| Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopica). This ancient group is indicated by their fossil record which goes back 60 million years to Eocene time. The ancient Egyptian venerated the Sacred Ibis - to them the Sacred Ibis was the god Troth the scribe of the gods. Carvings of the Sacred Ibis are found in many Egyptian monuments and the birds themselves are mummified and buried in the temples with the Pharaohs. All are birds of shores and marshes and feed on amphibians, insects, insect lava and other small aquatic animals. Photo courtesy Kansas City Zoo, Missouri, USA. © |