The scientific name of this bird Geronticus calvus means bald, old man; it refers to its bare head and wrinkled skin, on its face and neck.
Boer farmers shot this ibis during the South African wars, to supplement their meat supplies and settlers hunted it for both food and its feathers.
This bird makes a weak gobbling sound, so old Afrikaans named it wild turkeywilde-kalkoen .
The Southern Bold Ibis has always been hunted by humans! Young birds were used by the Zulu natives as medicine.
