A northern bald ibis with glossy dark feathers and a red bill feeding in grass. — Photo: Len Worthington, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Northern Bald Ibis

Geronticus eremita

A 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.

🪿 Wading Birds

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About the Northern Bald Ibis

Northern bald ibises, also called waldrapps, have glossy black feathers that shine green, violet and blue, a bare red head, a shaggy ruff and a long, curved red bill. They use the sensitive bill to pluck insects from soil and water, and also eat snails, small reptiles, fish, mice, worms, berries and water plants. They live in open, dry areas, coasts, wetlands and rocky places.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Geronticus eremita^[1]
Lifespan: About 24 years.^[1]
Diet: Omnivore. Insects, snails, small reptiles, fish, mice, worms, carrion, berries and water plants.^[1]
Habitat: Open dry areas, coastlines, wetlands, riverbanks and rocky areas.^[1]
Where it lives: Small areas of Morocco, Syria and Turkey.^[1]
Group life: Flocks of a few to about 100. Nests in colonies on cliffs.^[1]
Babies: 2 to 4 eggs, incubated 24 to 28 days by both parents.^[1]
Conservation status: Endangered (IUCN Red List, assessed 2018).^[2]

Fun facts

Young ibises don't get their full adult feathers until about age seven.^[1]
The waldrapp was considered sacred in ancient Egypt.^[1]
Some wild colonies in Turkey are made up entirely of zoo-hatched birds.^[1]

Vocabulary

ibis: A wading bird with a long, down-curved bill.
iridescent: Showing shimmering colors that change with the angle of light.
ruff: A collar of feathers or fur around the neck.
colony: A large group of animals of one kind that live or nest together.
endangered: A conservation label meaning a species faces a very 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 ↗
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and AquariumOmaha, Nebraska · Simmons Aviary and LagoonSee this area 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. “Waldrapp Ibis.” https://www.sfzoo.org/waldrapp-ibis/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Geronticus eremita (Northern Bald Ibis).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22697488/130895601 (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.Madagascar Crested IbisLophotibis cristataA forest ibis found only on Madagascar, with a brown body, white wings and a shiny greenish-blue crest.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.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.