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Three Black-headed Ibis Nests With Seven Chicks Found at a New Edavannappara Colony

Black-headed ibis foraging in agricultural wetland habitat in Malappuram, Kerala, India
Research · Reproduction & development

A 2026 field note documents a new breeding colony of black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) at Edavannappara in Malappuram District, Kerala, India. Researchers found three active nests containing seven chicks on 4 November 2025. This was a new breeding locality within Malappuram rather than the district’s first record, because breeding had previously been documented at Thirunavaya Wetlands.

All three nests were high in a mature Alstonia scholaris tree beside a busy road. The researchers measured them at about 14.4 metres above the ground. Earlier Kerala records cited in the paper were generally around 2.6–7 metres, including about 3.2 metres at Thirunavaya, making the Edavannappara nests unusually high. The nests were built mainly from twigs and leaves, with plastic ropes also incorporated into the structures.

The nesting tree stood in a heavily used setting exposed to traffic, construction, human movement, light and noise. Nearby shallow pools, paddy fields and agricultural land provided feeding habitat, and the ibises were frequently observed foraging in surrounding fields. An adult was also seen bringing fresh leafy twigs to one of the nests.

Junaina and Rashiba interpret the colony as evidence that the surrounding agricultural and wetland mosaic still provides suitable feeding and nesting conditions. They emphasise retaining nesting trees and wetland-associated habitat and recommend long-term monitoring to determine whether the colony persists and breeds successfully over time.

Sources and image credit

  1. Junaina, K. K., & Rashiba, A. P. (2026). New breeding record of Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus from Malappuram District, Kerala, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa, 18(5), 28995–28997. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.10458.18.5.28995-28997Primary open-access field note published online and in print on 26 May 2026 under CC BY 4.0. It documents three active Black-headed Ibis nests with seven chicks at Edavannappara, Malappuram District, Kerala, on 4 November 2025.

Image: K.K. Junaina / Journal of Threatened Taxa — Black-headed Ibis foraging in the nearby agroecosystem in Malappuram District, Kerala, India; photograph from the study itself · CC BY 4.0 · Source

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