#ibises

Simplified bird #169 - Northern bald ibis

Glossy Ibis - Íbis-preto (Plegadis falcinellus)

Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal (25/03/2026)

A Feathursday in Paradise

This chromolithograph focuses on the Paradise Flycatcher (Genus: Terpsiphone) but it also depicts a number of other bird species, including some Black-headed Ibises (Threskiornis melanocephalus), some night herons (probably the Black-crowned, Nycticorax nycticorax), a Black Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina), a Flamingo (Greater or Lesser, we don't know), and some unidentified egrets, although we are unsure if all these birds can actually be found in same area of paradise. We also can't tell what species of Paradise Flycatcher is being depicted, as it seems to have markings from different species.

Once again, this print is by the noted Boston lithographing firm L. Prang & Company for Animate Creation by the English natural history popularizer J. G Wood (1827-1889), published in New York in three volumes by Selmar Hess in 1885. Our copy of is a revised edition, adapted to American zoology by the American physician and zoologist Joseph B. Holder, of an earlier British publication by Wood first published in London by George Routledge as The Illustrated Natural History in 1853.

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White-faced Ibis Plegadis chihi

Photo: Bernard Dupont

"All-dark wading bird with a curved bill and short legs, giving it a rather dumpy look. Dark green overall with shimmering emerald and bronzy iridescence that can be stunning in good light. Prefers more forested swamps or sheltered river edges. Usually seen singly or in pairs."

It may not look pretty, but the northern bald ibis' hairdo really does the trick when it comes to beating the heat! Their black plumage absorbs a large amount of light and heat, so bald ibises release much of that heat back into the air through the dense capillaries on the top of their head, which also contributes to their bright red color.

With Japanese know-how and the unwavering support of Japanese experts, Bhutan’s national bird is being hatched and hand-reared in captivity successfully for the first time ever.

The major hurdle to rearing chicks was overcome, and two healthy birds were just hand-reared, bringing the total captive population to five—a crucial lifeline to a bird that numbers less than 100 in the wild.

The critically-endangered white-bellied heron faces extinction due to habitat disturbance from human activities and predation. Professor Satoshi Shimano and his team from Hosei University, Japan, collaborated with the White-Bellied Heron Conservation Center (WBHCC) in Bhutan, to revive the species through direct intervention.

This heron is the world’s second largest, a symbolic bird for the people of Bhutan, and also a typical ‘umbrella species’ that requires a habitat with a vast, preserved environment. In recent years, the white-bellied heron population has decreased significantly.

As of 2024, it’s estimated there are fewer than 45 left in the world, although the official count stands at 60. It’s endemic to the Indian subcontinent, with approximately 25 individuals sighted in Bhutan, and the rest across the border in India. Conservation efforts for the species are limited and fragmented across the region.

In 2021, the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) in Bhutan decided to begin efforts to artificially breed white-bellied herons outside their natural habitat, and the WBHCC was constructed and began operation in 2022. The WBHCC, located in the mountainous areas of south-central Bhutan, a six-hour drive from Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu, is supported by the Royal Government of Bhutan, international donors, agencies, and global philanthropists.

Two of the center’s three herons were collected as chicks from wild nests, and the other was rescued as a wounded bird. The center plans to collect not only chicks but also eggs from wild nests to artificially hatch them in an incubator. This was because monkeys were observed eating the heron’s eggs during incubation.

Since pair-bonded adults build their nests on steep cliffs and high trees, collecting chicks and eggs is extremely dangerous. A single nest typically produces around four eggs, and only 3–4 white-bellied heron pairs have been confirmed to nest in Bhutan.

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A support team was formed, composed of experts from the Hyogo Park of the oriental white stork and several member associations affiliated with JAZA (Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums). These experts had been involved in the captive breeding of oriental storks, Okinawa rails, and Japanese crested ibises. The team visited the WBHCC twice in March and April 2024, during the breeding season, taking the Japanese experience with these birds with them. Equipment and supplies were donated to the WBHCC.

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Even in Japan, it took more than twenty years to establish the artificial breeding technique for the storks and ibises.

“Japan, which knows the pain of having lost the endemic Japanese lineage and the subsequent efforts that followed, should be the one to make use of its own technique overseas,” said Shimano. “Everyone on the team is committed to supporting the white-bellied heron for the next 20 years.”

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“There have been past cases where efforts to prevent the extinction of both the crested ibis and the oriental stork have failed. In order to prevent a repeat of this, I hope that by providing the knowledge that Japan has, we can increase the number of these birds, even if only a little,” said Matsumoto.