---
title: "Southern Bald Ibis"
description: "Geronticus calvus — Birds. The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/southern-bald-ibis
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Southern Bald Ibis

> Geronticus calvus — Birds. The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa.

- Scientific name: *Geronticus calvus*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `grassland` (Fields & meadows), `mountains` (Mountains)
- iNaturalist observations: 833
- Wikidata: [Q268635](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q268635)
- iNaturalist taxon: [3754](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/3754)

## Names

- en: Southern Bald Ibis
- de: Kahlkopfrapp
- es: Ibis Calvo
- fr: Ibis du Cap
- nl: Kaapse ibis
- pt: Íbis-calvo
- pl: Ibis łysy

## Countries with the most observations

ZA (632), LS (58), SZ (11)

## Summary

The southern bald ibis (Geronticus calvus) is a large bird found in open grassland or semi-desert in the mountains of southern Africa. Taxonomically, it is most closely related to its counterpart in the northern regions of Africa, the waldrapp (Geronticus eremita). As a species, it has a very restricted homerange, limited to the southern tips of South Africa in highland and mountainous regions.
This large, glossy, blue-black ibis has an unfeathered red face and head, and a long, decurved red bill. It breeds colonially on and amongst rocks and on cliffs, laying two or three eggs which are incubated for 21 days before…

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_bald_ibis

## Photo

![Southern Bald Ibis](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/southern-bald-ibis/medium.jpg)

Photo: Prince Molokomme · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/392862963

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/southern-bald-ibis?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).