The Little Green Bee Eater, Juvenile

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  05 Oct 2022

Helped and Guided by – Yeswanth Kumar
Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds, Wiki and to an article by Mr Abhishek Gulshan.

Birds are often named from their appearance, colour, behaviour, habitat, the person who first described them (sometimes even after their wife). The Little Green Bee Eater also called the Asian Green Bee-eater, is a tiny exquisite bird that has bright emerald green plumage. It has a narrow black stripe known as a ‘gorget’ on its throat, and a black ‘mask’ running through its crimson eyes. Its two central, narrow, long black tail streamers are also distinctive. This bird’s name is the perfect amalgamation of its colour and its preferred food – Bees that it flies gracefully and catches in mid-air.

The Little Green Bee Eater is a dainty (16-19 cm), bright green in plumage, slender-bodied, with blood-red eyes. Its slim lengthened black bill is slightly curved, characteristic of an insect-eater. The Adult Male is mostly bronzy green, with a golden-green crown and hindneck, a black band through eye, blue cheeks, pale bluish-green chin and throat, a narrow black gorget, black trailing edge on wing; underside of tail shiny gray; tail streamers long. The Femaleis mostly bronzy green and very similar to male, but tail streamers average shorter; and also tends to have a duller throat and narrower gorget. Along with green, there’s also blue on the chin and throat, yellow and reddish-orange on the head and nape, thus making it very noticeable. A black stripe runs from the base of the bill across the eye all the way to the ear-coverts (feathers that cover the ear), and also fashion a black collar at the top of the breast.

Though the Green Bee-eater likes to eat bees, it does consider other wasps, butterflies, dragonflies, and beetles. It will station itself on conspicuous perches like the top branch of a high tree, a shrub, or a stalk of grain or grass, electricity poles or wires and other vantage points, that make it easy to spy on insects and to also have an uninterrupted flight. It usually crushes the insect in flight and so avoids being stung. On returning to its perch, it smashes the unfortunate prey on the branch to remove its sting and dirt, as well as to break the exoskeleton before swallowing it whole. Its long, pointed wings help it cut through air and make agile swift dashes in pursuit of the zig-zag haphazard movements of insects in flight. The flight is also aided by moderate or long tails with frequently elongated central tail feathers that make its flight so elegant and graceful. (attributed to an article by Mr Abhishek Gulshan).

The Little Green Bee Eater are quite widespread and are resident (with slight seasonal movements locally) across the country. They are very common in all kinds of habitats: wetlands, scrublands, even our densely populated urban settlements. Sometimes seen alone, or in gregarious small parties seated next to each other, they hunt independently. They also indulge in communal dust-bathing to keep their feathers healthy and dry. The calls are long, repetitive, and rather pleasant: trree-trree-trree whistling trills, especially in the morning and towards the evening and can be often heard while in flight for hunting. They only nest in holes, on banks of rivers but also in mud-banks of arid scrublands.

The Black Francolin, Male

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  @ Nakhatrana, Bhuj Dist
  Gujarat, India
  29 Sep 2022

Helped and Guided by – Vikramsinh Sodha
Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds & Wiki

The Black Francolin are plump game birds with rounded tails and wings of the pheasant family. The distinct Advertisement Calls of francolins are loud and are heard through most of the year. Highly cursorial, francolins prefer to run for cover rather than to fly. They occur in dry grasslands, agricultural land, and weedy fields. Shier than other francolins; more often heard than seen. Usually solitary or in pairs. Male call is a peculiar, metallic-sounding “keek, keek, kek-ke-kek.”

The Black Francolin is 31 to 36 cm; male 283 to 566 gms, female 227 to 482 gms. The Adult Male is generally black, with prominent teardrop-shaped white patch on face and conspicuous partial chestnut collar around neck. Upperparts brown, with buff edges on feathers; lower back, rump, and uppertail-coverts black, finely barred with white. Throat and breast black, with large white spots along flanks. Belly pale chestnut, with white markings; undertail-coverts dark chestnut. Bill horn brown to black, with white at tip of mandibles; iris pale chestnut to dark brown. Legs and feet range from reddish brown to orange red to brick red. The Adult Female more cryptically coloured; upperparts are rufous buff and feathers have blackish centers, and chestnut patch on nape is paler. Lacks white patch on face. Throat white; breast creamy buff, with black barring on upper breast and scaly pattern along flanks. Undertail-coverts chestnut. Bill dusky brown; base of lower mandible pale; iris cinnamon brown. Legs and feet similar to those of male, but duller. Juvenile similar in coloration to adult female, but paler overall and smaller, and may sometimes possess chestnut neck patch. Immature Male has reduced black in plumage and extensively white-mottled throat.

Black Francolins are birds of open habitats that frequent grasslands, shrubby uplands, open thorn forests, and forest edges. Their omnivorous diet has allowed them to adapt to human-altered environments such as cultivated fields, irrigated plantations, golf courses, and roadsides. Black Francolins are Omnivorous; feed on assortment of plants and animals, especially seeds and insects. Plant materials include grass and weed seeds, cultivated grains, buds, flowers, leaves, rhizomes, tubers, shoots, fruits, and berries. Animal matter consists mainly of insects (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults). On occasion, Black Francolins consume small amphibians and reptiles, earthworms, spiders, and mollusks.

The call of the Black Francolin, described as a loud ringing "klik cheek-cheek-cheerakik", "kik-kik-kik" or "kwee-kweeeee-kwee", can be heard in the mornings and evenings and almost all day during the breeding season. The Male calls while standing on an earth mound, bund, rock or a low tree branch and is soon joined by other birds answering from all directions. Black Francolin are monogamous. They normally nest in tall grasslands from late March to May. The male may be seen standing on a rock or low tree attracting attention with its extraordinary creaking call. It may be heard all day long in April, during nesting, and less persistently in March and May as well as the summer months. Both parents tend chicks after hatching. Young stay with parents through their first winter.

The European Roller, Male (Passage Autumn Migrant)

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  @ Nakhatrana, Bhuj Dist
  Gujarat, India
  28 Sep 2022

Helped and Guided by – Vikramsinh Sodha
Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds & Wiki

The European Roller is a medium-sized bird (the size of a crow) breeds in all but the most Northern parts of a region stretching from Western Europe to Central Asia including Kashmir. It may not winter in India but is one of India’s most charismatic passage migrants. It makes the remarkable journey from Central Asia through India and across the Arabian Sea to spend the winter in Africa. During the Autumn passage, large numbers of European Rollers pass through North Western and Western India (and smaller numbers through the South) from August to November. During spring passage, the species largely migrates back to its breeding grounds through the Arabian Peninsula. Recoveries of ringed birds suggest that they travel the 10,000 km from East Europe to Central Africa at 67 km/day, and return in spring at 110 km/day.

The European Roller measures about 29 to 32 cm in length and weighing 130 to 160 grams. The wingspan is 52 to 58 cm. A large roller without tail-streamers and in flight appears long-necked. Its head, neck and underparts light blue; whitish around base of bill, and short, thin blackish eyestripe; rufous-brown upperparts, with back, rump and tail-coverts ultramarine-blue; wing-coverts greenish-blue, marginal ones purple, primary coverts and bases of primaries azure-blue; remiges otherwise black, with purple only on inner secondaries, and underside bright violet-blue; tail greenish-blue with darker base, central feathers greyish, outermost tipped black and slightly longer than rest. Sexes are alike. Immature duller, head and tail olivaceous-green, breast and lesser wing-coverts tinged rufous, cheeks and chin to breast narrowly streaked with white; tail lacks black corners.

These European Roller species are not forest dependent. They inhabit various ecosystems. They prefer warm, sunny lowlands and avoid treeless plains. However, they are found in highlands with elevations up to 1,000 meters in Europe and up to 2,000 mtrs in Morocco. They occur in pine and oak woodlands with open areas. They occur in wooded areas near farmlands, orchards, plantations and also in dry open land with trees.

The diet of the European Roller is mostly insects like grasshoppers, beetles, mantises, crickets, moths, cicadas and locust. They also feed on small lizards, frogs, small mammals and nestlings of other birds. They sit on a perch and wait, watch and hunt their prey. They sweep down on the prey and carry it back in the beak to a perch for dismembering and eating.

Rather silent when not breeding. Typical call a nasal, grating, crow-like “rak”, single or doubled. Also a more drawn-out “raaah”. During courtship, utters a longer series of similar notes, e.g. “rakrak...raaahraahraahraah..rakrakrakrak...kekek...”.

The Spotted Dove, Male

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  10 July 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds & Wiki

The Spotted Dove is a small Asiatic dove is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia.

With relatively short wings and a rather long, broad tail; the outstanding plumage character is a “necklace” of black, tan, and white spots on the back of the neck of all post juvenile plumages; these necklace feathers show a unique bifurcated shape and account for the frequent alternative English name “Lace-necked Dove” (and the less commonly used “Necklace Dove” and “Pearl-necked Dove”). The nominate subspecies is also known as the Chinese Spotted Dove, after the species' type locality in Canton. Other alternative names include “Spotted Turtle-Dove” and “Indian Dove”. The population in India have fine rufous or buff spots on the back. There is a size reduction trend with specimens from southern India being smaller.

The ground colour of this long and slim dove is rosy buff below shading into grey on the head and belly. There is a half collar on the back and sides of the neck made of black feathers that bifurcate and have white spots at the two tips. The median coverts have brown feathers tipped with rufous spots in the Indian and Sri Lankan subspecies which are divided at the tip by a widening grey shaft streak. The wing feathers are dark brown with grey edges. The centre of the abdomen and vent are white. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white and become visible when the bird takes off. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults and do not acquire the neck spots until they are mature. The length ranges from 28 to 32 cms.

The Spotted Dove in its native range in Asia is found across a range of habitats including woodland, scrub, farmland and habitation. In India it tends to be found in the moister regions. These doves are mostly found on the ground where they forage for seeds and grain or on low vegetation. Spotted Doves move around in pairs or small groups as they forage on the ground for grass seeds, grains, fallen fruits and seeds of other plants. They may however take insects occasionally and have been recorded feeding on winged termites. The flight is quick with regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings. A display flight involves taking off at a steep angle with a loud clapping of the wing and then slowly gliding down with the tail spread out.

The vocalizations of the Spotted Dove include cooing softly with a Krookruk-krukroo... kroo kroo kroo with the number of terminal kroos varying in the Indian population.

The Rufous Babbler, Male

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  10 Sep 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds & Wiki

The Rufous Babbler is a large rufous-brown babbler with a long tail, white eyes and a pale grey forehead evident if seen well. It is Not as bold and pugnacious as some of its close relatives; typically forages in dense undergrowth in foothill forest and forest edge, often in wetter areas.

The Rufous Babbler is a medium sized bird measuring 24 to 25 cm in length. It is rich brown above and rufous below, with fairly stout black and yellow bill, dark lores and greyish forecrown. The forehead to mid-crown is dull grey with dense fine black lines, shading to rich olive-tinged brown on rest of crown and upperparts, upperwing and tail, tail with barely visible close barring; lores darkish brown-grey, head side otherwise as hindcrown; entire underside dull rufous, buffier on mid-line of belly, greyer and darker on flanks and duskier on vent; iris creamy white to dark grey; upper mandible dark horny brown, lower mandible bright yellow; legs dusky yellow. The Sexes are similar. Juvenile are deeper, richer brown above than adult.

The Rufous Babbler are found exclusively in the Western Ghats South of Mahabaleshwar South to the Palni Hills and East into the Shevaroy Hills and North of the Palghat Gap. The are found in dense scrub undergrowth in more open broadleaf evergreen and moist deciduous forest, forest edge, overgrown clearings, dense scrub and tall grass, bamboo brakes, mixed woodland and grass, abandoned coffee plantations; upto 1800 mtrs. The are found in parties of 6 to 8 individuals. They forage on the ground, but ventures up into trees. Very shy and skulking, usually creeping about out of sight in low vegetation. They feed on insects, also berries (particularly of Lantana), and nectar of flowers.

Their Calls given in chorus are bursts of very rapid, shrill whistling trills, “tree-tree-tree”, notes short, reedy, variably pitched and similar in quality to sound of a large cricket (Orthoptera), sometimes without a break for 10 sec or more, preceded and punctuated occasionally by one or two harsh squeaks. Same squeaks constitute alarm call; also gives harder churring and clicking “tsu-wick!” or “tschick!”, sometimes combined with or leading into trills.

The Indian White-Eye, Male (Zosterops palpebrosus nilgiriensis)

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  08 Sep 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds & Wiki

The Indian White-Eye is a brightly- yellow coloured hyperactive gregarious little bird with an off-white belly and distinctive white eye-ring “spectacles.” formerly called the Oriental White-Eye. It is a resident breeder in open woodland on the Indian subcontinent. They forage in small groups of anywhere from 8 to 30 birds, feeding on nectar and small insects.

The Indian White-Eye measures around 10 cms and has a upperparts largely uniformly bright olive yellow; crown, nape, back, greater, median, and lesser wing coverts all uniformly bright olive yellow; uppertail coverts and rump slightly brighter yellow. Throat and upper-breast yellow to olive yellow. Underparts largely pale greyish white; lower breast and belly greyish white to vent and undertail coverts, which are lemon yellow. Black lores bisect the white eye-ring; narrow black border to the lower portion of the eye-ring. Primaries and secondaries dark blackish grey with olive-yellow leading edges; upperside of rectrices variable, from olive yellow to dark grey with olive-yellow outer-edges; underside of rectrices dark grey. The Iris is brown to yellowish brown, the Tarsi and Feet dark slate or lavender grey and the bill Dusky plumbeous or horn, with paler lower mandible. Mouth-lining pinkish. The Sexes are alike.

They are found widespread from North Eastern Afghanistan, through the Indian Subcontinent, east to South Eastern China, and South to Indochina and Western Thailand. They occur commonly in a variety of forested habitats from broadleaved evergreen/semi-evergreen forest, secondary growth, and mangroves from sea-level to 2,800mtrs in temperate dry coniferous forest. Found in many hilly regions also recorded commonly down to foothills in deciduous and evergreen forests

The Indian White-Eye is Omnivorous. It feeds mostly on vegetable matter includes small buds, seeds, fruits and nectar and animal food mostly insects. It forages mainly in middle story and sub-canopy of the tree. The Indian White-Eye is the main pollinator for many flowers and plant species.

Their Song starts with some melodious rising and falling whistles followed by same querulous notes, uttered in continuous accelerating and decelerating strophes, qwee-qworr-quwarrr tu-cheeer-tu-cheeer-cheer, tu-cheer-cheeer-tu-cheeeer-cheer. They call persistently while in flocks; include a repeated, monotonous querulous sibilant jeww or cheuw, or (tu cheeer) cheeer cheeer cheeerr or prree-u.

The Red Rumped Swallow, Female

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  27 Aug 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab), Oiseaux-birds & Wiki

The Red Rumped Swallow is a brightly-coloured swallow with a deeply forked tail, pale orangish rump, black squared-off undertail coverts, and an incomplete orange collar that glides on stiff, flat wings, flying quite languidly with shallow wingbeats while catching and feeding on insects while flying.

The Red Rumped Swallow measures between 16 to 18 cms and has a glossy deep blue crown and back separated by incomplete chestnut collar, orange-rufous neck sides and rump. The buffy underparts show long, dark streaks. The underwing-coverts are creamy-buff, while the undertail-coverts are black. On the upperparts, crown and back are glossy deep blue. They are separated by partial chestnut collar. The rump is chestnut to orange-rufous, finely streaked black. Upperwing and uppertail are blackish and slightly glossy. The outer rectrices are elongated, up to 3.5 cms. The blackish bill is short and flat with wide gape. The eyes are dark brown. The short legs and the small, weak feet are blackish. The female has similar plumage but she has shorter tail than male. The juvenile is duller with browner upperparts, paler rufous areas and more indistinct streaking. The tail is shorter and the wing feathers are tipped buff. Their call is a short twittering song; calls include a contact call “djuit”, a mewing territorial call, a short alarm call and an aggressive “krr” call.

They are found widespread, breeding across S Europe, W and E Africa, Asia and Japan, Himalayas and the Indian Subcontinent. They are found to breeds in open or partly wooded country, in hilly areas and mountains, valleys, seacliffs, cultivated areas and towns. It builds its nest in caves, buildings, under rocky ledges and bridges. The nest is made of mud collected as a pellet in the bill, usually close to the nest site. The flask-shaped nest has a tubular entrance. It is placed on rocky ledges, buildings, under bridges and caves. It is cemented to the horizontal surface from below. There is a lining of soft grass and feathers inside the nest.

The Red Rumped Swallow feeds almost entirely on flying insects all year round. The diet includes a wide variety of species caught by aerial pursuit, sometimes up to 100 metres or more. The prey items vary locally and depend on the season. It forages alone, in pairs or in small groups. While hunting, the flight includes steady gliding and relatively rapid wingbeats. The wing shape and the deeply forked tail allow the bird to perform easily aerial manoeuvres while hunting. It often glides, flying at 30-40 km/hour when foraging, and it can reach up to 50-65 km/hour on migration. It also picks up insects while perched in vegetation or even on the ground.

The Indian Scimitar Babbler, Male

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  04 Sep 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab) & Wiki

The Indian Scimitar Babbler is a striking tuxedoed babbler with a slightly downcurved Scimitar shaped banana-yellow bill and bright white eyebrows that are found in peninsular India, in a range of foothill and montane species of forest, forest edge, and dense scrubby growth. They are often hard to see as they forage through dense vegetation. The long down-curved yellow, scimitar-shaped bills give them their name.

The most distinctive feature of this 20 cm plus long bird is the long down-curved yellow bill which is blackish at the base of the upper mandible which is used to work through the leaf litter and bark in search of their food which is mainly insects and berries. It has a striking head pattern, with a long white supercilium above a broad black band through the eye. The white throat and breast contrast with the dark greyish brown on the upperside and dark grey to black on most of the underside. The tail is broad, long and graduated. The crown slaty ¬olive with blackish lateral crown stripes, upper¬parts and upperwing dark olive, tail blackish-brown; long supercilium from above nares to upper neck side white, lores, cheek and ear-coverts black; chin and submoustachial area to lower belly white, neck side, breast side and flanks blackish with irregular white flecks, lower underparts blackish-olive; iris reddish-brown; bill yellow, variably dark brown along basal culmen; legs dusky pinkish-flesh. Sexes are similar. Juvenile lacks black lateral crown stripes, has upperparts more golden olive-brown, white feathers of lower throat with faint black tips, lower underparts washed and mottled with rufous.

The Indian Scimitar Babbler have short, round wings and being weak fliers are rarely seen flying in the open. They clamber and bounce about along branches and in the undergrowth, typically in pairs or small flocks. They feed on insects, grubs, spiders; also berries and flower nectar. Found in pairs during breeding season, otherwise in small parties of 4 to 10 individuals; often in association with mixed feeding parties. Forages on ground under dense undergrowth, flicking aside or turning over leaves or digging vigorously in mulch. Also hops along moss-covered branches or up trunks of trees.

They are most often detected by their distinctive calls which include an antiphonal (alternate singing) duet by a pair of birds. The call itself consists of a loud fluty musical, flute-like “wot-ho-ho-ho”, “oo-pu-pu” or “oo-pu-pu-pu”, this immediately followed by female’s subdued “krukru” or “krokant”. Also described as a mellow, fluty “oop-pu-pu-pu-pu”. The second note is produced by the female and the duet is accurately synchronized.

The Crested Goshawk, Male

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  21 Aug 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab) & Wiki

The Crested Goshawk is a small yet powerfully built hawk of forests, especially hilly woods, measuring 35 cm to 45 cm in length and weighing about 350 gms. The short, pointed crest is usually depressed and not visible. The female Goshawk is larger than the male and weighs around 550 gms. The wingspan is 60 cm to 80 cm.

The male has a dark brown crown. The head and sides are grey, has a blackish crown; grey face; wide dark mesial stripe on white throat (varies from narrow to broad); rufous breast with dark streaks; whitish abdomen and flanks with brown to chestnut barring; tail with dark and pale bands of roughly equal width. The larger female has a browner head and brown underpart streaks and bars. The Female is 8–22% larger than male and tends to be browner on head and nape, paler on back and have less rufous coloration on chest, but very difficult to separate sexes unless seen side by side. The eyes are yellow to reddish orange or orange-yellow; the cere greenish yellow to yellow; feet yellow to orange-yellow. Juvenile similar to adult but crown blackish-brown with buff markings; abdomen streaked; back grey-brown (versus dark brown); eyes brown or (more usually) paler yellow; cere greenish grey to greenish; feet dull yellow. This raptor has short broad wings and a long tail, both adaptations to manoeuvring through trees. The larger size and a short crest, clearly visible in profile, are the best distinctions from its relative, The Besra......

The flight is a characteristic "slow flap, slow flap, straight glide", similar to other Accipiter species. Like its relatives, this secretive forest bird hunts birds, mammals and reptiles in woodland, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch to catch its prey unaware. Prey typically captured after short, rapid attack launched from concealed perch, usually inside forest. Has been seen chasing birds and insects in flight and taking bats near caves.

The Crested Goshawk inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests in humid lowlands and foothills. Its range is limited to tropical and warm subtropical areas. The breeding season depends upon its range. It generally breeds between December and May. The nest is built with sticks on the trees. The nest may have two to three eggs. Often silent, the Calls include a scream "he, he, hehehehe " and when defending nest "loud screams and deep croaks".

The Indian Courser, Male

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  @ Sulur, Coimbatore Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  10 Aug 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab) & Wiki

The Indian Courser is an elegant and stately large plover-like ground bird which means that they do not take frequent flights. When they do take flights, the height that they reach is small. It has a typically erect posture, strong black-and-white brow pattern, orange-suffused crown and chest, and slightly downcurved dark bill. They inhabits dry open spaces, including rocky plains and arid areas with scattered scrubs.

The Indian Courser is 23 to 30 cm with a wingspan 58–60 cm. Most of their height comes from their legs which are tall enough for them to scour through grass or ground for insects and other such prey. It has a sandy greyish brown with white uppertail; crown bright rufous bordered below by white supercilia meeting in V on nape and black stripe through eye to bill; breast and upper belly cinnamon-chestnut, bordered below by blackish band on lower belly; undertail white; above, black primaries and outer secondaries contrast with grey-brown coverts; underwing dark greyish brown, primaries black, narrow white trailing edge; bill black, legs white. The sexes are alike. The Juvenile is strongly barred and blotched dark brown and buff above; crown dark brown, flecked buff.

Their habitat is dry stony plains, salty wastes, waste and fallow land with scattered scrub, ploughed fields, overgrazed areas and bare pastures around villages. Avoids areas of heavy rainfall. This arid and open habitats used by the Indian Courser are threatened by human activities such as construction and agriculture. In many places, the species was very common in short-grass covered open and fallow lands; but has vanished in many areas. In some areas, vehicular activity and industrialization have destroyed habitats where they formerly occurred.

Their primary food and diet is mostly insects and their larvae, molluscs, spiders, termites, ants, beetles, crickets, mole crickets, grasshoppers, plant seeds and grains picked up from the ground in stubbly or uncultivated fields. They search for prey as they run and stop to pick the prey. They run in spurts on the ground but take to flight occasionally only. The flight is strong with rapid wing beats. They fly low and begin to run after landing.

The Indian Courser has a rather low-pitched call that is a hoarse creaky gwaat call, which it uses it order to communicate with its mates. They mostly let out this call when they are taking a short, low flight.

The Indian Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse, Male

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  @ Sulur, Coimbatore Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  12 Aug 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab) & Wiki

About the Bird - The Indian Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse is a small to medium-sized, plump, and dovelike bird, overall plumage is light reddish brown, providing the bird with wonderful camouflage against the arid dry environment. It has an elongated and pointed tail when in flight or while sitting. When grounded, they appear as very short-legged birds, with a small head. They will stretch out their long necks when wary. It's irises are black and the bare skin around the eyes is light green. The bill is small, slightly curved and pale gray in color.

The Indian Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse male's upper parts, from the crown to upper tail are a covert isabelline-grey/brown colour. The male Sandgrouse is slightly larger and weighs 170 to 300 grams. The lores, cheeks, chin, and throat are a dull yellow-ochre and often tinged with orange-buff that extends around the neck like a collar and shading off towards the scapular and interscapular feathers, shading into ocherous-buff at the tips and edged with brown. The wing feathers are a buff or ocherous-buff shading into olive towards the inner bottom wing. The bird's upper breast is a vinous-buff and separated by a narrow band of black boarded with white. The lower breast has a dull yellow-buff that changes gradually into a chocolate colour, with the centre of the abdomen is black. The under tail and tarsus in a creamy-buff. The centre tail is the same isabelline-grey/brown as the upper tail feathers, becoming black towards the prolonged narrow portions.

The female's whereas weighs 140 to 240 grams and it's upper plumage is a dull-buff streaked with dark brown marks at the back of the neck, increasing to blotches, with other parts becoming broad bars. The wing feathers are the same as the back, but the feathers are tipped broadly with buff, with some coverts edged with brown. The neck, breast and sides of the head are vinous in colour, with black spots. The lower breast is a dull pale ochre-buff, with the abdomen to the vent closely barred with dark brown. And the under-tail covert feathers are creamy buff.

The Indian Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse is sedentary, unlike most species of sandgrouse who are migratory. However, the species exhibits extensive local movements. During the summer, when water is scarce, the birds will move to nearby areas where water is still available. The birds also appear to periodically move over long distances based on the availability of food supplies. Flight is fast and direct; often seen in flocks. Inhabits semidesert, dry plains, and sparsely vegetated scrubby areas. They like all species of sandgrouse, feeds on small seeds, small insects and fallen berries. Their diet primarily consists of small seeds, often consumed in large quantities, mostly from leguminous plants. The environment these birds tend to inhabit is often arid, and water is scarce. However, these birds water regularly every day and will tend to concentrate around available water sources. They prefer to water once a day at sunrise but have been observed to water a second time before sunset, although this is less common.

The Indian Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse flight call a rhythmic three-note phrase “whit!-kt-arrr”, first note a staccato over-slurred whistle, while the second and third are lower-pitched, goose-like and guttural. In flocks, birds call simultaneously, resulting in a constant nasal duck-like squabbling.

The Red Breasted Flycatcher, Female
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@ Bhigwan, Pune Dist
Maharashtra, India
11 Jan 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab) & Wikipedia

The Red Breasted Flycatcher is a distinctive, small flycatcher that breeds in eastern Europe and across Central Asia and is migratory, wintering in South Asia. The scientific name Ficedula parva, tells us that it is a small (parva) fig-eating bird (Ficedula).

This small passerine bird is 11 to 12 cm long, small flycatcher. The breeding Male has forehead, crown and hindneck brown, tinged grey, lores, ear-coverts and neck-side ashy grey, narrow eyering off-white; upperparts, including upperwing, brown, flight-feathers and upperwing-coverts narrowly edged paler brown, uppertail-coverts blackish brown, tipped grey-brown; tail blackish brown, T3 with middle third of outer web white (often extending to middle of inner web), outer three feather pairs (T4–T6) with basal two-thirds of both webs white; chin, throat and breast orange-red (becoming brighter with age); side of upper breast grey, rest of underparts white, tinged creamy buff on flanks and side of lower breast, thighs pale brownish; axillaries and underwing-coverts creamy buff; iris brown; maxilla blackish horn, mandible yellowish to deep flesh-pink, variably dark towards tip; legs dark brown.

Non-breeding male has less extensive orange-red on chin and throat, and flanks more buffish. It is often very difficult to tell males from females for up to the first three years, as the males only develop the red colour on their throat and breast in their second or third year.

The Females on the other hand has forehead, crown and hindneck brown (with no grey tinge), lores buffish white, ear-coverts pale brown, narrow eyering buffish, upperparts and upperwing as male, with blackish uppertail-coverts, chin, throat, breast side and flanks creamy buff, rest of underparts white. However, both sexes have white sides to the long blackish tail, which they often cock while perched. Another characteristic feature in this bird, is that its wing-tips are downward drooping while it is perched.

The Red Breasted Flycatcher breeds in forest and woodland, mainly mixed deciduous forest. Prefers tall trees with much undergrowth, light canopy, and an open zone with perching twigs between canopy and undergrowth layer; favours glades, clearings and areas near water. Also occurs in orchards and vineyards. Long-distance migrant. Most individuals migrate SE to non-breeding grounds in Pakistan and India. Migrates alone or in small flocks. Departure from Europe begins late Jul, is most pronounced Aug to mid Sept, continuing to early Oct. They arrive in Pakistan, India and rest of winter quarters from late Aug to Nov, mainly Sept–Oct. Return passage begins mid Mar, peak in Apr and continuing into May; arrivals in Caucasus from early Mar.

The Red Breasted Flycatcher eats mainly insects and other invertebrates, especially beetles (Coleoptera) and spiders (Araneae), but also dragonflies and damselflies. Usually solitary; often skulks in canopy or in bushes. Hunts mainly from middle to lower layers, hopping and creeping among foliage. Makes short, looping sallies to catch prey in the air, with agile flight and rapid wingbeats; frequently forages from the ground, including among grass. In damp places, takes aquatic invertebrates, such as larval water beetles.

Their song is a melodious, resonant and loud, characterized by whistling notes on descending scale, notes variously rendered “tui”, “dlu”, “didle”, “diu-tvi-diu-tvi”. The song often preceded by “zit” calls. Call a thin, high-pitched, short “dzik” or “zit”, sometimes protracted into loose ticking “tk tk tk…” series; also rattling “zrrrt” of alarm and plaintive “hveet”.

The Very Beautiful yet Vulnerable - The Nilgiri Flycatcher (Male)

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  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  08 Mar 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab) & Wiki

About the Bird - The Nilgiri Flycatcher a Vulnerable Species, is small and somewhat long-tailed flycatcher that is about 10 to 13 centimetres and is found mainly in the higher altitude Shola forests of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris.

The Male is almost entirely deep indigo-blue, except for some violet-blue on the forehead and area over eye and darker lores. The female is duller with dark brown on the upperparts and dark grey below. The two central tail feathers are blue and the lateral feathers are dark brown and edged with indigo. The base of the outer tail feathers are white but this is not easily visible when the bird is sitting. The wing feathers are dark brown with a narrow outer fringe of blue.

With a very restricted range in the hills of Southern India, it is found mainly in the higher altitude Shola Forests of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris which provide ideal oscillating climate and unique floral structure in the montane ecosystems provide special microclimatic conditions and habitat for the species, and such montane ecosystems are known as ‘sky islands’.
Climate change induced by human activities, restricted range and increased environmental degradation has put this beautiful bird at rink and is making it more and more vulnerable.

The Small Pratincole, Male
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@ Bhigwan, Pune Dist
Maharashtra, India
08 Jan 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab)

The Small Pratincole also called the little pratincole, or small Indian pratincole (Glareola lactea) is a bird that resembles a combination of a dove, a swallow, and a plover. It has a soft grey-brown with a tan wash on the throat and black lores. They are distinguished from other pratincoles in range by smaller size and grey plumage.

The Small Pratincole is a 13 to 20 cm sized bird with a wingspan 42 to 48 cm. It has a soft grey-brown with a tan wash; forehead brownish; lores black; rump and base of tail white, with black subterminal band; primaries black, contrasting with pale coverts, secondaries white with black trailing edge; below pale rufous-buff, shading to white on lower belly and undertail; underwing black with white bar across secondaries and inner primaries; bill black with small amount of red at base; legs dusky to black. Adult non-breeding duller, loses black lores. Juveniles are scaled and spotted buff-grey and brownish above; spotted and streaked pale brown below, with all-black bill.

The most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground. This bird has short legs, long pointed wings and a short tail. Its short bill is an adaptation to aerial feeding. They are a species of open country, and is often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. They forage in large flocks on the wing, either high in air or low over water or ground, in zigagging flight like a swallow; may also catch insects by running on ground like plover. Because of its small size, the small pratincole can be briefly confused in flight with swifts or swallows.

Calls are a high rolling “chirrit!”, reminiscent of terns as well as a high, rolling “prrip” or “tiririt” in flight, and a short “tuck-tuck-tuck” given by incubating birds.

The Indian Black Lored Tit, Male
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@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
11 June 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab)

The Indian Black Lored Tit or the Indian Tit or Indian Yellow Tit is an easy tit to recognise in most of India, large in size at 13 to 14 cm, with a broad black line (broader in the male) down its otherwise yellow front. The large crest, neck, throat and head are black with yellow cheeks and supercilia. Upperparts are olive-green. It has two white or yellowish wingbars and white outer tail feathers.

The Indian Black Lored Tit has forehead and lores to crown and pointed crest black, yellow nape extending upwards onto tips of longest crest feathers; yellowish supercilium (from just before eye) flaring behind eye and merging with yellow on nape, broad black eye-stripe merging with black side of neck; upperparts yellowish-green, tinged olive, scapulars with blackish centres, upper-tail-coverts greyish; tail blackish, fringed grey, all feathers tipped narrowly white, outer web of outermost rectrix white; upper-wing-coverts blackish, median and greater coverts broadly tipped pale yellowish, alula broadly tipped yellowish-white; flight-feathers blackish-grey, tertials fringed yellowish-white and broadly tipped white, secondaries and inner primaries finely fringed greyish and tipped white, outer primaries broadly white at base (forming small panel on closed wing); cheek, ear-coverts and marginally to upper neck side yellow; chin, throat and side of neck to centre of breast and centre of belly black, slightly glossed blue on throat and breast, sides of breast and belly lemon-yellow, flanks the same or washed olive, and undertail-coverts dark grey, tipped whitish; axillaries and underwing-coverts whitish; in worn plumage, upperparts duller, more grey-green, and dark centres of scapulars larger, cheeks and nuchal patch paler, fringes of flight-feathers reduced, and tips of rectrices abraded; iris dark brown; bill black: legs slaty blue-grey.

The female is very like male, but has slightly duller crown and slightly shorter crest, and face and nuchal patch a shade paler yellow. Juvenile is as adult, but crown duller and crest shorter, upperparts duller, becoming greyer on rump and uppertail-coverts, tail with poorly defined whitish tips, wing coverts washed yellow; secondaries fringed grey, cheeks and ear-coverts pale yellow, small bib to centre of breast and ventral line dull brownish-black (paler on juvenile female), rest of underparts pale yellow, washed greyish on flanks, iris paler or greyer.
A bird of the hills, it is most abundant between 500 meters and 2200 mtrs of elevation, but rarely descends to lower elevations. They are found in sub-montane and montane subtropical forests, mostly of oak or pine, or evergreen forest; also in mixed bamboo jungle and secondary forest, scrub and scattered trees, wooded edges of cultivation, especially coffee plantations, cardamom sholas, and occasionally gardens.

Food includes small invertebrates and larvae, mainly spiders, ants and cockroaches; also fruit, including mulberries and raspberries, also flower buds and nectar. Seen in pairs or family groups, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks in the non-breeding season. Forages in the canopy usually at middle to upper canopy level; rarely descends to undergrowth. Clings upside-down on leaves and slender twigs; occasionally pursues insects, especially flying ants, in flight. emitting loud whistles and harsh chatters.

Their calls include “si-si”, “tsi-tsi-pit-tui”, “tzee-tzee-wheep-wheep-wheep”, also a rattling “ch-chi-chi-chi- chi” and a sharp “tst-reet” alarm note.

The Indian Black Lored Tit, Female
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@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
10 July 2022

Description Credit – Birds of the World (The Cornnel Lab)

The Indian Black Lored Tit or the Indian Tit or Indian Yellow Tit is an easy tit to recognise in most of India, large in size at 13 to 14 cm, with a broad black line (broader in the male) down its otherwise yellow front. The large crest, neck, throat and head are black with yellow cheeks and supercilia. Upperparts are olive-green. It has two white or yellowish wingbars and white outer tail feathers.

The Indian Black Lored Tit has forehead and lores to crown and pointed crest black, yellow nape extending upwards onto tips of longest crest feathers; yellowish supercilium (from just before eye) flaring behind eye and merging with yellow on nape, broad black eye-stripe merging with black side of neck; upperparts yellowish-green, tinged olive, scapulars with blackish centres, upper-tail-coverts greyish; tail blackish, fringed grey, all feathers tipped narrowly white, outer web of outermost rectrix white; upper-wing-coverts blackish, median and greater coverts broadly tipped pale yellowish, alula broadly tipped yellowish-white; flight-feathers blackish-grey, tertials fringed yellowish-white and broadly tipped white, secondaries and inner primaries finely fringed greyish and tipped white, outer primaries broadly white at base (forming small panel on closed wing); cheek, ear-coverts and marginally to upper neck side yellow; chin, throat and side of neck to centre of breast and centre of belly black, slightly glossed blue on throat and breast, sides of breast and belly lemon-yellow, flanks the same or washed olive, and undertail-coverts dark grey, tipped whitish; axillaries and underwing-coverts whitish; in worn plumage, upperparts duller, more grey-green, and dark centres of scapulars larger, cheeks and nuchal patch paler, fringes of flight-feathers reduced, and tips of rectrices abraded; iris dark brown; bill black: legs slaty blue-grey.

The female is very like male, but has slightly duller crown and slightly shorter crest, and face and nuchal patch a shade paler yellow. Juvenile is as adult, but crown duller and crest shorter, upperparts duller, becoming greyer on rump and uppertail-coverts, tail with poorly defined whitish tips, wing coverts washed yellow; secondaries fringed grey, cheeks and ear-coverts pale yellow, small bib to centre of breast and ventral line dull brownish-black (paler on juvenile female), rest of underparts pale yellow, washed greyish on flanks, iris paler or greyer.

A bird of the hills, it is most abundant between 500 meters and 2200 mtrs of elevation, but rarely descends to lower elevations. They are found in sub-montane and montane subtropical forests, mostly of oak or pine, or evergreen forest; also in mixed bamboo jungle and secondary forest, scrub and scattered trees, wooded edges of cultivation, especially coffee plantations, cardamom sholas, and occasionally gardens.

Food includes small invertebrates and larvae, mainly spiders, ants and cockroaches; also fruit, including mulberries and raspberries, also flower buds and nectar. Seen in pairs or family groups, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks in the non-breeding season. Forages in the canopy usually at middle to upper canopy level; rarely descends to undergrowth. Clings upside-down on leaves and slender twigs; occasionally pursues insects, especially flying ants, in flight. emitting loud whistles and harsh chatters.

Their calls include “si-si”, “tsi-tsi-pit-tui”, “tzee-tzee-wheep-wheep-wheep”, also a rattling “ch-chi-chi-chi- chi” and a sharp “tst-reet” alarm note.

The White Naped Woodpecker, Male
I earlier mistook it to be a Black-Rumped Flameback
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@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
10 July 2022

I had clicked one photo of a woodpecker a few weeks back and ignored it thinking it took it to be a The Black-Rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense), also known as the Lesser Golden-Backed Woodpecker. When I reviewed it at home on my laptop found it to be somewhat different and was confused.

I took help from Ragoo Rao Sir who identified and clarified it to be a White Naped Woodpecker, Male.
I went back to the same location thrice and finally got it last Sunday in a good frame.... looking for the Female now.

About the Bird - An un-common, four-toed, large-billed, golden-backed woodpecker that is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Associated with open wooded habitat all over its range, but often difficult to find. Separated from the group of “small-billed” Flamebacks by its much larger bill, a conspicuous white nape with a contrasting black border, and a divided black horizontal stripe below the cheek. Separated from the similarly large-billed Greater Flameback by its black rump, clean white nape, and preference for drier habitat. Often detected by its uniform trill.

The White Naped Woodpeckers are large woodpeckers that average 29 cm in length (including the tail). They have straight pointed bills and a stiff tail that provides support against tree trunks as they move up and down.

The adult male White Naped Woodpecker has white forehead spotted brown, red crown and crest narrowly bordered black, broad white supercilium back to side of nape and sometimes meeting white of hindneck, broad black band through ear-coverts and down side of neck to side of upper breast, bordered below by white stripe from lores; white malar area enclosed by two thin black lines; white chin and throat with narrow black central line; white hindneck and mantle, black scapulars and back to upper-tail-coverts, rump occasionally showing some yellowish feather edges; wing-coverts mostly olive-green with golden-yellow suffusion, golden tips and edges (occasionally tinged red); flight-feathers brownish black, olive-yellow outer webs of secondaries and tertials, white spots on (usually) both webs; upper-tail black; underparts white, black throat stripe breaking into streaks on foreneck and breast, narrower streaks on lower underparts; under¬tail-coverts often more barred; underwing dark grey, spotted white; very long bill almost straight, chisel-tipped, broad across nostrils, blackish; iris red to orange; legs green-grey. (citation and credit birdsoftheworld.org)

The Female has crown and crest that is yellow, usually some brown at front and side. Juvenile as adult but duller, black areas browner, can show some red in rump, eyes brown, male has yellow crown with orange-red tips, female crown as adult but some orange in nape area. Mature males can easily be identified by their red crowns, which is yellow in females.

Juveniles resemble adult females, except for a duller plumage.
They have zygodactyl or “yoked" feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. Their long tongue is well adapted for darting forward to capture insects in crevices. The call is a laughing rattle “kwirri-rr-rr-rr-rr” “kwirri-rr-rr-rr-rr”.

The Velvet Fronted Nuthatch, Male
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
19 June 2022

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The Velvet Fronted Nuthatch is quite a colorful violet-blue bird and has the typical nuthatch shape, short tail and powerful bill and feet. It is about 13 cm long. It is violet-blue above, with lavender cheeks, beige underparts, yellow eyes, and a whitish throat. The iris is distinctly pale and yellow. The bill is red, and there is a black patch on the forehead and lores which is well developed in adults and less so in younger birds. Young birds have a dark beak and dark tips to the undertail coverts. Adult males can be told apart by the black superciliary stripe that runs above the eye and over the head, towards the nape. The Females lack the supercilium and have a warmer underpart colour. Juveniles are duller versions of the adult lacking the black frontal band. There populations differ in shade and size and the distribution of white on the throat.

Just as do all the other Nuthatches, their strongly clawed toes allow them to climb down tree trunks or move on the undersides of horizontal branches. They possesses the agility to climb face-first down and around tree trunks and branches; unlike bird species, such as woodpeckers, which can only go upwards. They feed on insects in the bark of trees, foraging on the trunks and branches. They also waits for insects in front of the trunks while performing active wing-flapping.

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch frequents several types of forests such as tropical and wet forests, evergreen, deciduous, pine and mixed forests, bamboo jungles, various plantations and mature mangroves. It usually prefers more open types than closed-canopy forests. This species may be seen mainly at low elevation, but also from plains up to 1500 to 2200 mtrs according to the range. They are found in forests with good tree cover and are often found along with other species. They have a rapid chipping call note. They breed in tree cavities and holes, often created by woodpeckers or barbets.

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The White Cheeked Barbet, Male
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
20 May 2022

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This Barbet also called the Small Green Barbet, is restricted and are endemic to the forest areas of the Western Ghats and adjoining hills in Southern India. This barbet species has a distinctive whitish supercilium and a broad cheek stripe below the eye. They sit still, and perch upright, making them difficult to spot in a green background.

The White Cheeked Barbet is a small green barbet, measuring 17 to 25 cm in length and varies from the larger Northern birds to the Southern ones and weighing 70 to 90 gms. It has a distinctive whitish supercilium and a broad whitish cheek stripe below the eye. It has brown head with whitish streaking. The neck, nape and breast are brown with whitish streaking. The upperparts, wings and the tail are green. The chin and throat are whitish. The belly, vent region, undertail coverts are pale green. The undertail is pale blue. The bill is pale pink and is fringed with bristles. The irises are dark brown. The eye-ring and the bare skin around the eyes are grey. The feet are pale grey. Their call is a rapid monotonous "kokoa.. kokoa.. kokoa Kot-roo... Kotroo... starting with an explosive trrr.

These Barbet have moderate forest dependence. They normally occur in altitudes from 0 to 2100 mtrs. Their artificial ecosystems and habitats include rural gardens, orchards, urban areas and plantations. The natural ecosystems and habitats of these white-cheeked barbet species include tropical and subtropical dry forests, tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests, evergreen forests and moist montane forests. Their diet consists mainly of fruits. Wild fruits, figs, cultivated fruits, berries are their primary food. These species occasionally eat insects. They are also known to raid orchards, fruit plantations, rural gardens and urban fruit trees, causing considerable damage to the fruit crops.

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The Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike, Female
had posted the Male earlier.
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
12 May 2022

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The Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike is a small bird, measuring 14 to 15 cms in length and weighing 8 to 10 gms. They have black and white plumage. It is found in the forests of tropical Southern Asia from the Himalayas and hills of Southern India to Indonesia. Mainly insectivorous it is found hunting in the mid-canopy of forests, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They perch upright and have a distinctive pattern of black and white, males being more shiny black than the females.

The adult male Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike has a glossy black cap extending from the forehead to nape. The lores, ear coverts, upperparts and wings are also black. The cheeks and the sides of the neck are white. There is a white slash like patch on the wing. The center of the uppertail is black and the outer tail feathers are white. The underparts are whitish. In some populations the colour of the back is brownish while others have a dark wash on the underside. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike bill is black and the upper mandible is hooked at the tip. The nostrils are covered by rictal bristles. The irises are black. The eye-ring is gray. The legs are black. The females tend to be greyish brown but the pattern varies across the geographic populations. Young birds are said to have a broken pattern of white and grey giving the appearance of lichens. The call is a rapid and high tsit-it-it-it or a whriri-whirriri-whirriri and sometimes a sharp chip.

These Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike have moderate forest dependence. They normally occur in altitudes from 0 to 2300 mtrs. The artificial ecosystems and habitats of these species include rural gardens and plantations. The natural ecosystems and habitats include tropical and subtropical moist montane forests, evergreen forests, moist shrublands, broad-leaved forests, secondary forests and tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests. The diet consists mainly of insects. Insects, insect larvae, ants, termites, beetles, spiders, cicadas, moths, butterflies and crickets are their primary food. They hunt insect prey in the mid-canopy of forests. They form feeding flocks with other small birds like babblers and white-eyes. They hawk airborne insects and also glean their prey from the foliage and branches of trees.

The nest of the Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike is a cup-like structure, made of twigs and bound by cobwebs. The nest is lined by fine grass and plant fibers. Both parents take part in building the nest on tree branches. The clutch is two or three oval pale buff or pink eggs with dark brown blotches. The breeding pair take turns to incubate the eggs. The parents brood the chicks and keep feeding them till they fledge. These birds are monogamous.

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The Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike, Male
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
12 May 2022

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The Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike is a small bird, measuring 14 to 15 cms in length and weighing 8 to 10 gms. They have black and white plumage. It is found in the forests of tropical Southern Asia from the Himalayas and hills of Southern India to Indonesia. Mainly insectivorous it is found hunting in the mid-canopy of forests, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They perch upright and have a distinctive pattern of black and white, males being more shiny black than the females.

The adult male Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike has a glossy black cap extending from the forehead to nape. The lores, ear coverts, upperparts and wings are also black. The cheeks and the sides of the neck are white. There is a white slash like patch on the wing. The center of the uppertail is black and the outer tail feathers are white. The underparts are whitish. In some populations the colour of the back is brownish while others have a dark wash on the underside. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike bill is black and the upper mandible is hooked at the tip. The nostrils are covered by rictal bristles. The irises are black. The eye-ring is gray. The legs are black. The females tend to be greyish brown but the pattern varies across the geographic populations. Young birds are said to have a broken pattern of white and grey giving the appearance of lichens. The call is a rapid and high tsit-it-it-it or a whriri-whirriri-whirriri and sometimes a sharp chip.

These Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike have moderate forest dependence. They normally occur in altitudes from 0 to 2300 mtrs. The artificial ecosystems and habitats of these species include rural gardens and plantations. The natural ecosystems and habitats include tropical and subtropical moist montane forests, evergreen forests, moist shrublands, broad-leaved forests, secondary forests and tropical and subtropical moist lowland forests. The diet consists mainly of insects. Insects, insect larvae, ants, termites, beetles, spiders, cicadas, moths, butterflies and crickets are their primary food. They hunt insect prey in the mid-canopy of forests. They form feeding flocks with other small birds like babblers and white-eyes. They hawk airborne insects and also glean their prey from the foliage and branches of trees.

The nest of the Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike is a cup-like structure, made of twigs and bound by cobwebs. The nest is lined by fine grass and plant fibers. Both parents take part in building the nest on tree branches. The clutch is two or three oval pale buff or pink eggs with dark brown blotches. The breeding pair take turns to incubate the eggs. The parents brood the chicks and keep feeding them till they fledge. These birds are monogamous.

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The Asian Fairy Bluebird, Female
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
19 June 2022

The Asian Fairy Bluebird is a medium-sized is a medium-sized, found in forests across tropical southern Asia from the Himalayan foothills, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The plumage of the Asian Fairy Bluebird may appear fairly dull in the shade, but when the sun lights up the male’s back, the sapphire-blue feathers are very conspicuous. Marked sexual dimorphism is evident. The male is a shining ultramarine-blue with lilac reflections on its upper plumage, lesser wing coverts, and under tail coverts, while the sides of its head and the whole lower plumage are deep black; greater wing-coverts, quills, and tail black, and some of the coverts tipped with blue, and the middle tail-feathers glossed with blue. Flight feathers and rectrices are black.The underparts are black, except the undertail-coverts which are brilliant blue. On the head, forehead, face, head and neck sides and chin are black. Central crown and nape are brilliant blue. The strong bill is black. The eyes are bright red. Legs and feet are black.

The adult female Asian Fairy Bluebird has duller appearance. She has malachite-green head, body, upperwing-coverts, tertials and central tail feathers. On rump, uppertail-coverts and underparts, the feathers show slightly bluer edges. Rest of plumage is sooty brown. The flight feathers have verditer-green edges and outer tail feathers have malachite Outer Web . The female has paler eyes, mostly orange-red. The juvenile resembles female but with brown wings and eyes. The immature is similar to female. The young male is slightly bluer but the eyes are darker brown than in juvenile.
The Asian Fairy Bluebird frequents forest from lowlands up to 2200 metres of elevation in India. This forest species may emerge from its usual habitat into tea and coffee plantations with scattered trees, probably attracted by flowering and fruiting trees. The Asian Fairy Bluebird eats fruits, nectar and some insects.

Its call is a liquid two note glue-it. It breeds from February to April, constructing a shallow cup-shaped nest, sometimes of moss and sometimes of small twigs, in a sapling or small tree. The eggs, which are generally two in number, are greenish white marked with brown.

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The Verditer Flycatcher, Male
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
19 June 2022

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The Verditer Flycatcher is a medium-sized (15 to 17 cm) slim, long-tailed, upright flycatcher. It is found from the Himalayas through Southeast Asia. This species is named after its distinctive shade of copper-sulphate blue and has a dark patch between the eyes and above the bill base.

The Male of the nominate race is almost entirely greenish-blue or turquoise-blue (Verditer-blue), with brighter forehead and throat; upperwing and tail brighter cobalt-blue, inner webs of flight-feathers sooty or blackish; velvety black on lowermost forehead, lores and centre of chin; pale tips of undertail-coverts; iris dark brown; bill and legs dark grey or blackish. The female is similar to male but slightly duller or greyer, has paler grey lores, with chin and upper throat finely barred greyish. The Juvenile has dull turquoise head and upperparts heavily flecked, speckled or spotted with pale buff, underparts similar but with larger pale buff to orange-buff spotting, juvenile female usually more heavily spotted buffish and duller on wings and tail than male; wing and tail as adult, with buff tips of greater coverts.

They are found in open lowland and lower montane forest, including edges, clearings and bushes along streams, edges of cultivation, tall tree groves, also parks and gardens; breeds in Himalayas at 1200–3000 m, mainly below 2400 mtr. They are altitudinal migrant and a relatively long-distance migrant; post-breeding they move to lower levels in foothills and plains, in India mostly below 750mtr.

They are usually found either solitary or in pairs, occasionally several pairs occupying same area of open forest or powerlines; also associates loosely with other flycatchers. The Verditer Flycatcher is also interesting among the flycatchers in that they forage above the canopy level and perching on electric wires or exposed tree top branches. It actively hawks insects in flight, variably returning to original perch ; also flutters in foliage to dislodge insects, and may drop to ground to pick up prey. Has upright stance; flicks tail, most frequently on landing.

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The Common Iora, Male
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
19 June 2022

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The Common Iora are brightly coloured small passerine birds, measuring 12 to 13 cm in length and weighing 12 to 17 gms that is widely distributed in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and South China.

These Common Iora species are sexually dimorphic, the males being slightly larger and having bright breeding plumage. There is large variation in the plumage, with the populations showing variations, some of which are designated as subspecies. The subspecies A. t. multicolor is distributed in Southern India (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala) and Sri Lanka.

The male Common Iora has black wing and black tail. The breeding male had a black cap and black back. The females have greenish wings and olive tail. The underparts are yellow in both male and female. There are two white bars on the wings. The bill is pointed and notched with a straight culmen. The irises are blackish in males and pale yellow in females. The feet are greyish.

Common Ioras forage in trees in small groups, gleaning among the branches for insects. They sometimes join mixed species feeding flocks. The call is a mixture of churrs, chattering and whistles, and the song is a trilled wheeeee-tee. They may sometimes imitate the calls of other birds such as Drongos.

During the breeding season, mainly after the monsoons, the male Common Iora performs an acrobatic courtship display, darting up into the air fluffing up all his feathers, especially those on the pale green rump, then spiralling down to the original perch. Once he lands, he spreads his tail and droops his wings. These species are monogamous. The breeding pair build a compact, shallow cup-shaped nest on a fork of a tree. The nest is a shallow saucer of interwoven grass, cobwebs and fibers.

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The Vernal Hanging Parrot, Male
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at Jungle View Homestay
@ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
Tamil Nadu, India
11 June 2022

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The Vernal Hanging Parrot is a small, mainly green hanging parrot, only 14 cm long with a very short tail. The male has a pale blue patch on the throat. In females the throat patch is green. The rump and uppertail coverts are red in male. The tail of this parrot species is short. The bill is red in the male. In females and immature birds the plumage and bill are duller. The irises are black and the eye ring is grey. The legs are pale yellow.

Vernal hanging parrot is a bird of dry jungle and cultivation. Inhabits wooded habitats from primary forest to agricultural edge; some populations undertake regional migrations. It is less gregarious than some of its relatives. They nest in tree cavities. The nests are lined with fragments of leaves. They feed on fruit, seeds, buds and blossoms as well as the nectar from the flowers that make up its diet. Their call is squeaky and high-pitched in flight or at rest; also sharp and shrill notes (listen for its odd, high-pitched “zi-zi-zi” given while in flight). Feeding in silence with occasional soft chuckling.

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In Frame after a Looong Time - The Nilgiri Flycatcher (Juvenile)
A very colourful Juvenile of Vulnerable Species

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  Helped and Guided by - Yeswanth Kumar
  at Jungle View Homestay
  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  11 June 2022

Sony a7riv with Sony 600mm f4 Lens

About the Photo – It took me 4 days of two weekends to get this very pretty and colourful Nilgiri Flycatcher juvenile in a desirable frame. Managed quite a few good shots earlier, but was looking for the perfect one. A Juvenile of a Bird is generally a baby bird which differs in coloration as compared to an adult, as they are not completely developed as yet, this in some cases helps in camouflaging them from predators. So once a chick grows, his feather colours will become the same as adults. So the catch is.... it’s colouration and plumage is seen for only 2 to 3 weeks of its lifespan or 2 to 3 weeks in a year, hence the difficulty, which increases if it’s a vulnerable species. I had almost reconciled, when I got him on an open perch. Now trying for the Tickel’s Blue Flycatcher juvenile, which is even more colourful and beautiful.

A Juvenile of a Bird is generally a baby bird which differs in coloration as compared to an adult, as they are not completely developed as yet, this in some cases helps in camouflaging them from predators. So once a chick grows, his feather colours will become the same as adults. So the catch as per my father is....that it’s colouration and plumage is seen for only 2 to 3 weeks of its lifespan or 2 to 3 weeks in a year, hence the difficulty, which increases if it’s a vulnerable species. He had almost reconciled, when he got him on an open perch.

About the Bird - The Nilgiri Flycatcher is small and somewhat long-tailed flycatcher that is about 10 to 13 centimetres and is found mainly in the higher altitude Shola forests of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris. The Male is is almost entirely deep indigo-blue, except for some violet-blue on the forehead and area over eye and darker lores. The female is duller with dark brown on the upperparts and dark grey below. The two central tail feathers are blue and the lateral feathers are dark brown and edged with indigo. The base of the outer tail feathers are white but this is not easily visible when the bird is sitting. The wing feathers are dark brown with a narrow outer fringe of blue.

With a very restricted range in the hills of Southern India, it is found mainly in the higher altitude Shola Forests of the Western Ghats and the Nilgiris which provide ideal oscillating climate and unique floral structure in the montane ecosystems provide special microclimatic conditions and habitat for the species, and such montane ecosystems are known as ‘sky islands’.

Climate change induced by human activities, restricted range and increased environmental degradation has put this beautiful bird at rink and is making it more and more vulnerable.

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The Crested Goshawk, Male

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  at Jungle View Homestay
  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  27 May 2022

The Crested Goshawk is a small bird of prey, measuring 35 cm to 45 cm in length and weighing about 350 gms. The female Goshawk is larger than the male and weighs around 550 gms. The wingspan is 60 cm to 80 cm.

The male has a dark brown crown. The head and sides are grey and they have black moustachial and throat stripes. The pale underparts are patterned with rufous streaks on the breast and bars on the belly. The larger female has a browner head and brown underpart streaks and bars. The juvenile has pale fringes to its head feathers, and the underpart background colour is buff rather than white. This raptor has short broad wings and a long tail, both adaptations to maneuvering through trees. The larger size and a short crest, clearly visible in profile, are the best distinctions from its relative, The Besra......

The flight is a characteristic "slow flap, slow flap, straight glide", similar to other Accipiter species. Like its relatives, this secretive forest bird hunts birds, mammals and reptiles in woodland, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch to catch its prey unaware.

The Crested Goshawk inhabits deciduous and evergreen forests in humid lowlands and foothills. Its range is limited to tropical and warm subtropical areas. The breeding season depends upon its range. It generally breeds between December and May. The nest is built with sticks on the trees. The nest may have two to three eggs.

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The Crimson Back of The Crimson Backed Sunbird, Male, in an Eclipse Plumage.

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  Sims Park, @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  04 June 2022

The Crimson Backed Sunbird or The Small Sunbird, is a sunbird endemic to the Western Ghats of India. Like other sunbirds, they feed mainly on nectar although they take insects, especially to feed their young. They are tiny birds that are resident and are found in forests but are particularly attracted to gardens at the edge of the forest where people grow suitable flower-bearing plants. They usually perch while taking nectar.

Crimson-backed sunbirds are tiny, even by sunbird standards, and are only 8 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations for nectar feeding.

The adult male is velvet red on the mantle and wing coverts and there is a broad red breast band. The crown is shiny green and there are pink-violet patches on the throat and rump. The underside from the breast below is yellowish. There is a black edge to the bib that separates the yellow of the underside.

The eclipse plumage (non-breeding) of the male has more olive on the head and velvet red is restricted to the lower mantle and wing coverts. The female is olive-brown but the rump is distinctly red. They may be found in good numbers in flower-rich gardens at the edges of forests or plantations.

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The Long-Tailed Shrike or Rufous-Backed Shrike

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  Helped and Guided by - Yeswanth Kumar
  at Jungle View Homestay
  @ Coonoor, Nilgiris Dist
  Tamil Nadu, India
  27 May 2022

The Long-Tailed Shrike or Rufous-Backed Shrike is a typical shrike, favouring dry open habitats and found perched prominently atop a bush or on a wire.

The dark mask through the eye is broad and covers the forehead in most subspecies. The tail is narrow and graduated with pale rufous on the outer feathers. Although there are considerable differences in plumage among the subspecies, they all have a long and narrow black tail, have a black mask and forehead, rufous rump and flanks and a small white patch on the shoulder.

In southern India and Sri Lanka, subspecies Caniceps, is marked by the rufous restricted to the rump, light crown and the pure grey on the back.

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