Black - headed Ibis
Black - headed Ibis
Beauty of Black - headed Ibis
‘Black-headed Ibis’ is a beautiful and interesting bird which is a wading bird of the Ibis family. Its’ biological name is ‘ Threskiornis melaocephalus’.
Recently flocks of Black-headed Ibis has been sighted in paddy field near construction site of New Airport complex at Kanpur which is located on outskirts of Kanpur city. The sight of Ibis presents a spectacular view and an indicator of improvement in environmental condition in and around Kanpur , which is a positive sign.
Special features of ‘Black-headed Ibis’ :
· These birds have been gifted with unique beaks which are long, narrow and curved downwards. The long beak enables them to catch easily their food from water , mud, & marshy area.
· A stocky bird having white body, black head and neck, downward curved black bill, grey colour on tail and long black legs.
· They have partly webbed feet which enable them to search for their food in shallow water-body, paddy fields, irrigation canals etc.
· It is a silent bird since it lacks a proper voice-producing mechanism.
· The flight of Ibis is very aerodynamic and impressive.They fly in group with V - formation and member at vertex keep changing its position after getting tired.
· They are social birds which usually live in large flocks and spend their time in searching for food, resting & sleeping in trees at night.
Beautiful view of Black - headed Ibis
About other species of Ibises:
· ‘Sacred Ibis’ – In ancient Egypt ‘Sacred Ibis’ were believed as deities. They depicted ‘Thoth’, the Egyptian God of wisdom, as a man with the head of an Ibis. It has also been found that Egyptian have mummified Ibis.
· ‘Giant Ibis’ - The Giant Ibis is the largest species of Ibis bird family which is about 3 feet tall .This bird has been designated as the national bird of Cambodia.
Sighting of Black-headed Ibis has encouraged bird-watchers and has created interest among environmentalists.