The ibis has long acquired the halo of a sacred bird, which was admired and considered a divine messenger, at least before the birth of Judaism and Christianity. The ancient Egyptians saw in this long-legged representative of the kingdom of birds the embodiment of the wise god Thoth, and therefore endowed this bird with an aura of holiness, and the ancient Greeks considered the ibis the embodiment of ideally harmonious forms.
Relatives of storks
Be that as it may, these graceful birds from the small ibis family, in which there are 25 species, cannot help but delight with their beauty and a certain aristocracy, noticeable in their every movement.
In appearance, ibises, which are characterized by an average body length ranging from 50 to 110 cm, are in many ways similar to their distant relatives - storks. They have the same elongated, but at the same time shorter than those of storks, thin legs, a long neck and a small head with an elongated, arched beak, by which this bird can be easily distinguished from its other feathered relatives.
Feather color different types The color of ibises is significantly different and can be either black, white, or even gray. But the true beauties of this family are representatives of an endangered species, whose plumage glistens in the sun like drops of blood.
Living in mangroves of tropical waters
Ibis are distributed on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, as well as in the south of countries located at temperate latitudes. These birds usually live in small colonies (from 30 to 60 pairs), often mixed, in which their closest relatives, spoonbills, may be among the representatives of their family.
They usually settle near bodies of water with stagnant water or near rivers with a slow flow, preferring corners overgrown or with reeds, where they can hide from the eyes of humans and predators. Often walking along the coast in search of food, which is all kinds of small living creatures caught from the mud with the help of a long beak, when danger arises, ibises try to immediately hide in the thickets or fly to the top of the nearest tree.
Representatives of this family build their nests high in the trees, in the vicinity of other birds, using branches, reeds and reeds growing on the coast of the reservoirs chosen for their habitat to build their homes. If there are no trees nearby, then the nest is built among thickets of bushes growing on a lake or near a river.
Standard life of feathered monogamous lovers
Ibis breed once a year, and the mating season occurs in the spring for birds living in the northern regions, and during the rainy season for species living in the tropics. Ibises are monogamous, and, having chosen a pair to have offspring, both birds regularly take care of raising the chicks, alternately hatching eggs and collecting food for the younger generation.
The standard food of ibises includes all kinds of spider bugs, worms and mollusks, but these birds do not hesitate to snack on a large frog, and also catch insects and do not disdain carrion that they can notice on land. It is not against kites and hawks to feast on the ibises themselves, and among the animals there are foxes, raccoons and hyenas.
People have different attitudes towards these birds. In some areas, ibises are relentlessly hunted, in others they are elevated to the rank of sacred bird, but in most cases, representatives of this family are protected.
sacred bird of the ancient Egyptians
Alternative descriptionsThe wading bird, similar to a small heron, was dedicated in Ancient Egypt to the god of wisdom and writing, Thoth, who was depicted as a human figure and with the head of an ibis
Work of Ovid
A bird of the wavy order, a sacred bird among the ancient Egyptians
A bird of the southern countries of the order wavy-legged with bare areas on the head and throat
A bird that has varieties: lobster, spoonbill, red-legged, sacred
Karavayka
Kinsman loaves
Spoonbill
Scarlet bird, symbol of Tobago
A bird called the "forest raven" in Switzerland
Due to the fact that the arrival of this bird coincided with the flood of the Nile, ancient Egypt she was considered sacred
Poem by the ancient Roman poet Ovid
The scarlet bird on the state symbols of Trinidad and Tobago
And spoonbill and loaf
What crested bird was Akh (the afterlife incarnation of man) depicted in Egyptian mythology?
The Egyptian god Thoth was depicted with the head of which bird?
Bird of the order wading, marsh
Bird of the pharaohs
Spoonbill relative
. "bald" bird
long-legged bird
Mini heron
Ovid's poem
Sacred bird in Egypt
Sacred bird of the Egyptians
Bird of the order wavy
Spoonbill like a bird
Sacred bird among the Egyptians
Egyptian long-legged bird
Wading bird
Whose head does the god Thoth have?
A relative of the spoonbill and loaf
Bird of the Ankle
sacred bird
Swiss raven
Bird, "forest raven"
Bird with a long beak
Thoth Bird
Stork-billed bird
Anubishakal, Set-donkey, Thoth-...
Bird with a long curved beak
Bird revered by the Egyptians
Loaf bird
Bird revered in Egypt
Ancient Egyptian shrine
Bird revered in Egypt
Sacred bird of Egypt
Spoonbill relatives
Stork near Cairo
Honored bird among the Egyptians
Relatives of the loaves
A relative of the spoonbill
Southern bird of the order wavy
Sacred bird among the ancient Egyptians
Bird of the order wavy
What kind of crested bird was Akh (the afterlife incarnation of man) depicted in Egyptian mythology?
And loaf and spoonbill
M. Ivin church. the bird Tantalus Ibis, similar to a large sandpiper or a little heron; black mullein
spoonbill bird
Bird, "forest raven"
Bird revered in Egypt
Whose head is the god Thoth?
Anubishakal, Set-donkey, Thoth-...
sacred bird of the Egyptians
Alternative descriptionsThe wading bird, similar to a small heron, was dedicated in Ancient Egypt to the god of wisdom and writing, Thoth, who was depicted as a human figure and with the head of an ibis
Work of Ovid
A bird of the wavy order, a sacred bird among the ancient Egyptians
A bird of the southern countries of the order wavy-legged with bare areas on the head and throat
A bird that has varieties: lobster, spoonbill, red-legged, sacred
Karavayka
Kinsman loaves
Spoonbill
Scarlet bird, symbol of Tobago
A bird called the "forest raven" in Switzerland
Due to the fact that the arrival of this bird coincided with the flood of the Nile, it was considered sacred in ancient Egypt
Poem by the ancient Roman poet Ovid
The scarlet bird on the state symbols of Trinidad and Tobago
And spoonbill and loaf
What crested bird was Akh (the afterlife incarnation of man) depicted in Egyptian mythology?
The Egyptian god Thoth was depicted with the head of which bird?
Sacred bird of the ancient Egyptians
Bird of the order wading, marsh
Bird of the pharaohs
Spoonbill relative
. "bald" bird
long-legged bird
Mini heron
Ovid's poem
Sacred bird in Egypt
Bird of the order wavy
Spoonbill like a bird
Sacred bird among the Egyptians
Egyptian long-legged bird
Wading bird
Whose head does the god Thoth have?
A relative of the spoonbill and loaf
Bird of the Ankle
sacred bird
Swiss raven
Bird, "forest raven"
Bird with a long beak
Thoth Bird
Stork-billed bird
Anubishakal, Set-donkey, Thoth-...
Bird with a long curved beak
Bird revered by the Egyptians
Loaf bird
Bird revered in Egypt
Ancient Egyptian shrine
Bird revered in Egypt
Sacred bird of Egypt
Spoonbill relatives
Stork near Cairo
Honored bird among the Egyptians
Relatives of the loaves
A relative of the spoonbill
Southern bird of the order wavy
Sacred bird among the ancient Egyptians
Bird of the order wavy
What kind of crested bird was Akh (the afterlife incarnation of man) depicted in Egyptian mythology?
And loaf and spoonbill
M. Ivin church. the bird Tantalus Ibis, similar to a large sandpiper or a little heron; black mullein
spoonbill bird
Bird, "forest raven"
Bird revered in Egypt
Whose head is the god Thoth?
Anubishakal, Set-donkey, Thoth-...
Main bird habitats
The historical journey is old tradition in Egypt. People have been traveling to historical sites since ancient times. However, there is another very traditional type of travel in Egypt. For 150 years, people have visited Egypt to study birds, and today, with the expansion of the national park system, this type of tourism will become more popular. Today, there are many travel companies, such as Travel Egypt, offering special tours to study birds. Birds are playing important role in the history of Egypt, especially in ancient religion, where some of the earliest and most important gods, such as Horus, were believed to manifest themselves in the form of various birds. Even the appearance of early myths centered around certain birds, such as the Benu, which may have originally been sculpted as a yellow wagtail (Motacilla yellow) but was later depicted as a gray heron (Ardea cinera). The primeval goose known as Gengen-Wer (Great Honker) represents several gods in their creative aspects. Horus, of course, is represented as a hawk, and gods like Thoth could be represented as an Ibis. Ra, one of the most important gods throughout ancient history, was represented in the form of a falcon's head, like Nemtu, Montu, Sokar and Sopdu.
There was also the goddess Nekhbet, represented in the form of a vulture. Many of these birds were kept in the sacred herds of the ancient Egyptians, and some special birds presided over animal temples. Even the souls (ba) of the ancient Egyptians were depicted as birds. In addition, the ancient Egyptians were excellent natural historians; more than 76 species of birds can be seen on the walls of temples and tombs alone. Many of these images show hunting and were only symbolic. For example, scenes depicting the pharaoh with a net of wild birds spoke of the king taming hostile spirits. The number of habitats is particularly suitable for bird populations, including the lush Nile Valley and many others. There are approximately 150 resident breeding birds in Egypt. These resident birds of Egypt belong mainly to two geographical regions - the Palearctic and Ethiopian. Most singing and waterfowl live in the Nile Valley, Delta and some western oases.
However, most importantly, Egypt is a migration corridor attracting more than 280 various types birds. Egypt occupies a unique geographical position bridge between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa and therefore millions of birds pass through the country on their way from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Siberia and Central Asia to eastern and south africa every fall, and on the way back every spring. The migration begins in the winter months, when from about mid-February, the first wave of storks and birds of prey can be seen. The summer migration begins in early August, when waterfowl migrate from Zaranik in North Sinai and White Storks begin their migration in the southern Gulf of Suez. There are a number of areas that are suitable for large bird encounters in Egypt. Some exotic places, such as Lake Burulus in the Nile Delta, require special permission to visit. Lake Burulus, located in the Nile Delta and surrounded by swamps, is an important area in winter time year for Wigeons, Shovelers, Ducks, Booths and Whiskered Terns.
The good news is that the more difficult the journey to this lake, the more enjoyable the visit will be. Lake Manzala, being reclaimed for agricultural land, still collects ducks, shovelers and plumes in the winter. Some coastal birds, such as spotted-tailed sparrowhawks, can also be found here.
The gray heron is a resident all year round and lives in the lagoons and swamps of the delta.
Eagle owl photographed in the Lake Nasser area
Lake Bardawil on the northern coast of Sinai has traditionally been one of Egypt's most famous regions for bird watching. Located near Al Arish, the lake is on a very important migratory route, especially for waterfowl. Visiting this area during the fall migration season can be very interesting. Herons and ducks (especially waders) can be found swarming here in the thousands, as can gerbils, sandpipers, dunlins and spotted-tailed sparrowhawks. Flamingos are relatively common on both lakes Bardavili and Malakha. Wadi Natrun, in ancient times, was a source of salt for the inhabitants of Egypt, but since the Christian period, it was built up with some of the most famous Christian monasteries in Egypt, which remain there to this day. Exists whole line lakes and swamps with birds inhabiting them, located along the desert roads connecting Cairo with Alexandria.
Here you can find European Plovers along with a variety of other migrants and wintering waterfowl.
The farmland also attracts a variety of birds such as the Tugai nightingale and the green bee-eater. Cairo also offers many opportunities for bird watchers or simply bird lovers. Most visitors to Egypt and its capital head to the Giza Zoo, which offers a variety of birds to see in its parks or cages. Here, during the migratory seasons, you can see many songbirds such as sunbirds and little egrets nesting in the Nile Valley. Senegal thickknees lives on the roofs of houses all over city and in places that are not entirely suitable for tourists, such as stations Wastewater, and in places near the Gebel Asfar medicine factory near the International Airport, you can see waders and rare colored snipes, blond kingfishers and dun nightjars. Suez, at the southern end of the Suez Canal, has several historical monuments and amazing bird watching spots. In general, it is located in some of the most crowded areas of migratory birds of prey. In addition, the muddy banks of the Nile attract many water birds. Other occasional visitors include white-eyed gulls and Bengal terns.
South of Suez, in Ain Sokhna, where a tourist community is developing, predators can be seen migrating across the Galala plateau.
Rock pigeons and other birds of the pigeon family live in coastal gardens and bushes, but you can also see seabirds here, including those living near the Red Sea: white-eyed gulls and swifts. Fayum was famous at one time good places for bird hunting, but not at present. This large oasis includes Lake Karun - perfect place for bird watching and is very important for the wintering of birds such as grebes, snails, coots and waders. Ras Mohammed, located in the southern Sinai Peninsula south of Sharm el-Sheikh, is one of Egypt's most famous oldest protected reserves, better known for its coral reefs than its birds. However, the birds of prey Osprey and Silver Hobby nest here, and white storks fly by by the thousands in the autumn season. Herons and waders are abundant here, and birds such as osprey, gulls and terns are abundant nearby Tiran Island.
Along the entire coast of the Red Sea there are islands inhabited by indigenous sea inhabitants, like white-eyed gulls and white-cheeked terns. Many of them are visible from the island. Luxor (Thebes in ancient times) is famous for its great temples and tombs around the world, but it is also a great place to observe the typical birds of the Nile Valley. Here you will see purple moorhen, thick-knobbed senegal, sunbirds and the rare colored snipe. Aswan, another tourist city, offers absolutely exceptional birding. A short felucca ride, often included in an Aswan tour, can include a visit to the Green Heron with its birds in addition to other migratory waterfowl such as the Nile Goose.
Black kites circle the west bank of the Nile and there are opportunities to see African long-eared vultures and Egyptian vultures. (read also the story The Bird is the Man of Aswan). Abu Simbel contains some of Egypt's ancient tombs built by Ramesses the Great (along with the small tomb of his Great Queen Nefertari). Here, along the entire shore of Lake Nasser, many species of African birds live, such as the rose-backed pelican, the yellow-billed African wagtail, the African skimmers, the pink-headed collared dove and the African wagtail. Gebel Elba is located in the extreme southeastern corner of Egypt and offers a unique landscape that differs from the rest of the country. It conveys the mood of the Sahara Desert with its birds: ostriches, Caurus eagles, pink-headed collared doves and pink shrikes. This area is difficult to reach, but with the construction of national protected parks, the Egyptian government wants to promote these national parks and provide more accessible routes. It should be noted that there are several individuals who play an important role in promoting the Egyptian poultry industry. Most of the information for this article was taken from the book
"Birds of Egypt" by Bruna Bertel and Sherif Baha El Din. Note that outside of Egypt, this book is difficult to find on store shelves, but you can find it through various online stores such as Amazon.com.
Read also:
Mr. Mohame Arabi: "Birdman" of Aswan
Sources:
| Name | Author | date | publications | Reference number |
| Common Birds of Egypt | Brunn, Bertel, el Din, Sherif Baha | 1994 | ISBN 977-424-239-4 | |
| Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, The | Wilkinson, Richard H. | 2003 | Thames Hudson LTD | ISBN 0-500-05120-8 |
| Dictionary of Ancient Egypt, The | Shaw, Ian; Nicholson, Paul | 1995 | Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers | ISBN 0-8109-3225-3 |
| Natural Selections (A Year of Egypt's Wildlife) | Hoath, Richard | 1992 | American University in Cairo Press, The | ISBN 977-424-281-5 |
| Valley of the Kings | Weeks, Kent R. | 2001 | Friedman/Fairfax | ISBN 1-5866-3295-7 |
Source: http://touregypt.net/ru/featurestories/birding.htm.
There are not many birds in Egypt, but there is always something to watch here, as sometimes you can actually see a large number of migratory birds in Egypt. Egypt is located at the intersection of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. Therefore, here you can find quite a lot of migratory birds that migrate from Europe in winter and from Africa in summer.
Bird watching in Egypt is one of the favorite activities among nature lovers. Egypt is located on the main migration routes of migratory birds. As a result, millions of birds pass through the country every year, especially during the autumn and spring months.
Among the various species of birds, you can also observe unique species, such as the white-eyed gull, the steppe harrier, the imperial eagle, the spotted eagle, the crake, the snipe, the jack, the African skimmer and many others. The most popular regions for birdwatchers in Egypt are located around Cairo, the Red Sea, Upper Egypt, Mount Sinai, Alexandria and the northern coast.
Source: http://turkeynow.ru/priroda-egipta/524-pticy-v-egipte.html.
- birds of Egypt photos with names
birds of Egypt photos with names
Birds of EgyptThis article will be more interesting to those who like to watch incomparable birds, free in their easy flight.
To others it will look simple interesting article, well, or not very much, if there is no particular interest in birds. It is moderately informative and more general than specific, since we see no point in going into specific details.
But the first thing that arises in the mind of every reader who comes across such an article is the question: “What kind of birds could there be in Egypt? It’s practically one continuous desert here!”
The question, let’s say, is reasonable, but there are plenty of birds in Egypt, and all because the Egyptian territory is located at the crossroads of three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa, whose natural resources have different facets, partly similar to each other. Consequently, the inhabitants of these places are full of diversity.
But in Egypt the situation is different. There is no rich diversity of birds here as such, but you can meet feathered representatives of three continents during seasonal migration, when migratory birds “fly to warmer climes” for the winter.
For ornithologists, Egypt in this regard is simply pure pleasure!
In winter, birds leave Europe, and in summer they say goodbye to Africa. During their migration, they find shelter in Egypt. A particularly large variety of beautiful feathered creatures can be found here in spring or autumn, when they set up temporary, excessively noisy nesting sites. Each bird wants to settle down better and take a comfortable place in the bird's communal space, which is why disputes often arise. Therefore, if you want to combine a holiday in Egypt with bird watching, then it is best to navigate not by the sky, in the hope of seeing birds floating in the air flow, but by their excessively loud hubbub. But this, of course, is an exaggerated joke.
And you won’t want to watch the birds of Egypt, because among the fairly common birds you can also find rare unique species that look very impressive.
Among such birds, the following representatives can be tracked in temporary nesting areas:
The habitat of this bird is limited to the territory of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. During the non-breeding period, the white-eyed gull can also be found in Turkey, the UAE, Oman and Iran. Very often this relatively small bird can be observed far in the open sea, although most The white-eyed gull spends its life in the coastal area, where it looks for food, eating sea fish, although it does not disdain to pick its beak in a garbage dump, or raising the future generation.
This graceful bird of prey is listed in the Red Book and has found its distribution throughout most of Russia. You can also meet it in Eurasia from Romania and Ukraine to Southern Siberia, to the east it is found in Altai, to the southwest it hunts in the territory of Transbaikalia and Xinjiang (Dzungaria) in China, to the north it can nest in the Baltic region, to the south it is found in Crimea, in Caucasus, Iran.
ABOUT! But this bird amazes with its grandeur, beauty and its “singing”. Since their singing resembles the yelping of a small dog. If you want to be barked, then meeting this eagle will be unforgettable. Most of these beauties live in Russia; their numbers are relatively small—there are no more than 1,200 pairs.
Spotted Eagles can be seen in Egypt during their return summer migration to Africa, where they fly in pairs over the Nile Valley. It is here that they like to spend part of their time hunting small animals. It's a pleasure to watch them hunt! Most of these birds live in Belarus, Latvia and Poland.
This feathered gray baby is a master of camouflage. It is quite difficult to spot a corncrake and sneak up on it unnoticed. Most likely, this nimble little bird will reveal itself in a split second when it instantly flutters out of the thick grass or takes off through dense thickets. She runs faster than any fastest sprinter.
These birds, always prowling in search of small food, can be found in the lowlands of the Nile River, where the overflowing banks become like swamps and only at night, when they are most active, as they are nocturnal. During the day they are quite difficult to detect; they know how to hide well in swamp thickets and doze until dusk.
This bird lives in North Africa from Mauritania to the Nile in Egypt. The habitat also extends to Asia from the Sinai Peninsula, to western Pakistan and from the Caspian Sea to Mongolia.
These birds of Egypt settle in the lower reaches of the Nile and form small flocks. You can see them hunting at dusk, as they are predominantly nocturnal. The African skimmer can fly completely silently and catches fish on the fly, “cutting” the water with its beak, like a pelican. For this skill, they are known to many as the African cutwater.
In general, during the migration of birds in Egypt you can find a large number of them. But most comfortable places For observation, where you can find a large variety of birds, these are the regions near Cairo, the coastal zone of the Red Sea, the Sinai Mountains, the regions of Upper Egypt, the smallest part of the birds live in Alexandria and the largest part of the birds that feed on marine life occupy the region of the northern coast.
If you liked this article, then feel free to like it and share our information with your friends, family and loved ones! And in general, subscribe to site updates and join the group in contact! We welcome anyone and everyone!
More about Egypt:
style="display:inline-block;width:580px;height:400px"
data-ad-client="ca-pub-4058829133552818"
data-ad-slot="6755984241">
Useful tips for tourists
We are going - this is a site about tourism and for tourists. It is created for those who do not sit still and are always on the move. In our articles we share personal experience and reveal the secrets of wild tourism. Even without experience behind you, you can get good advice tourists and travel around the world! The main thing in this matter is not to be afraid and take the first step towards adventure. If you dream of seeing new countries, then we will help you with this! Welcome, “savage”, to our website mi-edem.ru!
© We're going. Tips for tourists, 2010 - When using site materials in full or in part, a hyperlink to mi-edem.ru is required
