Its head, long upper neck and tail feathers are black. The lower neck, upper body and wings are white. The legs are long and the feet are partly webbed. It is usually very quiet although a low grunting/croaking noise can be heard during mating.

The Sacred Ibis was often mummified by ancient Egyptians as a symbol of the god 'Thoth' who was considered one of the most important deities of the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted with the head of an ibis.

The Sacred Ibis has recently been introduced to Southern Europe; these rapidly growing populations are seen as a potential problem as they can devastate breeding colonies of species such as terns and egrets.