Size: Length; 70-80 cm. Wingspan; 120-130cm. Weight; 1-1.5 kg.

Habitat and Distribution: Historically, this bird was found throughout central Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Now, however, it is found only in semi-arid steppe areas, coastal regions, pastures and cultivated fields in Morocco but also populations have recently been discovered in Turkey and Syria.

Age: 20-25 years but the oldest recorded individual lived to 37 years!

Groups and Breeding: This species forages in large groups, breeding in colonies of 40 or more pairs on cliffs. Nests are built of a rough pile of sticks lined with grass. Two to four eggs are laid between March and April and incubated for up to 28 days. Parents share nest-building duties and both help care for their young until they fledge after about 50 days.

Diet: Lizards, small mammals and birds, beetles, scorpions and other invertebrates.

• Pesticide use had a huge impact on these birds in the 1950s when the use of DDT was prevalent. Huge numbers of birds were killed outright and breeding success was very poor afterwards.
• The Waldrapp Ibis has become an important symbol in Turkey where the population is closely guarded after having dropped to an all time low of 41 individuals in 2001. It is the logo of Birecik and ibis symbols are used everywhere in signs for anything from restaurants through to councils.
• It is thought that there are now only 420 of these ibis left in the wild and only 1500 in captivity.
• The Waldrapp Ibis was revered by ancient Egyptians and appears in hieroglyphs and tomb art.
• Nearly nothing is known about the life history outside the breeding season of wild colonies.