems, mosses and strips of bark; situated on ledges, bushes protruding from cliff faces; occasionally on tops of trees or on buildings, when nesting alone or in very small groups. 2–3 eggs; chicks have blackish brown down. Other aspects of breeding habits unrecorded.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). The size of the global population is unknown but this species is locally common to very common, e.g. in the Bale Mts, where feeding flocks of over 100 birds have been recorded. It has adapted well to living in humanized zones, visiting cultivation and plantations, sometimes associating with herds of livestock, and even breeding on ledges of buildings. Small flocks are often seen in Addis Ababa, flying between large buildings in city centre.

The species is well tolerated by the local people. Potential future threats include habitat conversion to irrigated farmland and other farmland, soil erosion and felling of the trees that they use for roosting (1 Hughes, J. (2006). Preliminary survey of Wattled Ibis Bostrychia carunculata in Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia, with notes on abundance, habitat and threats. Bull. African Bird Club. 13(2): 157–161. Close ).