Giant ibis has recently been declared Cambodia's national bird, and
conservation efforts are crucial to its protection.This is, by far, the largest
of the world's ibises. Adults are reportedly 102–106 cm (40–42 in)
long, with an upright standing height of up to 100 cm (39 in) and are
estimated to weigh about 4.2 kg (9.3 lbs).Among standard measurements,
the wing chord is 52.3–57 cm (20.6–22 in), the tail is 30 cm
(12 in), the tarsus is 11 cm (4.3 in) and the culmen is
20.8–23.4 cm (8.2–9.2 in). The adults have overall dark grayish-brown
plumage with a naked, greyish head and upper neck. There are dark bands across
the back of the head and shoulder area and the pale silvery-grey wing tips also
have black crossbars. The beak is yellowish-brown, the legs are orange, and the
eyes are dark red. Juveniles have short black feathers on the back of the head
down to the neck, shorter bills and brown eyes.
It has a loud, ringing call, frequently repeated around dawn or dusk,
a-leurk
a-leurk
Formerly the Giant Ibis was believed to breed in
southeastern Thailand,
central and northern
Cambodia, southern Laos
and southern Vietnam.
It was still fairly common in the Mekong
River delta until the 1920s but is now
almost depleted, with a small remnant population breeding in Cambodia, southern Laos
and possibly in Vietnam.
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