Sacred Nesting Grounds of the Ibis

Birdwatchers from across Asia and beyond flock to Cambodia’s forests for a glimpse of two of the world’s rarest birds: the giant ibis and its cousin the white-shouldered ibis. Each year, the birders follow the birds to their nesting grounds at the outskirts of Tmatboey, a rural Cambodian village some 200 miles north of Phnom Penh. Under the protection of the Tmatboey villagers, the ibises breed, nest, and raise their chicks.