The spot-breasted ibis is a small, forest-dwelling ibis found in African lowland forests and swampy forested areas. Its preference for dense rainforests in tropical Africa means that it is seldom seen and is vulnerable to deforestation.
Region
West and Central Africa
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Upper Guinea forests (e.g., Sierra Leone and Liberia) east through the Congo Basin to western Uganda and northwestern Angola. It favors lowland primary and mature secondary rainforest, swamp forest, and seasonally flooded riverine woods. Birds keep close to shaded streams, pools, and soggy forest floors where leaf litter is deep. It is local and thinly distributed but can be regular where intact forest persists.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
This elusive forest ibis inhabits dense lowland rainforests and swampy woodlands across West and Central Africa, where it is more often heard than seen. Its speckled breast and subtle greenish iridescence can be hard to make out in the understory gloom. It is shy, crepuscular, and sensitive to forest disturbance, making it vulnerable to deforestation and fragmentation.
Temperament
shy and secretive
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats; often flies low through forest gaps
Social Behavior
Usually found singly, in pairs, or small family groups, keeping to dense cover. Nests are placed in trees or dense vegetation, often near water, with both parents likely contributing to care. Breeding often coincides with rainy seasons when prey is abundant.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Most often gives deep hoots and gruff croaks at dawn and dusk that carry through the forest. Calls can come from the canopy or along dark stream corridors and are a key means of detection.
Plumage
Dark olive-brown overall with a glossy greenish to bronze sheen on the wings and upperparts; breast and upper neck finely spotted or speckled with pale buff. Feathers appear smooth and slightly iridescent in good light.
Diet
Feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects, worms, snails, and crustaceans, and will also take small amphibians. It probes soft mud, leaf litter, and shallow water with its long decurved bill. Opportunistic forager that uses touch and sight to locate prey in dim light.
Preferred Environment
Forages along shaded forest streams, in swamp forest, and on wet, muddy ground within closed-canopy rainforest. Will also work the edges of small forest pools and flooded clearings.
