Threskiornithidae

Threskiornithidae; Temporal range:
	African sacred ibis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Pelecaniformes
Suborder:	Ardei
Family:	Threskiornithidae; Poche, 1904
Genera
	Eudocimus Wagler 1832; Theristicus Wagler, 1832; Cercibis Wagler, 1832; Mesembrinibis Peters, 1930; Phimosus Wagler, 1832; Plegadis Kaup, 1829; Lophotibis Reichenbach, 1853; Bostrychia Gray, 1847; Nipponia Reichenbach, 1853; Geronticus Wagler, 1832; Pseudibis Hodgson, 1844; Platalea Linnaeus, 1758; Threskiornis Gray, 1842;

The family Threskiornithidae includes 35 extant species of large wading birds, and one more that became extinct in historical times. The family has been traditionally classified into two subfamilies, the ibises and the spoonbills; however, recent genetic studies have cast doubt on this arrangement, and have found the spoonbills to be nested within the Old World ibises, and the New World ibises as an early offshoot. These studies found two major clades within the family, a widespread clade that includes the type genus Threskiornis and seven other genera (including the spoonbills) occurring in both the Old and New Worlds, and a smaller group of entirely New World species, with five genera.