The
ibises (collective plural
ibis; classical plurals
ibides and
ibes) are a group of long-legged wading
birds in the family
Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. They all have long, down-curved bills, and usually feed as a group, probing mud for food items, usually
crustaceans. They are monogamous and highly territorial while nesting and feeding. Most nest in trees, often with
spoonbills or
herons. All extant species are volant, but two extinct genera were flightless, namely the kiwi-like
Apteribis in the
Hawaiian Islands, and the peculiar
Xenicibis in
Jamaica. The word
ibis comes from
Latin ibis from
Greek ἶβις
ibis from
Egyptian hb,
hīb.