12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - NINE SPOTTED MOTH (Amata phegea)

The Nine-spotted Moth (Amata phegea) is a striking, day-flying moth in the family Erebidae. Though native mainly to Europe, it has been recorded in India, including specific sightings in regions like Kerala. It is noted for its distinctive metallic blue-black wings, white spots, and yellow abdominal rings.

Key Identification & BiologyAppearance: 

Features a 35–40 mm wingspan, metallic blue/greenish-black wings with white spots, and a prominent yellow ring or "belt" on the abdomen.

Behavior: Diurnal (flies during warm, sunny days) and uses aposematism (bright warning colors) to signal toxicity to predators.

Diet: Adults feed on floral nectar, while caterpillars are polyphagous, feeding on a wide range of herbaceous plants.    

13-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - PURPLE RUMPED SUNBIRD (FEMALE) (Leptocoma zeylonica)

The purple-rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is a sunbird endemic to the Indian Subcontinent. Like other sunbirds, they are small in size, feeding mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to lap nectar from flowers. They build a hanging pouch nest made up of cobwebs, lichens and plant material. Males are contrastingly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Males are easily distinguished from the purple sunbird by the light coloured underside while females can be told apart from purple sunbird counterparts by their whitish throats.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - WHITE FRANGIPANI (Plumeria obtusa)

Plumeria obtusa, the Singapore graveyard flower, is a species of the genus Plumeria (Apocynaceae). It is native to the Neotropics, but widely cultivated for its ornamental and fragrant flowers around the world, where suitably warm climate exists. 

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - STORK BILLED KINGFISHER (Pelargopsis capensis)

The Stork-billed Kingfisher, Pelargopsis capensis, is a grand avian spectacle, boasting a sizeable stature at 35 cm in length. This tree kingfisher is adorned with a vibrant palette: a green back, blue wings and tail, and an olive-brown head. Its underparts and neck are a soft buff, while the bill and legs are a striking bright red.

When identifying this species, look for its very large red bill, which is reminiscent of a stork's, hence the name. The sexes appear similar, making the task of distinguishing them a subtle art. The bird's flight is somewhat labored and flapping, yet it maintains a direct path.

The Stork-billed Kingfisher favors well-wooded environments, often found near bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, or coastal areas. It is a bird that appreciates the tranquility of nature's aquatic offerings.

This kingfisher has a wide but sparse presence across the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. It is a resident bird, meaning it does not typically migrate and is found throughout its range year-round.

A quiet and often inconspicuous percher, the Stork-billed Kingfisher is territorial in nature. It does not hesitate to chase away even large predators such as eagles. It is a skilled hunter, preying on fish, frogs, crabs, rodents, and occasionally young birds.

The vocal repertoire of this species includes a low, far-reaching "peer-por-por" repeated every few seconds, as well as a cackling "ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke," which can be heard echoing through its habitat.

Nests are excavated in river banks, decaying trees, or even in the nests of tree termites. The Stork-billed Kingfisher lays a clutch of two to five round white eggs, a modest but precious brood.

There are 13 recognized races or subspecies of the Stork-billed Kingfisher, mostly differentiated by subtle plumage details. One notable variety, P. c. gigantea from the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, is distinguished by its white head, neck, and underparts.

The diet of the Stork-billed Kingfisher is quite diverse, including aquatic and terrestrial prey such as fish, frogs, crabs, rodents, and young birds. It hunts with patience and precision, often from a secluded perch.

The Stork-billed Kingfisher is currently listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that, for now, this species does not face immediate threats to its survival on a global scale. However, continued monitoring is essential to ensure it remains out of danger.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - RED WATER LILY (Nymphaea rubra)

Nymphaea rubra is a species of waterlily native to the region spanning from Sri Lanka and northeastern India to western and central Malesia. Additionally, it has been introduced to regions such as Southeast China, Cuba, Guyana, Hungary, and Suriname.

Nymphaea rubra has 15.1 cm long, and 7.9 cm wide rhizomes. The petiolate, orbicular leaves are 25–48 cm wide. The adaxial leaf surface is bronzy red to dark green, and the abaxial leaf surface is dark purple. The leaf venation is very prominent. The petiole is 140 cm long.

The flowers are 15–25 cm wide. The four purplish-red sepals are oblong to lanceolate. The 12-20 narrowly oval petals have a rounded apex. The androecium consists of 55 red stamens. The gynoecium consists of 16-21 carpels.[6] The fruit bears 1.85 mm long, and 1.6 mm wide seeds. The peduncle is 116 cm long.[3] The flowers are pleasantly fragrant.

The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 56.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - COMMON CROW BUTTERFLY (Euploea lewiniip)

Euploea core, also known as the common crow, is a common butterfly found in South Asia to Australia. In India it is also sometimes referred to as the common Indian crow, and in Australia as the Australian crow. It belongs to the crows and tigers subfamily Danainae (tribe Danaini).

E. core is a glossy-black, medium-sized 85–95 mm (3.3–3.7 in) butterfly with rows of white spots on the margins of its wings. E. core is a slow, steady flier. Due to its unpalatability it is usually observed gliding through the air with a minimum of effort. As caterpillars, this species sequesters toxins from its food plant which are passed on from larva to pupa to the adult. While feeding, it is a very bold butterfly, taking a long time at each bunch of flowers. 

It can also be found mud-puddling with others of its species and often in mixed groups. The males of this species visit plants like Crotalaria and Heliotropium to replenish pheromone stocks which are used to attract a female during courtship.

The common crow is the most common representative of its genus, Euploea. Like the tigers (genus Danaus), the crows are inedible and thus mimicked by other Indian butterflies (see Batesian mimicry). In addition, the Indian species of the genus Euploea show another kind of mimicry, Müllerian mimicry. Accordingly, this species has been studied in greater detail than other members of its genus in India.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BLUE TIGER BUTTERFLY (Tirumala limniace)

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/143257-Tirumala-limniace

13-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - TAWNY COSTER BUTTERFLY (Acraea terpsicore)

Acraea terpsicore, the tawny coster, is a small, 53–64 millimetres (2.1–2.5 in), leathery-winged butterfly common in grassland and scrub habitats. It belongs to the Nymphalidae or brush-footed butterfly family. It has a weak fluttery flight. It is avoided by most insect predators. This species and the yellow coster (Acraea issoria) are the only two Indian representatives of the predominantly African tribe Acraeini. It is found in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives to Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Singapore, and recently Australia.

This species does not fly high, but seems to keep within 3 m of the ground and tends to rest on vegetation in the regions of a meter off the ground. Acraea terpsicore can be seen in abundance wherever its larval food plant (Passiflora species) is found. The adult tends to avoid dense undergrowth and shady areas, instead keeping to open spaces in all types of vegetation.

The adult flies slowly with weak seemingly unsteady wing beats. It is one of the boldest butterflies, protected as it is from predators by a nauseous chemical. When attacked it plays dead and exudes a noxious yellowish fluid from glands in the joints of the legs. Like all butterflies protected in this manner, Acraea terpsicore has a tough exoskeleton which enables the adult to survive a few pecks of a bird or even the bites of a lizard. Once left alone the adult immediately takes off and resumes its uncaring flight.

When feeding on flowers, this butterfly is unhurried, often spending a long time sitting on the same flower. When sitting it either spreads its wings or closes them over its back the hindwings covering the forewings to a large extent. Sometimes the butterfly will not sit, but rest gently on the flower while feeding, while doing this, to maintain balance, it beats only its forewings while keeping the hindwings completely steady.

13-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BLUE TIGER BUTTERFLY (Tirumala limniace)

Tirumala limniace, the blue tiger, is a species of butterfly found in South Asia, and Southeast Asia that belongs to the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. More specifically it is part of the crows and tigers or danaid group. This butterfly shows gregarious migratory behaviour in southern India. In some places, it may be found in congregations with Danaus genutia, Tirumala septentrionis, Euploea sylvester, Euploea core, Parantica aglea, and at high elevations, with Parantica nilgiriensis, on Crotalaria.

Tirumala limniace is a small butterfly with wide wings. It has a wingspan of 90 to 100 millimeters, with the males being smaller than the females. The upper side of the wing is dark brown to black and patterned with bluish-white, semi-transparent spots and lines. The blue of the bluish-white spots consists of the pigment pterobilin. In general, all butterflies can directly absorb heat from the sun via their wings to facilitate autonomous flight. Studies on blue tiger butterflies show that high-intensity light significantly increased flight activity. Blue tiger butterflies have a wing surface color that is composed of both light and dark colors. The dark areas on the wing surfaces are the heat absorption areas that allow for the facilitation of autonomous flight.

In cell 1b of the forewing, which, like all the others, is an area on the wing bounded by veins, run two strips, sometimes connected, after which there is a large spot. A stripe runs from the base of the discoid cell, followed by a large spot that is notched from the wing tip (apex). A large oval spot sits at the base of cell 2, a significantly smaller spot is at the base of cell 3, followed by a small spot. Five short stripes can be seen in the post-disk region on the leading edge, only two of which are clearly defined. Two rows of irregular points run submarginally, the inner ones being larger than the outer ones. There is a stripe in cell 1a on the hind wing. A strip that divides from the base also runs through cells 1b and 1c. In the discoid cell there is a wide dividing strip. The lower branch hooks or has a short spur-like base. At the base of cells 2 and 3 there is a thin, V-shaped arch. In cells 2 and 5 there is a strong, wide stripe at the base. Two rows of scattered, irregular points also run submarginally, the inner ones being larger than the outer ones.

The males differ from the females by a black pocket filled with scented scales in cell 1c, near the discoid cell on the upper side of the hind wings. The pockets are only created after hatching while the moth inflates its wings by turning up scented flakes. They play an important role in courtship, along with tufts of hair that can be turned out on the abdomen. The hairs sprout almost only from the rear third of the tuft of hair, a typical feature of the Danaini genera grouped under the clade Danaina.

The underside of the forewing is black, only the apex, like the underside of the hind wings, is olive-brown. The pattern largely corresponds to the top.

The antennae are black, as are the head and thorax, these two still bearing white dots and lines. The top of the abdomen is dark, the underside is pale brownish yellow colored with white shimmering underneath at the segment boundaries.

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - RICE GRASSHOPPER (Genus Oxya)

The genus Oxya, commonly known as rice grasshoppers or rice-field grasshoppers, belongs to the family Acrididae (subfamily Oxyinae). These insects are significant agricultural pests in Asia and Africa, primarily known for causing damage to rice, sugarcane, and maize crops. They are well-adapted to marshy environments, often found in or near wetlands and agricultural fields. 

Here are key facts about the genus Oxya:

1. Appearance and Biology

Physical Characteristics: Oxya species are generally small to medium-sized grasshoppers. They are typically pale green to yellow-brown in color, often featuring a distinct, dark-brown, longitudinal stripe on either side of the head and pronotum.

Adaptations: They are well-adapted to wet, marshy conditions, with hind tibiae and tarsi that are flattened, functioning like oars to allow them to swim.

Life Cycle: They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).

Eggs are laid in the soil, usually in egg pods (often 25–40 eggs per pod) that are covered with a protective froth, enabling them to withstand harsh conditions.

Life Span: In many regions, they have one or two generations per year, with the egg stage often lasting through the winter (up to 200–300 days). 

2. Habitat and Ecology

Habitat: They prefer moist, humid environments, specifically rice fields, grasslands, and marshes.

Distribution: Highly widespread throughout Asia, particularly in Indomalaya and eastern Asia (e.g., China, Japan, Pakistan, India).

Diet: Oxya species are polyphagous, feeding on a variety of plants, but they mainly feed on rice, maize, millet, and other grasses. 

3. Pest Status and Damage

Feeding Behavior: Both nymphs and adults are highly destructive. They chew large angular holes in leaves, which can lead to complete defoliation, leaving only the leaf mid-ribs.

Crop Impact: They can cause severe yield losses, particularly by damaging tender leaves, stems, and filling panicles (grains). 2–4 adults per square meter can reduce rice output by 6.8–17.8%.

Management: Natural enemies include spiders, birds, and various parasitic larvae. 

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - LILY BORER CATERPILLAR (Brithys crini)

Brithys crini, the amaryllis borer, crinum borer, lily borer or Kew arches, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. It is a garden pest in parts of its range, as their larvae damage the stems and leaves of lilies, especially lilies of the family Amaryllidaceae.

It is found in the coastal areas of Southern Europe and North Africa, south to South Africa. Furthermore, it is found in Japan and in Queensland and Northern Territory in Australia towards India and Sri Lanka.

The wingspan of the moth is about 40 mm. Its head, thorax and forewings are very dark brown, but paler toward the wingtips. Sub-basal, median and postmedial indistinct waved lines are black. A curved submarginal ochreous line with ferrous colored lunuled found on each side of it. There is a marginal black lunule series. The hindwings are practically white. Tarsi bear black and white stripes. In Europe the adults are on the wing in July.

There are several generations per year, though development slows down in cooler seasons, when the larvae sometimes overwinter by boring into the bulbs of the host plants.

The moth lays clusters of a few dozen eggs on the host plant leaves. The hatching larvae at first remain in groups and mine into the leaves. As they grow they either emerge and feed externally, or proceed down the leaves to their bases or even into the bulbs.

The larvae are aposematically coloured in pale yellows on blacks and browns. They are unpalatable to most vertebrate predators, and also poisonous, feeding as they do, on largely unpalatable and poisonous plants. They are slightly bristly, but the bristles seem to be sensory rather than irritant. Typically they grow to about 40 mm long before pupation.

14-3-2020 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.

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.

13-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - LARGE BILLED CROW (Corvus macrorhynchos)

The large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos ), formerly referred to widely as the jungle crow, is a widespread Asian species of crow. It is very adaptable and is able to survive on a wide range of food sources, making it capable of colonizing new areas, due to which it is often considered a nuisance, especially on islands. It has a large bill, which is the source of its scientific name macrorhynchos (Ancient Greek for "large beak") and it is sometimes known by the common name thick-billed crow. It can also be mistaken for a common raven. Johann Georg Wagler first described the species from a holotype obtained from Java in the year 1827. The eastern jungle crow and Indian jungle crow were once considered conspecific and together called the jungle crow.

13-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BLACK KITE (Milvus migrans)

The black kite was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in 1770. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis Daubenton to accompany Buffon's text. Neither the plate caption nor Buffon's description included a scientific name but in 1783 the Dutch naturalist Pieter Boddaert coined the binomial name Falco migrans in his catalogue of the Planches Enluminées. The type locality is France. The current genus Milvus was erected by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1799. Milvus is the Latin word for a red kite; the specific migrans means "migrating" from the Latin migrare "to migrate".

The red kite has been known to hybridize with the black kite (in captivity where both species were kept together, and in the wild on the Cape Verde Islands).

Recent DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed African races parasitus and aegyptius differ significantly from black kites in the Eurasian clade, and should be considered a separate allopatric species: yellow-billed kite, M. aegyptius. They occur throughout Africa except for the Congo Basin and the Sahara Desert. There have been some suggestions that the black-eared kite (M. m. lineatus) should be elevated to full species status as M. lineatus, but this is not well supported.

Black kites can be distinguished from red kites by the slightly smaller size, less forked tail (visible in flight), and generally dark plumage without any rufous. The sexes are alike though the male is a little smaller and less aggressive (this is the case in most birds of prey). They weigh on average 735 grams. The upper plumage is brown but the head and neck tend to be paler. The patch behind the eye appears darker. The outer flight feathers are black and the feathers have dark cross bars and are mottled at the base. The lower parts of the body are pale brown, becoming lighter towards the chin.

The body feathers have dark shafts giving it a streaked appearance. The cere and gape are yellow, but the bill is black (unlike that of the yellow-billed kite). The legs are yellow and the claws are black. They have a distinctive shrill whistle followed by a rapid whinnying call. Males and females have the same plumage but females are longer than males and have a little larger wingspan. Their wingspan is around 150 cm.

The species is found in Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The temperate populations of this kite tend to be migratory while the tropical ones are resident. European and central Asian birds (subspecies M. m. migrans and black-eared kite M. m. lineatus, respectively) are migratory, moving to the tropics in winter, but races in warmer regions such as the Indian M. m. govinda (small Indian/pariah kite), or the Australasian M. m. affinis (fork-tailed kite), are resident. In some areas such as in the United Kingdom, the black kite occurs only as a wanderer on migration. These birds are usually of the nominate race, but in November 2006 a juvenile of the eastern lineatus, not previously recorded in western Europe, was found in Lincolnshire.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - ORIENTAL RAT SNAKE (Ptyas mucosa)

Ptyas mucosa, commonly known as the Oriental rat snake, or Indian rat snake, is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in parts of South and Southeast Asia. These are large snakes. Typical mature total length is around 1.5 to 1.95 m (4 ft 11 in to 6 ft 5 in) though some exceed 2 m (6 ft 7 in). The record length for this species was 3.7 m (12 ft 2 in), second only to their cousin Ptyas carinata among living colubrid snakes. Despite their large size, oriental ratsnakes are usually quite slender with even a specimen of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) commonly measuring 4 to 6 cm (1.6 to 2.4 in) only around in diameter[which?]. Furthermore, the average weight of ratsnakes caught in Java was around 877 to 940 g (1.933 to 2.072 lb), though larger males of over 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) (which average mildly larger of the two sexes in the species) may easily weigh over 2.5 kg (5.5 lb). Their color varies from pale browns in dry regions to nearly black in moist forest areas. Rat snakes are diurnal, semi-arboreal, non-venomous, and fast-moving. Rat snakes eat a variety of prey and are frequently found in urban areas where rodents thrive.

Found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, China (Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Tibet, Hong Kong), Taiwan, India (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Bali), Iran, Laos, West Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan (Sindh area), Thailand, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - RED WATER LILY (Nymphaea rubra)

Nymphaea rubra is a species of waterlily native to the region spanning from Sri Lanka and northeastern India to western and central Malesia. Additionally, it has been introduced to regions such as Southeast China, Cuba, Guyana, Hungary, and Suriname.

Nymphaea rubra has 15.1 cm long, and 7.9 cm wide rhizomes. The petiolate, orbicular leaves are 25–48 cm wide. The adaxial leaf surface is bronzy red to dark green, and the abaxial leaf surface is dark purple. The leaf venation is very prominent. The petiole is 140 cm long.

The flowers are 15–25 cm wide. The four purplish-red sepals are oblong to lanceolate. The 12-20 narrowly oval petals have a rounded apex. The androecium consists of 55 red stamens. The gynoecium consists of 16-21 carpels.[6] The fruit bears 1.85 mm long, and 1.6 mm wide seeds. The peduncle is 116 cm long.[3] The flowers are pleasantly fragrant.

The diploid chromosome count is 2n = 56.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - TRAILING DAISY (Sphagneticola trilobata)

Sphagneticola trilobata, commonly known as the Bay Biscayne creeping-oxeye, marigold Singapore daisy, creeping-oxeye, trailing daisy, and wedelia, is a plant in the tribe Heliantheae of the family Asteraceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, but now grows throughout the Neotropics. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental groundcover.

Spreading, mat-forming perennial herb up to 30 cm in height. Has rounded stems up to 40 cm long, rooting at nodes and with the flowering stems ascending. Leaves are fleshy, hairy, 4–9 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, serrate or irregularly toothed, normally with pairs of lateral lobes, and dark green above and lighter green below. Its surface is hairy or glabrous, rarely scaly.

Peduncles are 3–10 cm long; involucres are campanulate to hemispherical, about 1 cm high; chaffy bracts are lanceolate, rigid. The flowers are bright yellow ray florets of about 8-13 per head, rays are 6–15 mm long; disk-corollas 4–5 mm long. The pappus is a crown of short fimbriate scales. The seeds are tuberculate achenes, 4–5 mm long. Propagation is mostly vegetatively as seeds are usually not fertile. In the tropics it is free-flowering, and elsewhere it blooms mostly from spring to autumn.

It has a very wide ecological tolerance range, but grows best in sunny areas with well-drained, moist soil at low elevations.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - COMMON WATER HYACINTH (Pontederia crassipes)

Pontederia crassipes (formerly Eichhornia crassipes), commonly known as common water hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to South America, naturalized throughout the world, and often invasive outside its native range. It is the sole species of the subgenus Oshunae within the genus Pontederia. Anecdotally, it is known as the "terror of Bengal" due to its invasive growth tendencies.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN (Copsychus saularis)

The diet of magpie-robins includes mainly insects and other invertebrates. Although mainly insectivorous, they are known to occasionally take flower nectar, geckos, leeches, centipedes and even fish.

They are often active late at dusk. They sometimes bathe in rainwater collected on the leaves of a tree.

The diet of magpie-robins includes mainly insects and other invertebrates. Although mainly insectivorous, they are known to occasionally take flower nectar, geckos, leeches,] centipedes and even fish.

They are often active late at dusk. They sometimes bathe in rainwater collected on the leaves of a tree.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - HOUSE CROW (Corvus splendens)

12-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BLUE TAILED BEE-EATER (Merops philippinus)

The Blue-tailed Bee-eater, Merops philippinus, is a near passerine bird belonging to the family Meropidae. It is a slender bird with a rich palette of colors, predominantly green with a blue tail. The face features a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and the throat is a mix of yellow and brown. Notably, the beak is black, and the three outer toes are fused at the base. Both sexes are similar in appearance, with a body length of 23–26 cm, including the elongated central tail feathers.

When identifying the Blue-tailed Bee-eater, look for the blue rather than green rump and tail, distinguishing it from the similar Blue-cheeked Bee-eater. The under-tail coverts are bluish, and the blue cheek patch is smaller. The chestnut on the throat and breast is darker and more extensive.

This species is typically found in open habitats near water bodies.

The Blue-tailed Bee-eater has a widespread distribution across South and Southeast Asia. It is migratory in many parts of its range, with breeding colonies often found in river valleys.

These birds are known for their colonial breeding habits, nesting in close proximity within vertical mudbanks or sloping land. They exhibit communal feeding and roosting behaviors and may have helpers assisting the breeding pair.

The Blue-tailed Bee-eater's call is a rolling chirping whistle, described as a "teerp," primarily heard during flight.

Breeding occurs from April to May in India, with nests tunneled into loamy sand banks. The species lays 5 to 7 near-spherical eggs, with both parents involved in care. They guard against brood parasitism and extra-pair copulation.

The Blue-cheeked Bee-eater is the most similar species within its range but can be differentiated by its drier habitat preference and distinct coloration differences.

The diet consists mainly of flying insects such as bees, wasps, and hornets, which are caught in the air from an open perch. The insects are beaten on the perch to kill them and break the exoskeleton.

The Blue-tailed Bee-eater is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), indicating a stable population.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - GOLDEN TRUMPET (Allamanda cathartica)

Allamanda cathartica, commonly called golden trumpet, common trumpetvine, and yellow allamanda, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to Bolivia, Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela, and widely naturalised elsewhere in the tropics. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.

It does not twine, nor does it have tendrils or aerial roots. It can be pruned into a shrub form. If not pruned it can sprawl to a height of 6 m (20 ft).  According to McMullen, it can be up to 15 m (49 ft) in length in the Galapagos Islands where it is naturalised.

The city of Canóvanas, Puerto Rico has adopted this species, known locally as canario amarillo, as its official flower.

The species is cultivated as a house plant. It requires a soil rich in organic matter, temperatures of not less than 18 °C (64 °F) during the growing season, plenty of moisture, and bright light but not direct sunlight. During the rest season from October to March, the plant should be watered more sparingly and can endure temperatures down to 13 °C (55 °F). It should be repotted every year until it is in a container of 40–50 cm (16–20 in). Propagation is by cuttings taken from April to May.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - CROWN FLOWER (Calotropis gigantea)

Calotropis gigantea, the crown flower, is a species of Calotropis native to Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, China, Pakistan, and Nepal.

It is a large shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall. It has clusters of waxy flowers that are either white or lavender in colour. Each flower consists of five pointed petals and a small "crown" rising from the center which holds the stamens. The aestivation found in calotropis is valvate i.e. sepals or petals in a whorl just touch one another at the margin, without overlapping. The plant has oval, light green leaves and milky stem. The latex of Calotropis gigantea contains cardiac glycosides, fatty acids, and calcium oxalate. The roots also contain Calotropone.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - PIED PADDY SKIMMER DRAGONFLY (Neurothemis tullia)

Neurothemis tullia, the pied paddy skimmer, is a species of dragonfly found in south and south-east Asia. It appears in Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia), Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam.

It is a black dragonfly with a pale yellow mid-dorsal carina of thorax. Wings are hyaline for apical half and opaque steely blue-black for basal half which is bordered by a milky white patch towards the tip. Females differ remarkably from the males both in body-colouring and markings and in marking of the wings. Its body is greenish yellow with a bright yellow mid-dorsal carina of thorax. Base of wings are amber yellow followed by a blackish brown patch. Apices of all wings are broadly opaque blackish brown and the remaining halves are pale yellow.

It breeds in marshes, well vegetated ponds, lakes and rice fields. It perches very close to ground and its flight is very weak.

14-3-2020 KERALA, INDIA - BAYA WEAVER (Ploceus philippinus)

The baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a weaverbird found across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Flocks of these birds are found in grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub and secondary growth and they are best known for their hanging retort shaped nests woven from leaves. These nest colonies are usually found on thorny trees or palm fronds and the nests are often built near water or hanging over water where predators cannot reach easily. They are widespread and common within their range but are prone to local, seasonal movements mainly in response to rain and food availability.

Among the population variations, five subspecies are recognized. The nominate race P. p. philippinus is found through much of mainland India while P. p. burmanicus is found eastwards into Southeast Asia. The population in southwest India is darker above and referred to as subspecies P. p. travancoreensis.

Baya weavers are social and gregarious birds. They forage in flocks for seeds, both on the plants and on the ground. Flocks fly in close formations, often performing complicated manoeuvres. They are known to glean paddy and other grain in harvested fields, and occasionally damage ripening crops and are therefore sometimes considered as pests. They roost in reed-beds bordering waterbodies. They depend on wild grasses such as Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) as well as crops like rice for both their food (feeding on seedlings in the germination stage as well as on early stages of grain) and nesting material. 

They also feed on insects (including butterflies[, sometimes taking small frogs, geckos and molluscs, especially to feed their young. Their seasonal movements are governed by food availability. Their calls are a continuous chit-chit-... sometimes ending in a wheezy cheee-eee-ee that is produced by males in a chorus. A lower intensity call is produced in the non-breeding season.

They are occasionally known to descend to the ground and indulge in dust bathing.

In captivity, individuals are known to form stable peck orders.