Crested ibis (Nipponia nippon).
Image: Ron Knight, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Birds
- Population trend
- Increasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2018 global assessment of Nipponia nippon says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The crested ibis is a white wading bird with a red face and a wispy crest, once thought nearly extinct. It is assessed as Endangered, recovering from a handful of birds.
Its recovery began from just a few individuals rediscovered in China in 1981.
Range & habitat
East Asia; the wild population is centred in central China, with reintroductions elsewhere.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Past habitat loss and hunting
- A small founder population
- Pesticides reducing food
Why it matters
Rebuilt from a tiny remnant flock, the crested ibis is a celebrated East Asian recovery story and a flagship for wetland and farmland conservation.
Sources
Sources for Crested Ibis
- IUCN Red List — look up Crested Ibis (authoritative status)
- BirdLife International
Frequently Asked Questions
How close did the crested ibis come to extinction?
It was feared extinct until just a handful of wild birds were rediscovered in central China in 1981; careful protection and breeding have since rebuilt the population.
Why is the crested ibis still Endangered?
Published assessments cite its recovery from a very small founder population, past habitat loss and hunting, and pressures such as pesticides. See the IUCN Red List.