The red-naped ibis also known as the Indian black ibis or black ibis is a species of ibis found in the plains, agriculture fields and cities of the Indian Subcontinent. Unlike other ibises in the region it is not found very often in waterbodies and is often found in dry fields, but are attracted more to areas that have more wetlands. It is usually seen in pairs or loose groups and can be identified by the nearly all dark body with a white patch on the shoulder and a bare dark head with a patch of crimson red warty skin on the crown and nape. It has a loud call and is noisy when breeding. It builds its nest most often on the top of a large tree or palm, and an increasing number of pairs are building on cell phone towers and electricity pillion towers.
Region
Indian Subcontinent
Typical Environment
Most common across the plains and cultivated landscapes of India, extending locally into Pakistan and Nepal. Prefers open dry fields, fallow lands, pastures, scrub, and urban peripheries, often near irrigation or scattered wetlands. Unlike many ibises, it regularly forages far from standing water but is more abundant where wetlands are present in the broader landscape. Nests high in large trees or on man-made structures, tolerating human activity. Uses canals, riverbanks, and rice paddies opportunistically, especially in the breeding season.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The red-naped ibis, also called the Indian black ibis, is unusual among ibises for frequenting dry fields and urban edges rather than wetlands. It often nests on tall trees, palms, and increasingly on cell towers and utility pylons. Its white shoulder patch and crimson warty crown and nape make it easy to identify at distance. By consuming crop pests like locusts and beetles, it can benefit agriculture.
Close up of the head of a sub-adult showing the red papillae that give the species name
A juvenile
An adult in flight
A pair of Red Naped Ibises at Mehtab Bagh, Agra
Temperament
alert yet tolerant of humans
Flight Pattern
strong flier with steady wingbeats and brief glides
Social Behavior
Usually seen in pairs or small loose groups, occasionally forming larger feeding aggregations in rich foraging areas. Nests are typically spaced in loose colonies on tall trees or on pylons and towers. Both sexes participate in nest building and care, and birds show site fidelity to productive nesting structures.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Vocalizations are loud, harsh honks and grating calls, especially around nesting sites. Calls carry over long distances and intensify during displays and territorial interactions.
Plumage
Mostly glossy black with a bronze-green sheen and a distinct white patch on the shoulder (wing coverts). Head and upper neck largely bare and dark, with a crimson warty patch on the crown and nape.
Diet
Feeds mainly on insects such as grasshoppers, beetles, and locusts, as well as earthworms and other invertebrates. Also takes small vertebrates including frogs, lizards, and small snakes. Will opportunistically probe soft soil, manure heaps, and ploughed fields for prey.
Preferred Environment
Commonly forages in cultivated fields, fallow lands, and along irrigation canals and river margins. Takes advantage of recently ploughed or irrigated ground where prey is exposed, and may feed on the edges of wetlands without wading deeply.
