Threskiornis melanocephalus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), also known as the Oriental white ibis, Indian white ibis, and black-necked ibis, is a species of wading bird of the ibis family Threskiornithidae which breeds in the South and Southeast Asia from India to the west and as far east as Japan. It is the only native ibis species in its range that has an overall white plumage with a black neck and head. The down-curved beak and legs are also black. Though often referred to as a wetland species, the black-headed ibis forages in a range of natural and man-made habitats. This species of ibis nests only during the rainy season.
The black-headed ibis is one of several large waterbird species in south and south-east Asia, with adults measuring 65–76 cm in length. The white plumage is starkly contrasted against a conspicuous naked black neck and head, and black down-curved beak. Tails of adults bear light grey ornamental feathers that turn jet black during the breeding season. During the breeding season, bare patches under the wing turn blood-red. The head of some breeding adults gain a blueish tinge, or very rarely have a pink or bright red patch behind the neck. Some breeding... Wikipedia →
Call0:06
India · 2019
© Peter Boesman · XC460207 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 8 | Nagarhole National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Gir National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Bandipur National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 11 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 12 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Sundarbans National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 14 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 15 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 17 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 18 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 19 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mysuru | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Rajkot | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Ponnani | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Kota | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Kochi | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Thiruvananthapuram | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Coimbatore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Vadodara | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Kozhikode | 🇮🇳 India |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prague Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Dvůr Králové Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 3 | Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Al Ain Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 5 | Nehru Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Kanpur Zoological Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Safari World | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 8 | Tama Zoological Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 9 | National Zoo of Malaysia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Chișinău Zoo | 🇲🇩 Moldova | |
| 11 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Alipore Zoological Gardens | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 13 | Emirates Park Zoo | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | |
| 14 | Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 15 | Thiruvananthapuram Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 16 | Chai Nat Bird Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 17 | Aviario Nacional de Colombia | 🇨🇴 Colombia | |
| 18 | Jardin zoologique de la ville de Lyon | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | Kathmandu Zoo | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 20 | Rakutenchi | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 21 | Rákosův pavilon | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 22 | Velemlokárium | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 23 | Jaipur Zoo | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 24 | Rohtak Zoo | 🇮🇳 India |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Ibis sighting in Periyar National Park on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 156th most-seen of the 227 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March and May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Ibis in Periyar National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April and June–December, the lowest months. Those are among Periyar National Park's driest months, with about 120 mm of rain a month against 410 mm in August.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-headed Ibis sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
14th of 19
Of the 19 parks where we can rate Black-headed Ibis sightings, Periyar National Park ranks 14th at under 5%. The best odds are in Keoladeo National Park (India, about 70%), Yala National Park (Sri Lanka, about 70%) and Kaziranga National Park (India, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Pelecaniformes
The closest relatives of the Black-headed Ibis that you can see in Periyar National Park (order Pelecaniformes, Pelicans, Herons, Ibises, and Allies) are Indian Pond Heron (about 50%), Little Egret (about 20%) and intermediate egret (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-headed Ibis is recorded against all the birds logged in Periyar National Park (58 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
