African sacred ibis Uganda is one of the most visible wading birds in the country’s wetlands and lake margins, the white plumage and black bare head immediately identifiable in mixed heron and egret flocks. The African sacred ibis is a white wading bird with a bare black head and neck, a long down-curved black bill and black plumes over its tail. It was revered in ancient Egypt, where it was linked to the god Thoth and mummified in huge numbers. In Uganda it is common around lakes, swamps, rubbish dumps and farmland, including Entebbe, Kampala, the Lake Victoria shore and the national parks.

African Sacred Ibis Uganda: The White and Black Wetland Bird Guide

Habits

Sacred ibises feed by probing mud and grass with their bills for insects, worms, frogs and small fish, and they also scavenge around towns. They roost and nest in noisy colonies in trees, often with egrets, herons and cormorants. Uganda also has the hadada ibis, with its loud “ha-ha-ha” call heard in gardens, and the glossy ibis in wetlands.

Where to see it

You will see sacred ibises around Entebbe, on the Lake Victoria shore and at wetlands across the country, as well as on the Kazinga Channel and at Lake Mburo. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to the marabou stork, Uganda’s wetlands, Lake Victoria and Uganda birding.

Frequently asked questions

Distribution in Uganda

The African sacred ibis is common across Uganda wherever there is water, grassland, and open ground. It occurs on the shores of Lake Victoria, along the Nile and other major rivers, in papyrus swamps, rice paddies, and on the open plains of national parks. The Kazinga Channel boat trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park reliably produces ibis on the banks alongside herons, egrets, and pied kingfishers. The bird is a frequent visitor to open grassland where it probes the soil for invertebrates, and is often seen following cattle or other large mammals to catch insects disturbed by their movement.

Feeding Behaviour and Diet

The sacred ibis feeds on a wide range of invertebrates, fish, frogs, reptiles, and small mammals, as well as carrion. Its long, curved bill is adapted for probing soft mud and soil, and the bird moves methodically across wetland margins and grasslands, inserting the bill deeply into the substrate. In Uganda it has been recorded feeding in rubbish sites and urban areas, much like the marabou stork, showing a similarly opportunistic approach to the abundant food resources that human settlement provides.

Conservation Status

The African sacred ibis is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN and is common and widespread across sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. It was historically native to Egypt — where it was sacred to the god Thoth and mummified in enormous numbers — but has been extirpated from that country, with populations now well established as an introduced species in parts of Europe. Uganda’s native population is stable and part of the continent-wide distribution that remains healthy despite local pressures from wetland drainage and pollution.

Where to See It in Uganda

The sacred ibis can be seen at virtually any wetland or lake margin in Uganda, including sites easily accessible from Kampala such as the shores of Lake Victoria near Entebbe, the wetlands at Mabamba Bay (also the best site for shoebill storks), and the Sezibwa Falls area. In national parks, the Kazinga Channel boat trip in Queen Elizabeth and the Murchison Falls boat trip on the Nile are both reliable locations. The bird is common enough that it is frequently encountered incidentally on birding excursions focused on rarer species.

African Sacred Ibis: Safari Identification

The African sacred ibis is most easily identified by the combination of all-white body plumage, bare black head and neck, and strongly curved black bill. In flight, the black flight feathers contrast with the white body. Juveniles have a partially feathered white-and-black head. The sacred ibis is often seen alongside other white waterbirds — great and little egrets, yellow-billed storks — and in mixed flocks the ibis is identified by the curved bill and black bare head. Immature birds resemble adults but have less completely bare facial skin.