ibis

ibis.

(Del lat. ibis, y este del gr. ἶβις).

1. f. Ave zancuda, de unos seis decímetros de largo desde la cabeza hasta el final de la cola, y aproximadamente de igual altura. Con pico largo, de punta encorvada y obtusa, parte de la cabeza y toda la garganta desnudas, plumaje blanco, excepto la cabeza, cuello, cola y extremidad de las alas, donde es negro. Vive principalmente de moluscos fluviales, pero los antiguos egipcios creían que se alimentaba de los reptiles que infestan el país después de las inundaciones periódicas del Nilo, y por ello la veneraban.
Fuente: Diccionario de la Real Academia Española

Note: The sacred ibis of the ancient Egyptians ({Ibis [AE]thiopica}) has the head and neck black, without
feathers. The plumage of the body and wings is white,
except the tertiaries, which are lengthened and form a
dark purple plume. In ancient times this bird was
extensively domesticated in Egypt, but it is now seldom
seen so far north. The glossy ibis ({Plegadis
autumnalis}), which is widely distributed both in the
Old World and the New, has the head and neck feathered,
except between the eyes and bill; the scarlet ibis
({Guara rubra}) and the white ibis ({Guara alba})
inhabit the West Indies and South America, and are
rarely found in the United States. The wood ibis
({Tantalus loculator}) of America belongs to the Stork
family ({Ciconid[ae]}). See {Wood ibis}.
[1913 Webster]

Source: The Collaborative International Dictionary of English