Saturday, 21 March 2020
11-3-2020 KANHA, INDIA - INDIAN POND HERON (Ardeola grayii)
%2020.jpg)
The Indian Pond Heron, known colloquially as the paddybird, is a modestly sized heron with a penchant for concealment. Its plumage is a mélange of streaked olive and brown, which serves as excellent camouflage against the marshy landscapes it frequents. However, when this bird takes flight, it reveals a striking contrast with its bright white wings, a feature that is otherwise hidden when at rest.
This stocky bird possesses a short neck and a robust, thick bill. The back is buff-brown, and during the summer, adults boast elongated neck feathers. When in flight, the Indian Pond Heron is unmistakable due to the white of its wings. It bears a resemblance to the squacco herons but is distinguished by its darker back. Observers should note that individuals may occasionally exhibit red legs during the breeding season, though this is not a common trait.
The Indian Pond Heron is often found stalking prey at the edges of small water bodies or roosting near human habitations. It is adept at utilizing floating vegetation to access deeper waters and is known to frequent marshy wetlands.
%2021.jpg)
This heron has its origins in the Old World, with a breeding range that extends from southern Iran across the Indian subcontinent to Burma and Sri Lanka. It is a widespread and common species, yet its cryptic coloration often renders it invisible until it is nearly underfoot.
Typically solitary in its foraging habits, the Indian Pond Heron may gather in numbers during the dry season when prey is concentrated in shrinking wetlands. It is a semi-colonial breeder and has been observed foraging in diverse environments, including garbage heaps and well-watered lawns. The bird's tendency to allow close approaches by humans is notable, and it may form communal roosts in urban areas.
The Indian Pond Heron is generally a silent bird, but it may emit a harsh croak when alarmed or near its nesting sites.
The onset of the monsoons marks the beginning of the breeding season for these herons. They nest in small colonies, often alongside other wading birds, constructing platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. The nests are typically built at heights of 9 to 10 meters. The male collects materials while the female assembles the nest. Clutches usually consist of three to five eggs, which hatch asynchronously after 18 to 24 days. Bothparents are involved in feeding the young, primarily with fish.
11-3-2020 KANHA, INDIA - WESTERN YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla flava)
%2020.jpg)
The Western Yellow Wagtail, Motacilla flava, is a small, graceful passerine bird belonging to the wagtail family, Motacillidae. This species is noted for its slender build and the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail, a hallmark of its genus. Among its European relatives, it boasts the shortest tail. The adult male in breeding plumage is predominantly olive above with a vibrant yellow underbelly. Females and non-breeding males may exhibit a paler yellow, often intermixed with white.
To identify the Western Yellow Wagtail, look for a bird measuring about 15–16 cm in length. Breeding males display a variety of head colors and patterns, which can be quite distinctive, depending on the subspecies. In general, males have a more vivid plumage compared to the females, which are more subdued and often have a greenish wash.
%2021.jpg)
This insectivorous bird favors open country near water sources, such as wet meadows, where it can be seen foraging for food.
The Western Yellow Wagtail breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is a resident bird in the milder parts of its range, like western Europe. However, populations from the north and east undertake migrations to Africa and south Asia to escape the winter chill.
The Western Yellow Wagtail is known for its dynamic tail movement, which it exhibits while walking on the ground. It is a sociable bird, often seen in small flocks during migration or in its wintering grounds.
%2022.jpg)
The call of the Western Yellow Wagtail is a distinctive high-pitched 'jeet', which can be heard during its active periods.
Breeding takes place in tussocks, where the female lays a clutch of 4–8 speckled eggs. The nest is often situated close to the ground, concealed within dense vegetation.
The Western Yellow Wagtail can be confused with other wagtail species, but its shorter tail and the color variations in the breeding male's head plumage are helpful distinguishing features.
As an insectivore, the Western Yellow Wagtail feeds primarily on insects, which it catches with quick, darting movements on the ground or in flight.
The IUCN Red List categorizes the Western Yellow Wagtail as Least Concern, indicating that, currently, there are no significant threats to its global population.
Friday, 20 March 2020
10-3-2020 THATTEKAD BIRD SANCTUARY, INDIA - ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER (Muscicapa dauurica)
The Queen of Spain fritillary (Issoria lathonia) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
This migratory species is widespread in most of Europe, in North Africa, Canary Islands, and in the eastern Palearctic realm (Central Asia, Himalayas, Baluchistan, and Western China). These butterflies live in open areas, in dry lawns, agricultural wastelands and in extensive crops at altitudes between sea level and 2700 m.
The Asian brown flycatcher (Muscicapa dauurica) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. The word Muscicapa comes from the Latin musca, a fly and capere, to catch. The specific dauurica refers to Dauria, an area of south-eastern Siberia named after a local nomadic tribe.
This is an insectivorous species which breeds in Japan, eastern Siberia and the Himalayas. It is migratory and winters in tropical southern Asia from southern India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.
The correct specific epithet for this species is disputed.
11-3-2020 KERULA, INDIA - WESTERN LITTLE EGRET (Egretta garzetta ssp. garzetta)
The Little Egret, Egretta garzetta, is a dainty heron adorned in pure white plumage. It is characterized by a slender black beak, long black legs, and, notably in the western race, yellow feet. This elegant bird is a sight to behold with its graceful neck and poised stance.
Adult Little Egrets measure between 55–65 cm in length with a wingspan of 88–106 cm, and weigh 350–550 g. Their plumage is predominantly white, though some may exhibit bluish-grey coloration. Breeding adults boast ornate nape plumes reaching about 150 mm, along with distinctive feathers on the breast and elongated scapulars. The bill and lores are black, with greenish-grey skin at the base of the lower mandible and around the eye, which houses a yellow iris. Legs are black with contrasting yellow feet, though juveniles may have greenish-black legs and duller feet. The subspecies E. g. nigripes is distinguished by yellow skin between the bill and eye, and blackish feet.
The Little Egret frequents a variety of wetland habitats, from the shores of lakes and rivers to marshes and coastal regions. It is often found in open environments, such as mangroves, swamps, mudflats, and sandy beaches, as well as human-altered landscapes like rice fields.
The species has a broad breeding distribution across warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and Europe. Northern populations are migratory, wintering in Africa and southern Asia, while others remain as permanent residents in warmer areas.
11-3-2020 KERULA, INDIA - BRAHMINY KITE EAGLE (Haliastur indus)
The brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. They are found mainly on the coast and in inland wetlands, where they feed on dead fish and other prey. Adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey.
11-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - MEDIUM EGRET (Ardea intermedia)
%2020.jpg)
The intermediate egret, also known as the median egret, smaller egret, or medium egret, is a medium-sized heron with a graceful stature. It is adorned with all-white plumage, and during the breeding season, it may exhibit a reddish or black bill, greenish-yellow gape skin, and loose filamentous plumes on its breast and back. The legs are generally dark, and the bill is thickish and yellow, with regional variations in coloration. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
This egret stands between 56–72 cm (22–28 in) in length, with a wingspan of 105–115 cm (41–45 in), and weighs approximately 400 g (14 oz). It can be distinguished from other egrets by its size, which is intermediate between the great egret and smaller white egrets such as the little egret and cattle egret. The intermediate egret has a slightly domed head and a shorter, thicker bill compared to the great egret. Its gape line ends below the eye, and it has a neck length slightly less than its body length.
%2021.jpg)
The intermediate egret is a resident breeder in southern and eastern Asia, favoring shallow coastal or freshwater environments, including flooded fields.
This species is found across Asia, from the Russian Far East to Japan, India, and the Greater Sundas. It is also present in sub-Saharan Africa, eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, and Australia.
The intermediate egret is known for its methodical stalking of prey in shallow waters. It often nests in colonies with other herons, constructing platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. The bird is a successful breeder, particularly in wet years, and exhibits protective behavior over its nest and young.
%2022.jpg)
The intermediate egret can be confused with the great egret, which has a longer neck with a kink and a longer bill that aligns with the flat top of its head. The little egret, another similar species, has yellow-soled feet and a black bill, and it often runs after fish in shallow water.
Its diet consists of fish, frogs, crustaceans, and insects, which it hunts by stalking methodically in shallow waters.
The intermediate egret is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that it is not currently at significant risk of extinction in the wild.
%2023.jpg)
The medium egret stalks its prey methodically in shallow coastal or fresh water, including flooded fields. It eats fish, frogs, crustaceans and insects. It often nests in colonies with other herons, usually on platforms of sticks in trees or shrubs. The typical clutch size is 2 or 3 eggs but there can be as many as 6 eggs in a clutch, the colour of the eggs is pale green, with a smooth, slightly pitted shell. Both parents incubate the eggs and they hatch after between 24 and 27 days. The eggs hatch asynchronously, after hatching the adults brood the semialtricial young for 12 days, defending the nests from aerial predators during both incubation and brooding, they crouch over the nest and raise their plumes and point their bill towards the threat.
The parents regurgitate food to feed the young, initially onto the floor of the nest but later the chick takes the food from the parent's mouth. There may be competition for food within the brood. Pinfeathers may appear on the chicks as early as 4 days old and the young are able to leave the nest at 24 days old, although they return to be fed. Fledging occurs at around 40 days old and they leave the colony after 70 days. In Africa and Australia they are reported to be quite successful breeders with 96% and 88% of nests fledging at least a single chick. Intermediate egret populations are more successful in wet years than in dry years.
11-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - ORIENTAL DARTER (Anhinga melanogaster)
%2020.jpg)
The Oriental darter (Anhinga melanogaster) is a water bird of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has a long and slender neck with a straight, pointed bill and, like the cormorant, it hunts for fish while its body is submerged in water. It spears a fish underwater, bringing it above the surface, tossing and juggling it before swallowing the fish head first. The body remains submerged as it swims, and the slender neck alone is visible above the water, which accounts for the colloquial name of snakebird. Like the cormorants, it has wettable feathers and it is often found perched on a rock or branch with its wings held open to dry.
Fish are first speared and the snake-like neck emerges above the water to toss and swallow the fish head-first
The Oriental darter is like all other anhingas, a cormorant-like species that has a very long neck. The structure of the neck is as in other species of darter with strongly developed muscles about a kink in the neck at the 8th and 9th vertebrae that allows it to be flexed and darted forward with rapid force to stab fish underwater. The edges of the commissures of the mandible tips have minute inward pointing serrations that hold impaled fish.
%2021.jpg)
The adult plumage above is black and the wing coverts and tertials having silvery streaks along the shaft. The crown and neck are brown shading to black towards the back of the neck. The underparts are blackish brown. A pale line over the eye and throat and a line running along the sides of the neck gives it a striped appearance. The iris is white with a yellow ring (brighter yellow in breeding birds) around it. The tip of the upper mandible is dark while the base is pale brown bill while the lower mandible is yellowish. The legs and webbing on the foot are yellow in immatures and non-breeding birds while breeding birds have darker grey tarsi and toes with yellow webbing. The sexes are not easily distinguishable but males tend to have black speckles that coalesce on the white throat. Adult females have a shorter bill and tend to have the black at the base of neck and chest separated from the hind neck by a wide buff band that ends at the shoulder. This pattern however is also found in immatures whose neck is lighter and lack the long pointed scapulars. In flight the long and slender neck, wide wing and wedge shaped tail make it distinctive. Young birds have a pale brown neck and appear whitish on the underside and lack the white streak along the side of the neck. The inner secondaries or tertials and the central tail feathers appear wavy or corrugated. The tail is long and made up of twelve stiff feathers which are dragged along the ground when the bird attempts to walk or hop on land.
Thursday, 19 March 2020
12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - LITTLE CORMORANT (Microcarbo niger)
%2019.jpg)
The Little Cormorant, Microcarbo niger, is a dainty member of the cormorant family, measuring about 50 centimeters in length. In its breeding attire, it boasts a sleek, all-black plumage adorned with white spots and delicate filoplumes on its face, and a modest crest on the back of its head. The non-breeding or juvenile birds display a more subdued brownish plumage, with a small, distinct white patch on the throat.
Distinguishable from the slightly larger Indian Cormorant by its shorter beak and absence of a peaked head, the Little Cormorant has dark eyes and facial skin. Males and females appear similar, though males are generally larger. A rare silvery-grey plumage has been noted in some individuals.
The Little Cormorant frequents a variety of freshwater bodies, from diminutive village ponds to expansive lakes, and occasionally coastal estuaries.
This species is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent, extending east to Java. It is absent from the Himalayas, though vagrants have been spotted in Ladakh.
%2020.jpg)
Often seen perched on waterside rocks with wings outstretched, the Little Cormorant forages alone or in small groups. It dives underwater, propelled by webbed feet, to catch fish, which are sometimes stolen by other birds when brought to the surface.
Breeding occurs in trees, often within mixed-species heronries. The breeding season varies regionally, with nests constructed from sticks. Clutch sizes range from two to six eggs, with asynchronous hatching due to incubation starting with the first egg.
The Little Cormorant may be confused with the vagrant Pygmy Cormorants, especially west of the Indus River valley, where their ranges overlap.
Their diet consists mainly of fish, which they catch by diving in shallow waters. They are known to fish in waters less than a meter deep, targeting fish approximately 2–8 centimeters in length.
Near their nests and roosts, Little Cormorants are quite vocal, emitting low roaring sounds, grunts, groans, and a variety of calls including a low-pitched "ah-ah-ah" and "kok-kok-kok".
12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BRAHMINY KITE EAGLE (Haliastur indus)
The brahminy kite is distinctive and contrastingly coloured, with chestnut plumage except for the white head and breast and black wing tips. The juveniles are browner, but can be distinguished from both the resident and migratory races of black kites in Asia by the paler appearance, shorter wings, and rounded tail. The pale patch on the underwing carpal region is of a squarish shape and separated from Buteo buzzards. The brahminy kite is about the same size as the black kite (Milvus migrans) and has a typical kite flight, with wings angled, but its tail is rounded unlike the Milvus species, red kite, and black kite, which have forked tails. The two genera are, however, very close.
The call is a mewing keeyew.
This kite is a familiar sight in the skies of Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and southeast Asia and as far south as New South Wales, Australia, through which region it is widespread and resident. They perform seasonal movements associated with rainfall in some parts of their range.
They are mainly seen in the plains, but can sometimes occur above 5000 feet in the Himalayas.
It is evaluated as being of least concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. However, the species is on the decline in some parts such as Java.
The breeding season in South Asia is from December to April. In southern and eastern Australia, it is August to October, and April to June in the north and west. The nests are constructed of small branches and sticks with a bowl inside and lined with leaves, and are located in various trees, often mangroves. They show considerable site fidelity nesting in the same area year after year. In some rare instances, they have been seen to nest on the ground under trees. A clutch of two dull-white or bluish-white oval eggs measuring 52 x 41 mm is laid. Both parents take part in nest building and feeding, but likely only the female incubates. The incubation period is about 26 to 27 days.
It is primarily a scavenger, feeding mainly on dead fish and crabs, especially in wetlands and marshland, but occasionally hunts live prey such as hares and bats. They may also indulge in kleptoparasitism and attempt to steal prey from other birds.Brahminy kites have even been recorded taking advantage of Irrawaddy dolphins herding fish to the surface, in the Mekong River. A rare instance of a bird feeding on honey at the hive of Apis florea has been recorded. It also eats rice or cooked food left as an offering in India.
12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BRONZE WINGED JACANA (Metopidius indicus)
%2021.jpg)
The bronze-winged jacana (Metopidius indicus ) is a wader in the family Jacanidae. It is found across South and Southeast Asia and is the sole species in the genus Metopidius. Like other jacanas it forages on lilies and other floating aquatic vegetation, the long feet spreading out its weight and preventing sinking. The sexes are alike but females are slightly larger and are polyandrous, maintaining a harem of males during the breeding season in the monsoon rains. Males maintain territories, with one male in the harem chosen to incubate the eggs and take care of the young. When threatened, young chicks may be carried to safety by the male under his wings.
%2022.jpg)
Bronze-winged jacanas are rail-like, large, short tailed birds that appear dark at a distance except for the supercilium. They are 29 cm (11 in) in length. The sexes are similar but the females are slightly larger than the males. The wings are bronzy brown with a green sheen and have a reduced tubercular carpal spur. The head, neck and breast are black and contrast with the broad white supercilium that runs from over the eye to the back of the neck. The lower back and tail coverts are chestnut. The tail is stubby and reddish brown with black terminal band. The greenish yellow bill has a red-base to the upper mandible. A lappet or frontal shield extends up over the forehead and is reddish purple. The legs are greenish. The toes are long and the straight and the elongated nail on the hind toe is longer than the toe. Downy chicks are light brown with a dark stripe running down the nape. Young birds have brown upperparts, a rufous crown, white underparts, a buff foreneck, an undeveloped frontal shield, and may have a dull supercilium. Adults can be confused at a distance with the common moorhen (which is found in similar habitat) and with the watercock and while young can appear similar to the young of the pheasant-tailed jacana, they lack the black necklace seen in that species.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)