Red-naped Ibis

The red-naped ibis, or black ibis, is a large, long-legged ibis with a long, down-curved bill. The wing feathers and tail are black with a blue-green gloss, the neck and body brown without gloss, and a white patch on the shoulder stands out. The top of the bare head carries a triangular patch of bright red warty skin, running from the crown to behind the nape, which develops in adults. The iris is orange-red, and the grey bill and legs turn reddish in the breeding season. Young birds are browner and at first lack the bare head (Wikipedia, general species account).

Unlike other ibises in its range it is often found in dry fields rather than at water, although it is drawn to areas with more wetlands, and it is usually seen in pairs or loose groups. It is mostly silent but gives loud, braying, squealing screams at dawn and dusk and when nesting. It nests high in large trees or palms, and increasingly on phone masts and power pylons. SoIB 2023 treats it as endemic to the Indian subcontinent and resident, estimates a long-term increase of about 96% with a stable current trend, and rates it a Low conservation priority (Wikipedia, general species account; SoIB 2023).