The Madagascar sacred ibis (Threskiornis bernieri), an endangered species endemic to Madagascar, is a separate species from the African sacred ibis. The Madagascar sacred ibis has pale blue or white irises, while the African sacred ibis has dark brown irises. The Madagascar species also has less black on its wings, including no black on the wing tips and no black trailing edge, and may have bluish-slate tertials, whereas the African sacred ibis has more distinct black markings on its wings and purplish-slate tertials. A relatively large, heavily built ibis endemic to the west coast of Madagascar, and Aldabra on the Seychelles, it is found in coastal habitats like mangrove swamps, estuaries, mudflats, and brackish coastal lakes where it uses its specialized foraging technique of probing mud with its long, curved bill. There are believed to be only some 3,000 Madagascar sacred ibises left.
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