Black-headed Ibis
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| Black-headed Ibis Conservation status: Lower risk (nt) | ||||||||||||||
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| Threskiornis melanocephalus (Latham, 1790) |
The Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) is a species of wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae, which breeds in southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Japan. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays 2-4 eggs.
It occurs in marshy wetlands inland and on the coast, where it feeds on various fish, frogs and other water creatures, as well as on insects.
Adults are typically 75cm long and white-plumaged, with some greyer areas on the wings. The bald head, the neck and legs are black. The thick curved bill is dusky yellow. Sexes are similar, but juveniles have whiter necks and a black bill.
References
- Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp; Birds of India. ISBN 0-691-04910-6