LOVE them or hate them, the Hadeda Ibis has become one of the most common and best recognised birds in suburbia.
The call is unmistakable and you will often hear them in the background, particularly in summer, when you are woken up by their call – even before your alarm clock rings.
For the real enthusiasts, the call is available as a cell phone ring tone.
Their name is onomatopoeic, derived from the loud haa-haa-haa-de-dah call.
Description
It is a large 76cm long bird with a heavy, slightly curved bill and narrow white stripe below the ear covets. Their back is olive brown and the upper tail is a metallic green. They can be confused with the Glossy Ibis, which is smaller and its plumage is more glossy, but it is unlikely to occur in suburbia.
Behaviour
The Hadeda is highly vocal. It favours moist grassland and has adapted well to modified open sites such as airfields and golf courses. It has also adapted well to human habitation and prefers short grass and manicured lawns. It will be observed digging in the ground with its long bill, or roosting on the top of tall trees or pylons. They are not easily frightened and will chase off domestic cats and dogs if harassed by them.
ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – The Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Diet
Like other ibis species, Hadedas have sensory pits around the tips of their bills. While foraging for unseen prey, such as shallow subterranean larvae, the pits help them to locate insects and earthworms.They favour moist ground and soft soils where they can easily probe below the surface. They will also occasionally steal food from pet bowls.
Breeding
The Hadeda is monogamous. The nest is a thin platform of sticks built by one using material brought in by the other mate. Laying months are mainly between September and November. The typical clutch size is three eggs, laid two days apart and the incubation period is 25 to 28 days by both sexes. The nestling/fledgling period is about 34 days and the youngsters are fed by both parents.
Distribution
A common resident, with an expanding population throughout South Africa, Mozambique and further north. The range has greatly increased in the last 75 years due to habitat modification, increased food availability and alien trees that provide nesting sites in formerly treeless areas.
Threat
It is considered the least threatened and it is very common and increasing in numbers, even though it has become a favourite prey of the Crowned Eagles in the Durban area.
ALSO READ: Chirping with Kloof Conservancy: Greater Double-collared Sunbird
Interesting facts
Many years ago I was fortunate to attend an entertaining and instructive bird course run by the late Dr Steven Piper, the wagtail and vulture expert. He passionately criticised the English Country Garden (ECG) syndrome where suburbia is filled with beautifully manicured lawns (an ecological desert) and exotic flowers/trees. Fortunately, in recent years, there has been a strong move towards indigenous gardens. Hadedas prefer the short grass with moist lawns and also require tall trees for nesting. As suburbia has spread, many open grasslands have been converted into beautifully manicured lawns and trees to provide their ideal habitat. He cited this as the main reason for the huge expansion in their range.
At one stage, the Durban International Airport (and other local airports) were suffering from Hadeda and other bird strikes. The Hadedas had become oblivious to loud noises generated by aeroplanes landing and taking off.
Shooting birds had minimal impact as others moved in to replace them. There was even an incident where a Hadeda was ingested into the engine of a Boeing 737.
Ornithologists were called in for advice and their research indicated that the grass next to the runways was being mowed too short, probably to improve the visibility of signage, and this created an ideal feeding habitat for Hadedas and other birds.
The airport authorities were advised to allow the grass to grow longer than 300mm next to the runways. The birds then moved further from the runways and this reduced the number of bird strikes.
Visit www.kloofconservancy.org.za or follow the NPO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KloofConservancy
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