Egyptian bird. Egyptian heron

The Egyptian sacred god named Djehuti, otherwise called Thoth (sometimes Tut or Tout), was always depicted with the head of an ibis bird. He was considered the one who gives his blessing to students of various sciences and writes books, sacred and ordinary. He was the god of wisdom, knowledge and the moon. But today we are not talking about the mythical deity itself, but about that sacred bird of ancient Egypt, which was the personification of this very wisdom and intelligence - the ibis.

Description of the long-legged handsome man

The ibis can be considered a medium-sized bird species. Its dimensions are relatively small: its height is about 60-70 cm, but its body length can reach impressive sizes - more than a meter. The wingspan is 130 cm. This is a representative of the ibis family, the order of storks. The bird weighs about 4-5 kilograms and supports all its weight on long, thin legs. Ibises are very similar to herons and storks: they are related by their long neck, legs and beak. The length of the beak of ibises can reach 40 cm, and the neck up to half a meter. Life expectancy in the wild is about 20 years. It is worth noting that these birds are monogamous, that is, they choose a mate once and for all. Perhaps this is a sufficiently complete description of the ibis to form a general idea about it.

Basic colors of the sacred bird

In nature, the ibis bird comes in four colors: white, black, red and gray. The most common species of this sacred bird is considered to be the black representative of the breed. Its distinctive feature is a bare black neck, a long curved beak and thin legs, also black. On the wings of such ibises there is an abundance of white feathers, grouped in the very center of the flight zone. They form a small oval of regular shape, which greatly contrasts with the black color of the bird. You can often see a completely black representative of the ibis bird, but it happens that only the head, or rather the crest on it, will be bright red.

White ibises are distinguished by the fact that at the ends of their wings there is an abundance of black feathers, so if you see a bird flying with its wings spread, it may seem as if higher powers have painted a bright border along the very edge. The legs and bare neck of the white ibis are red. By the way, the “snow-white” albino ibis, which lacks any other color in its color, is a rather rare species in nature. It is most similar to storks, herons and even a little like flamingos.

The gray African ibis bird boasts an abundance of different shades on its plumage: these can be large bright orange spots on the back or a scattering of the same ones, only small ones, they can have a white belly or tail, and there are also individuals with a yellow neck.

Firestarter

The red ibis is considered the highest and perfect creation of nature. When it is young and in its prime (about 2 years old), its feathers are very brightly colored, burning with a red flame. However, after a few molts, the color of the feathers fades, and the bird no longer looks so bright.

Habitat

In hot countries with a tropical, subtropical or temperate climate, the ibis is most often found. They live on the banks of water bodies, away from people. It is generally accepted that the ibis is a bird of Africa or South America, but earlier, several centuries ago, long-billed beauties settled in the mountains of Europe, nesting in steep cliffs. Climate change and human destructive intervention - hunting - forced representatives of the sacred bird to leave mountainous areas and go down closer to the water. They prefer rivers, lakes or swamps overgrown with reeds and reeds. Some ibises, however, perhaps at the call of their ancestors, remained to live in rocky savannas, where there is practically no water. But, as you know, there is a law in nature under which animals adapt to living conditions by accepting them. Ibises love company, they build nests and settle in places where they will certainly have neighbors: herons or cormorants. Nests can be located on the ground or in trees. Offspring are hatched once a year. An incredible fact about representatives of the sacred ibis bird is that they practically do not use their vocal cords, do not call out to others like themselves and do not sing songs. The long-legged beauties spend the entire day hunting, and at night they return to the flock to rest. Favorite delicacies: frogs, small fish, snails and some types of insects. Ibis can be seen in Japan and China, but now their population has declined so much that representatives of the humane society are forced to fight for literally every chick individually in order to preserve the population. The only place on earth where the ibis is cherished and protected is Morocco. There, in just a few years, it was possible to significantly increase the number of individuals of this bird species.

Why is the ibis considered a sacred bird?

In ancient Egypt, the ibis was considered a symbol of dawn, wisdom and knowledge, and the death penalty was the death penalty for killing it. The most revered species was the white representative of the stork family, with the tips of its wings brightly colored black. On ancient frescoes, the Egyptians depicted the god Thoth in human form, but with the head of an ibis bird. Perhaps, since then, the long-legged and long-beaked beauties have been considered sacred birds, but there is no scientific confirmation of this fact.

Main bird habitats

History travel is an 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 play an important role in Egyptian history, 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 as a falcon's head, as were 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 migratory corridor attracting over 280 different species of birds. Egypt occupies a unique geographical position as a bridge between the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa and consequently millions of birds pass through the country on their way from Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Siberia and Central Asia to eastern and southern Africa every autumn, and on their 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 marshes, is an important winter area for wigeons, shovelers, duskys, buttes 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 year-round resident and lives in the lagoons and marshes 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. There are a number of 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. The Senegal thickknee lives on the roofs of houses throughout the city and, in places not entirely suitable for tourists, such as sewage plants, and in places near the Gebel Asfar medicine factory near the International Airport, you can see waders and rare colored snipe, 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. The Fayum was once known for good bird hunting, but not anymore. This large oasis includes Lake Karun - an excellent 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 marine inhabitants such as 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:

Source: http://touregypt.net/ru/featurestories/birding.htm.

There are not many birds in Egypt, but there is always something to watch as you can sometimes spot a really 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

This article will be more interesting to those who like to watch incomparable birds, free in their easy flight.

For others it will look like a 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 the white-eyed gull spends most of its life in the coastal area, where it looks for food, feeding on 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 the most convenient places for observation, where you can find a wide variety of birds, 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.

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The Egyptian heron is a medium-sized bird, slightly smaller than the night heron, but larger than the yellow heron.

Appearance of an Egyptian heron

The bird has a thick, short beak, but not as elongated as that of most herons. The head is small, the neck is short, and the legs are long and thick.

The head, chest and back are decorated with long feathered feathers that fall out in the fall. The wingspan of the Egyptian heron is 23-25 ​​cm.

The plumage of young Egyptian herons is pure white, the color of the beak is grayish-black with a yellow spot at the base. Legs are black. The mating plumage of males and females is white, with the exception of the upper part of the head, back and crop, which are, as it were, isolated from each other, painted in a wine-ocher color, covered with long, unpicked feather beds.

The beak of the Egyptian heron is lemon yellow, with a lighter shade at the corner of the mouth. Females differ from males by having shorter feathers on the head, back and chest. The winter plumage of herons is also snowy white, but there is a red spot on the head. During the winter, the legs acquire a dark, brown color.

In its distribution areas during the nesting period, the Egyptian heron can be unmistakably distinguished from other heron species due to the bright color of its beak, which is visible from afar. Unlike other members of the family, the Egyptian heron travels long distances through swamps and meadows in search of food.

These birds are found in large flocks of 300 individuals, and very rarely alone.

In flight, the Egyptian heron is similar to a night heron; its flight is light and smooth. The bird does not fly high. Very often they feed among buffalo herds, and love to rest on the backs of these large animals.

Egyptian herons are less timid than their relatives. The character of this bird is calm, it is silent, prefers to lead an arboreal lifestyle. At the colonial nesting grounds, the voices of adult herons can be heard - a dull sound, similar to crowing.

Listen to the voice of the Egyptian heron

Range of Egyptian herons

This small bird occupies vast territories of the Iberian Peninsula, Africa, Madagascar, Arabia, Syria, northern Iran, the lowlands of Transcaucasia, India, China and Japan. It is found in valleys near the banks of large and medium-sized rivers, in swamps, rice fields and reservoirs. Egyptian herons winter in Africa.

Birds nest in small groups in copses and groves, in meadows and swamps, near the shores of lakes and rivers in open areas. During the breeding season, the Egyptian heron does not shy away from the proximity of people, and can nest right in populated areas.

Number of Egyptian herons

Since the Egyptian heron prefers to nest in large colonies, which in some places reach several hundred pairs, their numbers are numerous in certain areas. However, the narrow distribution area suggests that the total number of these birds in our country is extremely limited.

Reproduction of Egyptian herons

The Egyptian heron is a colonial bird that typically nests in trees. Without hesitation, she can lay eggs next to other herons or cormorants. Such “mixed” colonies are found in many bird distribution areas.

Nests are built high, about 8-10 meters above the ground. Laying sites are located close to the nests of the little egret and yellow heron, while other species in the colony nest slightly higher. Both parents take part in the construction process, with the male being the provider of material and the female being the designer.

The nests built by herons have the shape of an inverted cone, from which branches diverge in a radial direction. The material from which the nesting site is constructed is thin dry branches that herons collect on the ground or pull out from empty neighbors’ nests. The nest turns out to be quite loose, so bird eggs are visible from the sides and bottom. Egyptian herons can occupy last year's buildings of their relatives, making their contribution to the appearance of the home.

The initial dimensions of the nest may be very small, but as the chicks grow, it is trampled, expanded, the walls become flat, and the tray becomes shallow.

The clutch of an Egyptian heron consists on average of 2-3 eggs of an elongated oval shape. The shell is pale blue.

Both parents also incubate the eggs for 3-3.5 weeks. While the chicks are growing up, the male is involved in raising them, and at this time the father brings food to the nest. A little later, parents will be able to leave their babies alone so that the two of them can bring more loot. Grown-up chicks do not yet know how to fly, but they willingly leave the nests, clinging with their feet, jumping from branch to branch.

Birds that can fly, together with adult individuals, form flocks, which are replenished with more and more herons every day. At first, the colonies wander through rice fields, through swampy areas, at night, returning to their nesting sites.