Mosaic of a Crested Stork

North Aisle, Petra Church

Probably this bird is the African Crowned Crane¹, Balaerica pavonina, whose crest was imperfectly understood by the Petra mosaicists. The Romans imported an almost unthinkable number of exotic animals and birds from Africa, for use in the Games.

¹Frederick Drimmer (Ed.), "The Animal Kingdom," Vol II, p. 1001, Greystone Press, NY, 1954.