Giant Ibis

Adults have dark greyish-brown plumage with a greenish-bronze sheen on upperparts. The head and upper neck are bare and greyish, showing dark bands on the nape. Juveniles are duller with short feathers on the head and a smaller bill.

Massive size, bald grey head with black stripes on the nape, and a long, heavy, downward-curving bill.

Length: 102–106 cm (40–42 in); Weight: approximately 4.2 kg (9.3 lbs).

A loud, haunting, ringing 'a-leur a-leur' or 'a-ga-loh', typically heard at dawn or dusk.

Feeds on aquatic invertebrates, crustaceans, small amphibians, reptiles, and seeds by probing the mud with its long bill.

Lowland deciduous dipterocarp forests with scattered seasonal wetlands and marshes.

Non-migratory/Resident, though it may move locally in response to water availability.

Nests high in large trees (often Dipterocarpus trees) during the rainy season. Usually lays two eggs; breeding pairs are highly sensitive to human presence.

White-shouldered Ibis (Pseudibis davisoni), which is significantly smaller and has a distinct white patch on the shoulder and a pale collar.

As a large predator of invertebrates and small vertebrates in seasonal wetlands, it plays a key role in the nutrient cycling of dipterocarp forest ecosystems.

Critically Endangered (IUCN Red List); population is extremely small and declining due to habitat loss and disturbance.

They are extremely wary of humans. Best observed from hides near 'trapaengs' (seasonal forest pools) in the Northern Plains of Cambodia at dawn or dusk.

The Giant Ibis is the national bird of Cambodia. It was once thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in the late 20th century.