What Is the National Bird of Cambodia? Meaning and Facts

Cambodia's national bird is the Giant Ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea). It was officially designated by Royal Decree in 2005 and is formally listed as 'The National Bird of the Kingdom of Cambodia.' This is not a commonly repeated claim without backing, the designation is documented in Cambodian legal texts and confirmed by major conservation bodies including WWF, WCS, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Official status and what the bird is actually called

The official Royal Decree on the Designation of Animals and Plants as National Symbols of the Kingdom of Cambodia lists the bird entry as: '2- Bird: Giant Ibis (Pseudibis gigantea).' You'll see two scientific names used in different sources, Pseudibis gigantea and Thaumatibis gigantea, which refer to the same species. Thaumatibis gigantea (Oustalet, 1877) is the name most widely used today in conservation literature, while Pseudibis gigantea appears in the original decree text and in some taxonomic records as an assessed synonym.

In Khmer, the bird is known as ត្រយ៉ងយក្ស (roughly 'Tror Yorng Yeak'), with ត្រយ៉ង (Tror Yorng) being the short common form used in everyday references. The Cambodia Bird Guide Association also records the name ឳលើក as a local variant. If you see any of these names alongside the Latin binomial, they're all pointing to the same animal.

Why Cambodia chose the Giant Ibis

The Giant Ibis carries deep symbolic weight that goes well beyond it being a large or visually striking bird. It is critically endangered and found almost nowhere else on earth in meaningful numbers, which makes it a direct reflection of Cambodia's unique natural heritage. Choosing it as a national symbol was a deliberate statement: this is a species that exists largely because Cambodia still has intact lowland forest and wetland habitat that the rest of mainland Southeast Asia has largely lost.

Conservation organizations like WWF frame it as an 'iconic' flagship species for biodiversity work in the region. When a country designates a critically endangered endemic bird as its national symbol, it signals a commitment, at least in principle, to protecting the landscapes that bird depends on. The Giant Ibis has become a rallying point for conservation funding, ecotourism development, and wildlife protection policy in Cambodia, which gives the choice ongoing practical significance.

There is also a cultural dimension rooted in the bird's size and presence. The Giant Ibis is the world's largest ibis, a slow-moving, impressive waterbird associated with the remote northern plains and forest pools that Cambodians have lived alongside for generations. Its Khmer name, incorporating 'Yeak' (meaning giant or spirit-giant in some Cambodian traditions), hints at the respect the creature has historically commanded.

How it became a national emblem

The formal designation happened in 2005, when the Royal Decree on National Symbols was issued. This decree covered multiple categories of national symbols, animals, plants, and others, and the Giant Ibis was named under the bird category. The Global Environment Facility and the U.S. Federal Register (a 2008 Fish & Wildlife Service document) both independently record this 2005 date, which gives the timeline solid cross-source confirmation.

Prior to the decree, the Giant Ibis had already been rediscovered as a surviving species in Cambodia after a period in which it was feared nearly extinct. Historical records from the 19th and early 20th centuries documented it across a wider range of mainland Southeast Asia, but habitat loss and hunting reduced populations dramatically. The rediscovery of a viable population in Cambodia's northern and eastern regions, particularly in Preah Vihear and Mondulkiri provinces, reframed Cambodia as the bird's last stronghold. The national symbol designation came in that context, formalizing a relationship that conservation groups had already been highlighting.

What the Giant Ibis actually looks like and where it lives

The Giant Ibis is a large, dark waterbird belonging to the family Threskiornithidae (the ibises and spoonbills). It stands noticeably taller than other ibis species, with a heavy downward-curving bill, bare grey-blue skin on the head and upper neck, and dark brownish-grey plumage. Adults have pale bars on the wing coverts. It is unmistakably large, 'giant' is not an exaggeration.

In Cambodia, the species is concentrated in the northern and eastern lowlands. Breeding populations persist mainly in Preah Vihear and Mondulkiri provinces. Its preferred habitats include swamps, marshes, seasonal water-meadows, flooded plains, wide rivers, lakes, paddy fields adjacent to forest, humid clearings, and dry forest watering holes within deciduous dipterocarp lowland forest. The Eastern Plains Landscape, a large block of lowland forest and wetland stretching across northeastern Cambodia, is considered its core range in the country.

Global population estimates sit in the range of 500 to 1,000 individuals, according to Cambodia's National Biodiversity Status Report. A small number of birds also survive in extreme southern Laos, with occasional records elsewhere, but Cambodia holds the vast majority of the world's population. This makes Cambodia's national bird designation genuinely meaningful from a conservation standpoint, the bird's survival is tied directly to what happens inside the country.

Where you can see it and how it appears in Cambodian symbols

Seeing the bird in the wild

If you want to see a Giant Ibis in Cambodia, your best realistic options are the protected areas and conservation zones in Preah Vihear and Mondulkiri provinces. Keo Seima Wildlife Sanctuary in Mondulkiri has recorded the species and is an established destination for wildlife-focused visitors. WWF and WCS both run or support community-based ecotourism programs in these areas that are specifically built around seeing the Giant Ibis and other threatened species.

Wildlife Alliance survey notes describe hearing the bird's distant call before dawn, which is a reminder that this is a shy, low-density species in remote habitat. Guided tours with local birding experts, the Cambodia Bird Guide Association is the go-to resource for this, dramatically improve your chances. Going independently to these forests without local knowledge rarely results in a sighting.

National symbols and commercial references

The Giant Ibis appears in Cambodia's national imagery beyond just official documents. Air Cambodia's logo is directly inspired by the Giant Ibis, using the bird's silhouette as a design reference, a practical example of how the national bird symbol translates into everyday visible branding. Conservation campaigns, biodiversity reports issued by Cambodia's Ministry of Environment, and international funding documents for protected area work all routinely use the Giant Ibis as the face of Cambodian wildlife.

How Cambodia's choice compares to other regional national birds

Cambodia's choice of a critically endangered species as its national bird is notably different from many of its neighbors. Bhutan, for example, chose the Raven, a bird deeply embedded in Buddhist and royal symbolism but not under the same conservation pressure. Bhutan's national bird is the Raven Bhutan, for example, chose the Raven. Sri Lanka's national bird, the Jungle Fowl, is common and culturally widespread. If you are curious about Sri Lanka, the national bird is the Jungle Fowl Sri Lanka's national bird. Mauritius chose the Dodo as a historical symbol (now extinct), while Fiji uses the Collared Lory. Fiji’s national bird is the Collared Lory, a colorful parrot native to the islands. Mauritius’ national bird is the Dodo, which is now extinct. Mongolia's Saker Falcon carries its own powerful cultural symbolism tied to nomadic falconry traditions. In Mongolia, the national bird is the Saker Falcon, a species strongly tied to nomadic falconry traditions Mongolia's national bird. Cambodia's selection stands out because the Giant Ibis is both a living, present species and one whose continued existence directly depends on active habitat protection within the country.

Quick facts and where to verify

For authoritative verification, the best starting points are the Royal Decree text itself (available via Cambodian government legal document repositories), WWF Cambodia's species pages, WCS Cambodia's conservation reports, and Cambodia's official National Biodiversity Status Report published by the Ministry of Environment. The Cambodia Bird Guide Association is the most practical on-the-ground resource if you are planning to see the bird or want identification help. The ITIS taxonomy database and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service species pages are useful for confirming the scientific name history and resolving the Pseudibis vs. Thaumatibis naming question.