ISSN: 0974 – 3987 IJBST (2021), 14(2): 18-27 DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5596613 International Journal of BioSciences and Technology (2021), Volume 14, Issue 2, Page(s): 18 – 18 Habitat selection by Black Headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) and Red Naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa) in the rural areas of district Jhajjar, Haryana, INDIA Anjali & Sarita Rana Department of Zoology, Institute of Integrated and Honours Studies, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana 136119, INDIA anjalisonijbb@gmail.com, saritarana20@gmail.com ABSTRACT: Habitat is an immense array of environment which provides food, water, space and shelter to a species. To fulfill these necessary requirements different bird species were found in the different types of habitats known as their preferred habitat and selection this preferred habitat in the birds vary seasonally depending upon their feeding guilds. The present study was conducted to investigate the most preferred habitat selected by Black Headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) and Red Naped Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa) in the rural areas of district Jhajjar, Haryana from october 2020 to march 2021. To know about the habitat selection of both the Ibis species, spatial and landscape sampling were done in the study sites. A total of 48 spottings were observed for both the Ibis species during the study period in the three different habitats namely wetland, open-dry land and agricultural land. Black Headed Ibis was found to be maximum in wetland (60.41%) followed by agricultural land (22.91%) and open-dry land (16.66%). However Red Naped Ibis was spotted maximum in the agricultural land area (50%) followed by open-dry land (41.66%) and wetland (8.33%). The findings of this study suggested that the as the most preferred habitat of Black Headed Ibis was found to be wetland areas, while of Red Naped Ibis is agricultural land areas as having the maximum amount of food present in these areas and by conserving their habitat; these species will also be conserved. Key words- Black Headed Ibis, Red Naped Ibis, Preferred habitat, Spatial sampling, Landscape sampling, Wetland, Agricultural land, Open-dry land. INTRODUCTION Black Headed Ibis and Red Naped Ibis are the medium sized wading bird species (1,2) which belongs to order Pelecaniformes and family Threskiornithidae (3,4,5). Both of them can recognized easily from other wading birds by their beak which is probing typed and curved downwardly (6). Black Headed Ibis, also known as Oriental White Ibis is categorized as “Near Threatened” in IUCN Red List (5). The adult bird is completely white in color with contrasting black head and legs and an orange colored patch below its wings (1). While Red Naped Ibis commonly known as Black Ibis is considered as “Least Concerned” by IUCN red list (5). The adult body is completely dark brown with contrasting brick red colored legs and a most prominent red colored triangular patch on its square shaped head, absent in its juvenile. The subordinate feathers of their wings are darker with shiny blue in color and marked with white patch (1,7). Habitat is a vast array of environment in which a species can gather its food, water, space and shelter (8) and on the basis of the fulfillment of these requirements different birds have different types of habitats known as their preferred habitat. The selection of these preferred habitats by the birds vary seasonally depending upon their feeding guilds (9). Black Headed Ibis is the most widely distributed all over India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan , Nepal, Myanmar and Cambodia (1,10,11,12), while Red Naped Ibis is distributed throughout the sub continents of India, Burma Thailand, Vietnam, Nepal, Pakistan and Western China, but is the native species of India, Nepal and Pakistan (13). As both the bird species are waders; so, principally both are aquatic but the most preferred habitat of Black Headed Ibis includes include wetlands, lagoons, freshwater pond, riverine lakes, paddies, swamps, marshlands and salty marshes. However, Red Naped Ibis most oftenly