A Madagascar crested ibis with a brown body, white wings and yellow bill perched on a branch. — Photo: Eric Savage, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Madagascar Crested Ibis

Lophotibis cristata

A forest ibis found only on Madagascar, with a brown body, white wings and a shiny greenish-blue crest.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the Madagascar Crested Ibis

Madagascar crested ibises are about 20 inches long, one of the bigger birds in Madagascar's forests. They have brown bodies, white wings, a greenish-blue crest, pink legs, a yellow bill and pink skin around the eyes. They live in both humid and dry forests, from sea level up to 6,600 feet, and eat insects and other invertebrates, snails, small frogs and reptiles.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Lophotibis cristata^[1]
Size: About 20 inches long.^[1]
Diet: Invertebrates, snails, small amphibians and reptiles.^[1]
Habitat: Humid and dry forests, from sea level to 6,600 feet.^[1]
Where it lives: Madagascar only.^[1]
Group life: Pairs or small groups.^[1]
Babies: 2 or 3 eggs on a twig platform in a tree.^[1]
Conservation status: Vulnerable (IUCN Red List, assessed 2024).^[2]

Fun facts

It's also called the white-winged ibis and crested wood ibis.^[1]
Unlike many ibises, it lives in forests, not wetlands.^[1]
Both parts of its scientific name refer to its crest.^[1]

Vocabulary

endemic: Found naturally in only one place in the world.
crest: A tuft of feathers on top of a bird's head.
probe: To poke into something to search.
invertebrate: An animal without a backbone, such as an insect, worm or snail.
vulnerable: A conservation label meaning a species faces a high risk of dying out in the wild.

See it in person

San Francisco Zoo & GardensSan Francisco, California · BirdsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] San Francisco Zoo & Gardens. “Madagascar ibis.” https://www.sfzoo.org/madagascar-ibis/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Lophotibis cristata (Madagascar Ibis).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697504/254926243 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Wading Birds

African Sacred IbisThreskiornis aethiopicusA white ibis with a black head and neck that ancient Egyptians honored as a symbol of the god Thoth.African SpoonbillPlatalea albaA pure white African wading bird with a red face and legs and a long, spoon-shaped bill for sweeping up fish.American FlamingoPhoenicopterus ruberThe brightest-colored flamingo, also called the Caribbean flamingo, that filter-feeds with its bill upside down.Black Crowned CraneBalearica pavoninaA dark West African crane with a golden crown of stiff feathers that roosts in trees and dances when it breeds.Blue CraneAnthropoides paradiseusThe national bird of South Africa, a blue-gray crane of grasslands famous for courtship dances that can last for hours.

Cattle EgretBubulcus ibisA small white heron that follows grazing animals to catch the insects they stir up, and has spread from Africa around the world.Chilean FlamingoPhoenicopterus chilensisA pink flamingo of the high, cold salt flats of the southern Andes that feeds with its head upside down.Grey Crowned CraneBalearica regulorum (East African crowned crane: B. r. gibbericeps)An endangered African crane with a crown of stiff golden feathers, shown on the flag of Uganda. Also called the East African crowned crane.Hadada IbisBostrychia hagedashA gray-brown African ibis with shiny green-purple wings, named for its loud "haa-haa-haa-de-dah" call.HamerkopScopus umbrettaA brown African wading bird with a hammer-shaped head that builds the biggest nest of any bird in Africa.Lesser FlamingoPhoeniconaias minorThe world's smallest flamingo, which filters tiny algae from salty lakes and gathers in flocks of tens of thousands.Malagasy Sacred IbisThreskiornis bernieriAn endangered white ibis with a black head and pale blue eyes that lives along the coasts of western Madagascar and Aldabra.

Marabou StorkLeptoptilos crumeniferA huge, bald-headed African stork that feeds mostly on dead animals and often gathers near lakes, rivers, garbage dumps and fishing villages.Northern Bald IbisGeronticus eremitaA glossy black ibis with a bald red head, also called the waldrapp, that was once common in Europe and is now one of the world's rarest birds.Roseate SpoonbillPlatalea ajajaA bright pink wading bird of the Americas that sweeps its spoon-shaped bill through shallow water to catch food.Scarlet IbisEudocimus ruberA bright red wading bird of northern South America that feeds mostly on crayfish and small crabs.Snowy EgretEgretta thulaAn all-white heron of the Americas with a black bill and bright yellow feet, famous for its lacy breeding plumes.Straw-Necked IbisThreskiornis spinicollisAn Australian ibis with straw-like neck feathers and a shiny back, nicknamed the "farmer's friend" for eating grasshoppers.Wattled CraneBugeranus carunculatusA tall African wetland crane with flaps of skin hanging from its chin that shrink when it's nervous and lengthen when it's excited.White StorkCiconia ciconiaA big white-and-black bird with a red bill that breeds in Europe, winters in Africa and inspired the story of storks delivering babies.White-Naped CraneGrus vipio (also called Antigone vipio)A tall gray-and-white crane of East Asian wetlands with a red face and pink legs, famous for its dancing.Yellow-Billed StorkMycteria ibisA tall white African stork with a bright yellow bill and red face that feels for fish and frogs in shallow water.