15-3-2020 DUBAI, UAE - INDIAN PIED MYNA (Gracupica contra)

The Indian pied myna (Gracupica contra) is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent. It is usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. It is often seen within cities and villages although it is not as bold as the common myna. It produces a range of calls made up of liquid notes.

It is found mainly along the Gangetic plains extending south into Andhra Pradesh and east to Bangladesh. The population in northeastern India (Sadiya to Tirap and the Naga Hills) was named as sordida (originally Sturnus contra sordidus) by Sidney Dillon Ripley in 1950. This form differs from the Indian form in having reduced streaking on the shoulders and nape. The populations in Manipur south to Myanmar and east to Yunnan have the white extending over the eye and are included in the subspecies superciliaris first described by Edward Blyth in 1863.

A 2021 study found that G. contra represents a species complex of 3 distinct species: the Indian pied myna (G. contra sensu stricto) from most of the Indian Subcontinent, Myanmar, and Yunnan in China, with subspecies sordida and superciliaris; the monotypic Siamese pied myna (G. floweri) from Thailand and Cambodia, and the monotypic possibly extinct in the wild Javan pied myna(G. jalla), historically known from Java and Bali in Indonesia. G. jalla was likely driven to extinction in the wild due to the illegal songbird trade becoming increasingly pervasive in Indonesia, and in captivity it is likely threatened by hybridization with captured individuals of mainland pied myna species. It has been recommended to search for genetically pure members of the species in the wildlife trade for the purpose of captive breeding; a potential captive population of pure G. jalla exists at Bali Bird Park.

This myna is strikingly marked in black and white and has a yellowish bill with a reddish bill base. The bare skin around the eye is reddish. The upper body, throat and breast are black while the cheek, lores, wing coverts and rump are contrastingly white. The sexes are similar in plumage but young birds have dark brown in place of black. The subspecies vary slightly in plumage, extent of streaking of the feathers and in measurements.

The flight is slow and butterfly-like on round wings.

Leucistic individuals have been recorded.

The species is found mainly in the plains but in the foothills up to about 700m above sea level. They are found mainly in areas with access to open water. Their main distribution in India is from the Gangetic plains extending south to the Krishna River. Their range is increasing, with populations establishing more recently in Pakistan, Rajkot, and Bombay (since 1953), possibly aided by trade in caged birds and accidental escape. Their westerward spread in India particularly in parts of Rajasthan has been aided by changes in irrigation and farming patterns. The species has also established itself in Dubai, UAE.

The habitat is lowland open areas with scattered trees near water, often near human habitation. This species is often seen at sewage farms and refuse tips.

15-3-2020 DUBAI, UAE - PALLAS'S GULL (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus)

Pallas's gull (Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus), also known as the great black-headed gull, is a large bird species. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle".

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - TWO STRIPED TELAMONIA SPIDER (telemonia dimidiata)

The two-striped jumper, or Telamonia dimidiata, is a jumping spider found in various Asian tropical rain forests, in foliage in wooded environments.

Females can reach a body length of 9–11 mm (0.35–0.43 in), males can reach a length of 8–9 mm (0.31–0.35 in). The female is light yellowish, with a very white cephalus and red rings surrounding the narrow black rings around the eyes. Two longitudinal bright red stripes are present on the opisthosoma. The male is very dark, with white markings, and red hairs around the eyes. They appear in Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Iran, India, and Bhutan. T. dimidiata produces no toxin significant to humans.

Since 1999, the spider has been the subject of an email hoax claiming that it was a fatal spider found lurking under toilet seats in North Florida. This hoax was a rehashing of an older email circulated in 1999 with similar claims, except under the name "South American Blush Spider (arachnius gluteus [sic])" - literally "butt spider". Similar email hoaxes (with details of the original changed) occurred in other parts of the world, alleging the same falsity in the recipients' countries. It has also appeared on Facebook, also including a picture of the arachnid. Posts commonly report of it being found world-round, suggesting everyone must take precautions. No such events appear to have occurred, and the story is considered an urban legend.The false rumor has since spread to websites such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr in 2012. The same hoax was circulating on WhatsApp in 2018. The hoax has also been seen on Facebook in 2019.

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - NORTHERN PINTAIL (Anas acuta)

The Northern Pintail, Anas acuta, is a graceful duck with a cosmopolitan range, breeding across the northern reaches of Europe, Asia, and North America. This species is easily recognized by its elegant profile, marked by a long neck and a distinctive pointed tail from which it derives its common name. The male, or drake, is particularly striking during the breeding season with a chocolate-brown head and a white breast adorned by a white line extending up the neck. Females, or hens, exhibit a more subdued palette of brown feathers, blending seamlessly with the wetland habitats they frequent.

The drake Northern Pintail is distinguished by its long central tail feathers, blue-grey bill, and grey legs and feet. In contrast, the hen's plumage is a muted brown, with a shorter pointed tail and a long grey bill. Both sexes share a sleek, elongated body and a swift, agile flight pattern, with the male showcasing a black-bordered white speculum and the female a dark brown speculum edged prominently in white.

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea)

The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), a statuesque avian, stands with a height ranging from 70 to 94 cm and boasts a wingspan of 120 to 152 cm. Despite its grand stature, it is a slender creature, tipping the scales at a mere 0.5 to 1.35 kg. This bird is slightly smaller and more svelte than its cousin, the Grey Heron, and is adorned with darker, reddish-brown plumage.

Adult Purple Herons are distinguished by their black foreheads and crowns, with a dark stripe cascading down the back of the neck, culminating in a modest, dangling crest. Their heads and necks are a buffish chestnut, streaked with dark lines, while the mantle dons an oily brown hue. The upper parts and tail are a brownish grey, and the underparts are a mix of chestnut and black. During the breeding season, the beak of the adult brightens, and the eyes gleam with a yellow iris.

The Purple Heron is a denizen of marshes, lagoons, and lakes, often shrouded by dense vegetation. It has a penchant for freshwater habitats, particularly those with expansive reed beds of Phragmites. Coastal mangrove swamps are also within its realm, though less frequently visited.

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - WHITE THROATED KINGFISHER (Halcyon smyrnensis)

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - WOOD SANDPIPER (Tringa glareola)

The Wood Sandpiper, Tringa glareola, presents as a small wader, the most diminutive of the shanks within the Scolopacidae family. It is characterized by its fine bill, brown back, and notably longer yellowish legs, giving it a delicate appearance.

When identifying the Wood Sandpiper, look for a bird with a longer-legged stature compared to the Green Sandpiper (T. ochropus) or the Solitary Sandpiper (T. solitaria). It can be distinguished from the Green Sandpiper by its smaller and less contrasting white rump patch, while the Solitary Sandpiper lacks a white rump patch entirely.

During migration and wintering periods, the Wood Sandpiper is typically found on freshwater bodies, where it can be seen probing in shallow waters or wet mud.

The Wood Sandpiper breeds in the subarctic wetlands, ranging from the Scottish Highlands across Europe and into the Palearctic. It migrates to Africa, Southern Asia, particularly India, and Australia. Notably, vagrant birds have reached as far as the Hawaiian Islands, and it is a regular visitor to the Mariana Islands and Palau.

This species exhibits a probing foraging style, mainly consuming insects and similar small prey. It nests on the ground or may opportunistically use an abandoned tree nest of another bird species.

Breeding occurs in subarctic wetlands, with four pale green eggs laid between March and May, either on the ground or in reused nests from other bird species like the Fieldfare.

The Wood Sandpiper can be confused with the Green Sandpiper or the Solitary Sandpiper but can be differentiated by leg length, bill size, and the presence or absence of a white rump patch.

The diet consists primarily of insects and small prey, which the Wood Sandpiper forages for by probing in shallow waters or on wet mud.

The Wood Sandpiper is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating a widespread and stable population. It is also protected under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - WHISKERED TERN (Chlidonias niger)

The whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybrida) is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow". The specific hybridus is Latin for hybrid; Peter Simon Pallas thought it might be a hybrid of white-winged black tern and common tern, writing "Sterna fissipes [Chlidonias leucopterus] et Hirundine [Sterna hirundo] natam".

In winter, the forehead becomes white and the body plumage a much paler grey. Juvenile whiskered terns have a ginger scaly back, and otherwise look much like winter adults. The first winter plumage is intermediate between juvenile and adult winter, with patchy ginger on the back.

The whiskered tern eats small fish, amphibians, insects and crustaceans.

The size, black cap, strong bill (29–34 mm in males, 25–27 mm and stubbier in females, with a pronounced gonys) and more positive flight recall common or Arctic tern, but the short, forked-looking tail and dark grey breeding plumage above and below are typically marsh tern characteristics. The summer adult has white cheeks and red legs and bill. The crown is flecked with white in the juvenile, and the hindcrown is more uniformly blackish, though in the winter adult this too is flecked with white. The black ear-coverts are joined to the black of the hindcrown, and the space above is mottled with white, causing the black to appear as a C-shaped band. The sides of the neck are white; this sometimes continues across the nape. The collar is less sharply defined. All through the year the rump is pale grey. In the juvenile, the mantle has a variegated pattern. The feathers of the back and scapulars are dark brown, with prominent broad buff edgings and often subterminal buff bars or centers. There is usually an admixture of new gray feathers, especially on the mantle, quite early in the fall. The mantle is silvery-gray in the adult. The call is a characteristic krekk.

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - PLAIN PRINIA (prinia inornata)

The Plain Prinia, or Prinia inornata, known also as the plain wren-warbler or white-browed wren-warbler, is a diminutive bird of the Cisticolidae family. Measuring 13–14 cm in length, these warblers possess short, rounded wings, a relatively long tail, sturdy legs, and a succinct black bill. The breeding plumage of adults is characterized by a grey-brown upper body, a conspicuous short white supercilium, and rufous fringes on the closed wings, while the underparts are of a whitish-buff hue. Both sexes exhibit identical plumage.

In the non-breeding season, the Plain Prinia's upperparts transition to a warmer brown, and the underparts take on a more pronounced buff color. The tail elongates during this period. Geographic variations exist among the subspecies, with differences in plumage shade. Notably, the endemic Sri Lankan race maintains its summer plumage and shorter tail throughout the year.

The Plain Prinia is a bird that favors wet lowland grasslands, open woodlands, and scrub areas. It can also be found in gardens, adapting to human-altered landscapes.

This resident breeder's range extends from Pakistan and India to South China and Southeast Asia. It was once considered conspecific with the Tawny-flanked Prinia, which is found in Africa south of the Sahara, but they are now generally recognized as separate species.

The Plain Prinia is a skulking bird, often remaining hidden within its preferred habitats. It constructs its nest within a shrub or amidst tall grasses, where it lays a clutch of three to six eggs. This contrasts with the Tawny-flanked Prinia, which prefers to nest in herbage and typically lays two to four eggs.

The vocalization of the Plain Prinia is a distinctive and repetitive "tlee-tlee-tlee," a call that can often be heard within its habitat.

As with most warblers, the diet of the Plain Prinia is primarily insectivorous, feeding on a variety of small insects.

The IUCN Red List has classified the Plain Prinia as Least Concern, indicating that, currently, there are no immediate threats to its population numbers that would warrant a higher level of concern.

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - PHEASANT TAILED JACANA (Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a jacana in the monotypic genus Hydrophasianus. Like all other jacanas, they have elongated toes and nails that enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. They may also swim or wade in water reaching their body while foraging mainly for invertebrate prey. They are found in tropical Asia from Yemen in the west to the Philippines in the east and move seasonally in parts of their range. They are the only jacanas that migrate long distances and have different non-breeding and breeding plumages. The pheasant-tailed jacana forages by swimming or by walking on aquatic vegetation. Females are larger than males and are polyandrous, laying several clutches that are raised by different males in their harem.

The pheasant-tailed jacana is a resident breeder in tropical India, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia; it overlaps greatly in range with the bronze-winged jacana, but, unlike the bronze-winged jacana, is found in Sri Lanka. It is found on small to large lakes having sufficient floating vegetation. It is sedentary in much of its range, but northern breeders from south China and the Himalayas migrate south from their breeding ranges to Southeast Asia and peninsular India, respectively. In Nanking, the birds leave in November and return for summer in the third week of April. Some birds arrive in the non-breeding plumage. The species is resident in Taiwan, where it is considered endangered. Birds disperse in summer and have been recorded as vagrants in Socotra, Qatar, Australia and southern Japan (mainly Okinawa, Yonaguni, Ishigaki and Iriomote). The species tends to be commoner in lower elevations but climbs into the Himalayas in summer, and records exist of the species from altitudes of 3650 m in Kashmir (Vishansar Lake) and 3800 m in Lahul.

14-3-2020 CHANGARAM WETLANDS KERALA, INDIA - MARSH SANDPIPER (Tringa stagnatilis)

The marsh sandpiper (Tringa stagnatilis) is a small wader. It is a rather small shank, and breeds in open grassy steppe and taiga wetlands from easternmost Europe to the Russian Far East. The genus name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper by Aldrovandus in 1599 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific stagnatilis is from Latin stagnum, "swamp".

11-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - GREY HEADED SWAMPHEN (Porphyrio poliocephalus)

The grey-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus ) is a species of swamphen occurring from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to southern China and northern Thailand. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen, but was elevated to full species status in 2015; today the purple swamphen is considered a superspecies and each of its six subspecies groups are designated full species.

The male has an elaborate courtship display, holding water weeds in his bill and bowing to the female with loud chuckles.

The grey-headed swamphen was introduced to North America in the late 1990s due to avicultural escapes in the Pembroke Pines, Florida area. State wildlife biologists attempted to eradicate the birds, but they have multiplied and can now be found in many areas of southern Florida. Ornithological authorities consider it likely that the swamphen will become an established part of Florida's avifauna. It was added to the American Birding Association checklist in February 2013.

Looking like an oversized version of a Purple Gallinule with a massive red bill, the Gray-headed Swamphen is an impressive bird and the largest rail in North America. Originally from southern Asia, it became established in southern Florida in the mid-1990s when birds escaped from captivity and began breeding. Like gallinules, this species forages in marshes by wading, swimming, and even climbing to reach aquatic vegetation, insects, and animal prey. Swamphens are aggressive competitors and may dominate or displace our native North American rails.

Grey-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus) is a species of swamphen occurring from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to southern China and northern Thailand. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen, but was elevated to full species status in 2015; today the purple swamphen is considered a superspecies and each of its six races are designated full species.

The male has an elaborate courtship display, holding water weeds in his bill and bowing to the female with loud chuckles.

The grey-headed swamphen was introduced to North America in the late 1990s due to avicultural escapes in the Pembroke Pines, Florida area. State wildlife biologists attempted to eradicate the birds, but they have multiplied and can now be found in many areas of southern Florida. Ornithological authorities consider it likely that the swamphen will become an established part of Florida's avifauna. It was added to the American Birding Association checklist in February 2013.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BLACK DRONGO (Dicrurus macrocercus)

This bird is glossy black with a wide fork to the tail. Adults usually have a small white spot at the base of the gape. The iris is dark brown (not crimson as in the similar ashy drongo). The sexes cannot be told apart in the field. Juveniles are brownish and may have some white barring or speckling towards the belly and vent, and can be mistaken for the white-bellied drongo. First-year birds have white tips to the feathers of the belly, while second-years have these white-tipped feathers restricted to the vent.

They are aggressive and fearless birds, and although only 28 cm (11 in) in length, they will attack much larger species that enter their nesting territory, including crows and birds of prey. This behaviour led to their former name of king crow. They fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast manoeuvres that enable them to capture flying insects. With short legs, they sit upright on thorny bushes, bare perches or electricity wires. They may also perch on grazing animals.

They are capable of producing a wide range of calls but a common call is a two note tee-hee call resembling that of the shikra (Accipiter badius).

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - ORIENTAL DARTER (anhinga melanogaster)

4-3-2020 KANHA NAT PARK, INDIA - BLACK STORK (ciconia nigra)

Unlike the closely related white stork, the black stork is a shy and wary species. It is seen singly or in pairs, usually in marshy areas, rivers or inland waters. It feeds on amphibians, small fish and insects, generally wading slowly in shallow water stalking its prey. Breeding pairs usually build nests in large forest trees—most commonly deciduous but also coniferous—which can be seen from long distances, as well as on large boulders, or under overhanging ledges in mountainous areas. The female lays two to five greyish-white eggs, which become soiled over time in the nest. Incubation takes 32 to 38 days, with both sexes sharing duties, and fledging takes 60 to 71 days.

During the summer, the black stork is found from Eastern Asia (Siberia and northern China) west to Central Europe, reaching Estonia in the north, Poland, Lower Saxony and Bavaria in Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and Greece in the south, with an outlying population in the central-southwest region of the Iberian Peninsula (Extremadura and surrounding provinces of Spain, plus Portugal). It is migratory, wintering in tropical Africa and Asia, although certain populations of black storks are sedentary or dispersive. An isolated population exists in Southern Africa, where the species is more numerous in the east, in eastern South Africa and Mozambique, and is also found in Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Botswana and less commonly Namibia.

The black stork prefers more wooded areas than the better-known white stork, and breeds in large marshy wetlands with interspersed coniferous or broadleaved woodlands, but also inhabits hills and mountains with sufficient networks of creeks. It usually inhabits ponds, rivers, edges of lakes, estuaries and other freshwater wetlands. The black stork does inhabit more agricultural areas in the Caspian lowlands, but even here it avoids close contact with people. Its wintering habitat in India comprises reservoirs or rivers with nearby scrub or forest, which provide trees that black storks can roost in at night.[26] In southern Africa it is found in shallow water in rivers or lakes, or swamps, but is occasionally encountered on dry land.

Migration takes place from early August to October, with a major exodus in September. Some of the Iberian populations, and also those in southern Africa, are essentially non-migratory, though they may wander freely in the non-breeding areas. A broad-winged soaring bird, the black stork is assisted by thermals of hot air for long-distance flight, although is less dependent on them than is the white stork. Since thermals only form over land, the black stork, together with large raptors,[36] must cross the Mediterranean at the narrowest points, and many black storks travel south through the Bosphorus, as well as the Sinai and Gibraltar. The trip is around 5,667 km (3,521 mi) via the western route and 7,000 km (4,300 mi) via the eastern route, with satellite tracking yielding an average travel time of 37 and 80 days respectively.

 The western route goes over the Rock of Gibraltar or over the Bay of Gibraltar, generally on a southwesterly track that takes them to the central part of the strait, from where they reach Morocco. Many birds fly around the Sahara next to the coast. About 10% of the western storks choose the passage between Sicily (Italy) and Cap Bon (Tunisia), crossing the Strait of Sicily.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BLACK BACKED DWARF KINGFISHER (Ceyx erithaca)

The Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher, also known as the Three-toed Kingfisher, is a diminutive avian jewel of the Alcedinidae family. This tropical kingfisher is a partial migrant, endemic to the Indian Subcontinent and Mainland Southeast Asia. It is a striking bird with a red bill, yellow-orange underparts, and lilac-rufous upperparts, contrasted by a blue-black back.

Adults of this species can be identified by their black forehead spot, blue and white neck patches, and lilac-rufous crown, rump, and tail. They possess a dark blue back and wings, a white chin and throat, and pale yellow-orange underparts. Their legs, feet, and bill are a vivid red. Juveniles are duller with less lilac and a yellow-orange bill with a pale tip. Both sexes are similar in appearance, with males being slightly larger.

The Black-backed Dwarf Kingfisher favors lowland forests, often near streams or ponds. It thrives in primary and secondary deciduous and evergreen forests, as well as alluvial forests, mangroves, and overgrown plantations.

This species is found in northeastern India, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, southern China, and disjunctly in southwest India and Sri Lanka. Some northern populations migrate to the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra during the non-breeding season.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - GREATER SPOTTED EAGLE (Clanga clanga)

The greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga), also called the spotted eagle, is a large migratory bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae. Its feathered legs indicate that it is a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as the "booted eagles." This species was once thought to be a member of the genus Aquila, but was reclassified to a distinct genus, Clanga, along with the two other species of spotted eagle.

During the breeding season, greater spotted eagles are widely distributed across Eastern Europe, parts of Central Europe, central Russia, Central Asia, parts of China, the Indian Subcontinent and the upper Middle East. During winter, they migrate primarily to South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Mediterranean Basin and parts of East Africa.

Greater spotted eagles favor wetter habitats than most booted eagles, preferring riparian zones as well as bogs, lakes, ponds, some coasts, and other bodies of water surrounded by woodland or forested land. Floodplains are the primary breeding sites, especially ones that experience high water levels. During winter and migration they often seek out similar wetland habitats, but have also been observed in dry upland areas such as savanna plateaus.

9-3-2020 PERIYAR RIVER LODGE, INDIA - GREAT HORNBILL (Buceros bicornis)

The great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), also known as the concave-casqued hornbill, great Indian hornbill or great pied hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. It occurs in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is predominantly frugivorous, but also preys on small mammals, reptiles and birds. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 2018. It is known to have lived for nearly 50 years in captivity. Due to its large size and colour, it is important in many tribal cultures and rituals. The Government of Kerala declared it as the official Kerala state bird.

During the breeding season (January to April) great hornbills become very vocal. They make loud duets, beginning with a loud "kok" given about once a second by the male, to which the female joins in. The pair then calls in unison, turning into a rapid mixture of roars and barks. They prefer mature forests for nesting. Large, tall and old trees, particularly emergents that rise above the canopy, seem to be preferred for nesting. They form monogamous pair bonds and live in small groups of 2-40 individuals. Group courtship displays involving up to 20 birds have been observed.

The female hornbill builds a nest in the hollow of a large tree trunk, sealing the opening with a plaster made up mainly of feces. She remains imprisoned there, relying on the male to bring her food, until the chicks are half developed. During this period the female undergoes a complete moult. The young chicks have no feathers and appear very plump. The mother is fed by her mate through a slit in the seal. The clutch consists of one or two eggs, which she incubates for 38–40 days. The female voids feces through the nest slit, as do the chicks from the age of two weeks. Once the female emerges from the nest, the chicks seal it again.

The young birds have no trace of a casque. After the second year the front extremity separates from the culmen, and in the third year it becomes a transverse crescent with the two edges growing outwards and upwards, while the anterior widens to the width of the rear end. Full development takes five years.

7-3-2020 THATTEKAD, INDIA - WHITE BELLIED BLUE FLYCATCHER (FEMALE) (Cyornis pallidipes)

The white-bellied blue flycatcher (Cyornis pallidipes) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family Muscicapidae. It is endemic to the Western Ghats (including the Nilgiris) of southwest India. Males are dark blue with a lighter shade of blue on the brow and have a greyish white belly. Females have a rufous breast, a white face and olive grey above.

8-3-2020 PERIYAR RIVER LODGE, INDIA - BLACK BAZA (Aviceda leuphotes)

The black baza (Aviceda leuphotes) is a small bird of prey found in the forests of Northeast India, the eastern Himalayas, China and Southeast Asia. Many populations are migratory, including those in the Indian region, which winter in the south of the Peninsula and Sri Lanka. Black bazas have short, stout legs and feet with strong talons, and a prominent crest. They are found in dense forest, often in small groups, and can often be found perched on bare branches of tall trees rising above the forest canopy.

This species is found in Southeast Asia and parts of South Asia. They are migratory in parts of their range. Migratory birds may be seen in large numbers at some locations such as Chumphon in Thailand where they account for nearly 40% of the raptors on passage. In some parts of Hong Kong, they have established themselves in recent times changing from summer visitors to residents in small numbers.

In southern India the species is regularly reported in winter mainly from the Western Ghats (breeding records have been questioned, Eastern Ghats (mainly on spring passage) and known to breed in northeastern India and Burma. Winter records of the species include stray occurrences in or near metropolitan areas such as the Guindy National Park in Chennai, near Trivandrum[ and Bangalore. More recent studies have suggested that the species may be a regular winter visitor in the eastern part of peninsular India, and not just a passage migrant. Individuals have also been noted at Point Calimere.

The birds in northeastern India begin to breed in April. Both sexes take part in nest building, incubation, brooding and feeding. The nest is a firm platform of thin sticks with a central depression and lined with grass, fiber and overlaid with green leaves. The eggs take about 26–27 days to hatch. Insects are the predominant food of the chicks.

8-3-2020 THATTEKAD, INDIA - CRESTED GOSHAWK (Accipiter trivirgatus)

The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is a bird of prey from tropical Asia. It is related to other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards (or buteos) and harriers, and thus placed in the family Accipitridae.

The crested goshawk breeds in southern Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. It is primarily a lowland bird, and an all-year resident. Even in upland habitat it is resident in winter, for example in the Himalayas foothills of Bhutan or in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in India's Dehradun district. In these lands at the northern end of its range, it is generally very rare however. Essentially it is limited to tropical and warm subtropical areas. In Malaysia and Singapore there is increasing evidence of this species adapting to life in urban centres. 

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. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two or three eggs.

5-3-2020 KANHA NAT PARK, INDIA - INDIAN JACKAL (Canis aureus ssp. indicus)

7-3-2020 THATTEKAD, INDIA - MALABAR WHISTLING THRUSH (Myophonus horsfieldii)

The Malabar whistling thrush (Myophonus horsfieldii) is a whistling thrush in the family Muscicapidae. The bird has been called whistling schoolboy for the whistling calls that they make at dawn that have a very human quality. The species is a resident in the Western Ghats and associated hills of peninsular India including central India and parts of the Eastern Ghats.

Malabar whistling thrushes are usually found in dark undergrowth in dense riverine forest. They typically forage in the margins, beds and adjacent ground of rocky hill streams and rivers in forest, secondary growth and plantations from foothills up to 2200 m above sea level but reach the plains in the rainy season. 

The species is found all along the Western Ghats south of the Surat Dangs. They are also found along the Satpura range to Chhattisgarh, northwestern Orissa (Surguja and Simlipal National Park), and locally in the Eastern Ghats. Populations are not migratory but are known to disperse widely in winter. An individual that was ringed in Mahabaleshwar in the summer of 1972 was recovered in the winter of 1976 in Sampaje, Coorg. Although historically recorded twice from Mount Abu, more recent surveys have not recorded the bird or suitable habitat in that location.

7-3-2020 THATTEKAD, INDIA - BROWN SHRIKE (Lanius cristatus)

The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the red-backed shrike (L. collurio) and isabelline shrike (L. isabellinus). The genus name, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes are also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits. The specific cristatus is Latin for "crested", used in a broader sense than in English. The common English name "shrike" is from Old English scríc, "shriek", referring to the shrill call.

Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye and is found mainly in open scrub habitats, where it perches on the tops of thorny bushes in search of prey. Several populations of this widespread species form distinctive subspecies which breed in temperate Asia and migrate to their winter quarters in tropical Asia. They are sometimes found as vagrants in Europe and North America.

6-3-2020 RAIPUR , INDIA - ROSE COLOURED STARLING (Pastor roseus)

The rosy starling (Pastor roseus) is a passerine bird in the starling family, Sturnidae, also known as the rose-coloured starling or rose-coloured pastor. The species was recently placed in its own monotypic genus, Pastor, and split from Sturnus. This split is supported by recent studies, though other related species within its new genus are not yet known for certain.

The genus name Pastor, and the old English name come from the Latin pastor, "shepherd", and by extension a pastor. The specific roseus is Latin for "rose-coloured".

Formerly, some authorities also considered the maroon oriole to be a species within the genus Pastor.