Hadada

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Hadada in Johannesburg?

Very likely. About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Hadada sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 3,851 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Hadada in Johannesburg?

February–May and July–November. In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Hadada in Johannesburg on a given day, against about 80% in June and December–January, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Hadada?

Between 7 and 10 am. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hadada sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Q: Is Johannesburg the best place to see a Hadada?

Among the best. Of the 13 cities where we can rate Hadada sightings, Johannesburg ranks 2nd at about 90%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Durban (South Africa, about 90%).

Q: Where does the Hadada sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Hadada is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (3,851 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

Bostrychia hagedash

Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderPelecaniformes (Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies)
FamilyThreskiornithidae (Ibises and Spoonbills)
GenusBostrychia (African Crested and Hadada Ibises)
SpeciesBostrychia hagedash (Hadada)

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

at Johannesburg

In 3 days >90%

3,851 Verified sightings at Johannesburg

26,187 In all 52 parks From 2019 to 2026

September Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Hadada

The hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) or hadeda is an ibis native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is named for its loud three to four note calls uttered in flight especially in the mornings and evenings when they fly out or return to their roost trees. Although not as dependent on water as some ibises, they are found near wetlands and often live in close proximity to humans, foraging in cultivated land and gardens. A medium-sized ibis with stout legs and a typical down-curved bill, the wing coverts are iridescent with a green or purple sheen. They are non-migratory but are known to make nomadic movements in response to rain particularly during droughts. Their ranges in southern Africa have increased with an increase in tree cover and irrigation in human-altered habitats.

Tantalus hagedash was the scientific name proposed by John Latham in 1790 who described it from a specimen that had been collected at "Houteniquas", due north of Mossel Bay, by Anders Sparrman who also recorded that it was onomatopoeically "called by the colonists hagedash, and also hadelde." It was later placed in a monotypic genus as Hagedashia hagedash but has since been placed... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Flight call0:24

Kenya · 2026

Call0:40

Botswana · 2023

Dawn song1:15

South Africa · 2022

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 46 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Niokolo-Koba National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~70%
2	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
3	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~70%
4	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~70%
5	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~70%
6	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~70%
7	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~60%
8	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
9	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	~60%
10	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~60%
11	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
12	Akagera National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~50%
13	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~50%
14	Lower Zambezi National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	~50%
15	Golden Gate Highlands National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
16	Lake Mburo National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~50%
17	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
18	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
19	uMkhuze Game Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
20	Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
21	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~50%
22	Mana Pools National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~50%
23	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~40%
24	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~40%
25	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
26	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~40%
27	Meru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~40%
28	Volcanoes National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~30%
29	Kibale National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~30%
30	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~30%
31	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	~30%
32	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
33	Odzala-Kokoua National Park	🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo	~30%
34	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
35	Masai Mara National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
36	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~30%
37	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~30%
38	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
39	Samburu National Reserve	🇰🇪 Kenya	~20%
40	Mikumi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
41	Taï National Park	🇨🇮 Ivory Coast	~20%
42	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
43	Semuliki National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~20%
44	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
45	Bwindi Impenetrable National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	~10%
46	Nyungwe National Park	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~10%
47	Mkomazi National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
48	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
49	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~10%
50	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
51	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
52	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~10%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Durban	🇿🇦 South Africa	~90%
2	Johannesburg	🇿🇦 South Africa	~90%
3	Pretoria	🇿🇦 South Africa	~80%
4	Kampala	🇺🇬 Uganda	~80%
5	Nairobi	🇰🇪 Kenya	~70%
6	Cape Town	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
7	Kigali	🇷🇼 Rwanda	~60%
8	Mombasa	🇰🇪 Kenya	~60%
9	Addis Ababa	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	~50%
10	Bujumbura	🇧🇮 Burundi	~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Prague Zoo	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
3	Tierpark Berlin	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
4	Antwerp Zoo	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
5	North Carolina Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
6	Parc des oiseaux	🇫🇷 France	In captivity
7	San Diego Zoo Safari Park	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
8	Safaripark Beekse Bergen	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
9	Living Desert Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
10	Columbus Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
11	Bronx Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
12	Kansas City Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
13	Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
14	Oakland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
15	The Maryland Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
16	Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
17	Wildlife World Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
18	Wrocław Zoological Garden	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
19	Calgary Zoo	🇨🇦 Canada	In captivity
20	Moody Gardens	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
21	Franklin Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
22	Indianapolis Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
23	Oregon Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
24	San Antonio Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
25	Cologne Zoological Garden	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
26	Philadelphia Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
27	Lincoln Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
28	Little Rock Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
29	NaturZoo Rheine	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
30	Le Cornelle	🇮🇹 Italy	In captivity
31	Van Blanckendaell Park	🇳🇱 Netherlands	In captivity
32	Discovery Cove	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
33	Kuala Lumpur Bird Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	In captivity
34	Santillana Zoo	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
35	World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
36	Tracy Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
37	Birds of Eden	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
38	National Aviary	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
39	Africarium	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity
40	Sobela Ocean Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
41	Rákosův pavilon	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
42	Velemlokárium	🇨🇿 Czechia	In captivity
43	Aquatopia	🇧🇪 Belgium	In captivity
44	Cologne Zoo Aquarium	🇩🇪 Germany	In captivity
45	Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary	🇰🇪 Kenya	In captivity
46	terrarium ogrodu zoologicznego we Wrocławiu	🇵🇱 Poland	In captivity

Show all 46 Show fewer

Closest Relatives at Johannesburg

Threskiornis aethiopicus

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Plegadis falcinellus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Platalea alba

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ardea melanocephala

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Bubulcus ibis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Ardea cinerea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ardea purpurea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ardea goliath

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Egretta garzetta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Scopus umbretta

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Nycticorax nycticorax

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Butorides striata

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hadada in Johannesburg?

Very likely

About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Hadada sighting in Johannesburg on a given day, based on 3,851 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Hadada in Johannesburg?

February–May and July–November

In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Hadada in Johannesburg on a given day, against about 80% in June and December–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Hadada?

Between 7 and 10 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Hadada sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Johannesburg the best place to see a Hadada?

Among the best

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Hadada sightings, Johannesburg ranks 2nd at about 90%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Durban (South Africa, about 90%).

Where does the Hadada sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Hadada is recorded against all the birds logged in Johannesburg (3,851 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

← Back to Johannesburg

Hadada

About the Hadada

Sounds

Recent sightings of Hadada in Johannesburg

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Johannesburg

African Sacred Ibis

Glossy Ibis

African Spoonbill

Black-headed Heron

Cattle Egret

Grey Heron

Purple Heron

Goliath Heron

Little Egret

Hamerkop

Black-crowned Night Heron

Striated Heron

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Hadada in Johannesburg?

When is the best time to see a Hadada in Johannesburg?

What time of day is best to see a Hadada?

Is Johannesburg the best place to see a Hadada?

Where does the Hadada sighting chance come from?