### Identification The Hadada Ibis is a heavy-bodied, medium-sized bird characterized by its earthy, olive-brown plumage and a distinctive decurved bill. While it may appear drab at a distance, a closer look through binoculars reveals a stunning metallic green and purple iridescence on the wing coverts—resembling an oil slick in the sun. Key field marks include a horizontal white "mustache" stripe across the cheek and a subtle red ridge on the upper mandible. Unlike the slender Glossy Ibis, the Hadada is robust with shorter legs and a thicker neck.
### Habitat & Range Endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, this adaptable species thrives wherever the soil is moist enough to probe. You’ll find them in wooded valleys, forest edges, and marshes, but they have famously conquered suburbia. They are now a staple of lush gardens, golf courses, and urban parks from South Africa to Ethiopia.
### Behaviour You will almost certainly hear a Hadada before you see one. They are famous for their raucous, indignant "ha-ha-a-dah" call, often delivered in flight at dawn or dusk. They are social birds, usually seen in pairs or small family groups. When foraging, they walk with a slow, deliberate gait, but if startled, they erupt into the air with heavy, noisy wingbeats and a chorus of loud protests. At night, they congregate in communal roosts in tall trees, often overhanging water.
### Diet Hadadas are the ultimate "gardeners." Their diet consists primarily of earthworms, snails, and large insects like mole crickets. They are tactile foragers, plunging their long bills deep into soft turf or mud to "feel" for movement. They also occasionally take small reptiles or crustaceans.
### Fascinating Fact The Hadada’s bill is a masterpiece of sensory engineering. It is pitted with thousands of microscopic nerve endings called Herbst corpuscles, which allow the bird to detect the minute vibrations of an earthworm moving underground without ever having to see it.