20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - WILD BOAR (Sus scrofa)

The Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa. The species is now one of the widest-ranging mammals in the world, as well as the most widespread suiform. It has been assessed as the least concern on the IUCN Red List due to its wide range, high numbers, and adaptability to a diversity of habitats. It has become an invasive species in part of its introduced range. The Wild boar has a long history of association with humans, having been the ancestor of most domestic pig breeds and a big-game animal for millennia.

The Wild boar is a bulky, massively built suid with short and relatively thin legs. The trunk is short and robust, while the hindquarters are comparatively underdeveloped. The region behind the shoulder blades rises into a hump and the neck is short and thick to the point of being nearly immobile. The animal's head is very large, taking up to one-third of the body's entire length. The structure of the head is well-suited for digging. The head acts as a plough, while the powerful neck muscles allow the animal to upturn considerable amounts of soil. The eyes are small and deep-set and the ears long and broad. The species has well-developed canine teeth, which protrude from the mouths of adult males. The medial hooves are larger and more elongated than the lateral ones and are capable of quick movements. The winter coat of the Wild boar consists of long, coarse bristles underlaid with short brown downy fur. Coat color varies with location and with age, with piglets having light brown or rusty-brown fur with pale bands extending from the flanks and back.

Wild boars are commonly found and abundant animals, occurring throughout the globe, except for Antarctica. The natural habitat of this species covers parts of Europe and Asia. Additionally, Wild boars have been introduced to South and North America. Currently, these animals are considered invaders throughout the southeastern United States and California. Preferred types of habitat are grassy savanna areas, wooded forests, agricultural areas, shrublands, and marshy swamplands. Overall, Wild boars live in areas with a constant source of water and dense vegetative cover to serve them as a refuge from predators.

As a nocturnal mammal, the Wild boar is active during the night, when it leaves its shelter to find food. This animal spends as much as 12 hours per day sleeping in a nest, constructed out of leaves. Females of this species exhibit social behavior, forming so-called "sounders" - loosely organized groups of 6-30 individuals. Each of these units is composed of breeding females and their offspring. Two or more groups may occasionally share the same area without mixing with each other. Male Wild boars tend to lead solitary life during most of the year. They socialize only in the reproductive season, during which they frequently occur near sounders as well as territories of other breeding males. The communication system of these animals includes vocalizations such as growls, which express aggression. They also use squealing calls, typically when excited or to display a friendly attitude.

As an omnivorous species, the Wild boar consumes food of both plant and animal origin. The diet of these mammals is generally composed of plants such as crops, fruits, nuts (mast), roots, and green plants, supplemented with bird eggs, carrion, small rodents, insects, and worms. Additionally, the Wild boar has been known to hunt on livestock such as small calves or lambs.

Wild boars exhibit a polygynous mating system, where each breeding male defends its mating rights. The winning male will mate with the females in a sounder. Breeding occurs year-round. The gestation period lasts for 108-120 days, yielding a litter of 4-6 piglets. Young are born in a nest, located among dense vegetation and constructed out of leaves, grass, and moss. During the first 2 weeks, the female is almost constantly with her young to protect them from potential predators. At about 2 months of age, young boars start coming out of the nest to feed. Independence is reached within 7 months. Male Wild boars are ready to breed at 2 years old, whereas females are reproductively mature at 1 year of age.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - CHANGEABLE HAWK EAGLE (Nisaetus cirrhatus)

The changeable hawk-eagle or crested hawk-eagle (Nisaetus cirrhatus) is a large bird of prey species of the family Accipitridae. More informal or antiquated English common names include the marsh hawk-eagle or Indian crested hawk-eagle. It is a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, with signature feathers, absent in tropical raptors from outside this subfamily, covering the tarsus. It was formerly placed in the genus Spizaetus, but studies pointed to the group being paraphyletic resulting in the Old World members being placed in Nisaetus (Hodgson, 1836) and separated from the New World species. 

It is a typical “hawk-eagle” in that it is an agile forest-dwelling predator and like many such eagles readily varies its prey selection between birds, mammals or reptiles as well as other vertebrates. Among the members of its genus, the changeable hawk-eagle stands out as the most widely distributed, adaptable and abundant species. Birds show a wide range of variation in plumage from pale to dark, varying with moult and age giving rise to the name "changeable".

In pale morph adults in flight, their hand in flight may be variously dark brownish buff (as in peninsular India) to a much paler buff or whitish. On the flight feathers, the area from wingtips extending to the primary and secondary feathers often have blackish barring, forming ragged lines from the carpals to rear axillaries with variable other dark marks elsewhere. Adult intermediate morph hawk-eagles have similar flight feathers but have grey-brown underparts with a less distinct, contrasting underpattern. Meanwhile, in both juvenile and adult dark morph, the blackish-brown colour of the body extends to the hand but the base of their tail, their primaries and, less so, their secondaries are a much paler, contrasting grey with streaking similar to other changeable hawk-eagles.

The changeable hawk-eagle is a largish but slender eagle. They fall near the middle of sizes among the currently accepted species in the genus Nisaetus. As in most birds of prey, females are larger than males with an average overall size difference of 7% but this can individually range to an 18-22% difference, with island races apparently thought to be less dimorphic on average. Size is quite variable and total length has been reported in the past to vary from 51 to 82 cm (20 to 32 in) and wingspan from 100 to 160 cm (39 to 63 in), however these figures appear to include the much more massive hawk-eagles from Flores that are currently considered their own separate species by modern authorities. Nonetheless, total lengths of up to 77 cm (30 in) have been listed for N. c. limnaeetus in Nepal. Ali & Ripley (1978) estimated these average total lengths for the following subspecies: N. c. cirrhatus at 72 cm (28 in), N. c. limnaeetus at 70 cm (28 in) and N. c. andamanensis at 61 cm (24 in). Legge (1880) measured the length of Sri Lankan changeable hawk-eagles (N. c. ceylanensis ) without including the beak as 55 to 60 cm (22 to 24 in). The average length of birds from the Philippines (N. c. limnaeetus ) was measured as 58.4 cm (23.0 in) in males and 64.9 cm (25.6 in) in females. Weights in this species have been reported from 1.2 to 1.9 kg (2.6 to 4.2 lb) but the source of this is unclear and it probably underrepresents the size variation known to occur in the species. The only precise body masses known for the species are derived from the Philippine population, where males were found to average 1.36 kg (3.0 lb) while females averaged 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) but they could weigh in excess of 1.81 kg (4.0 lb).

Adult changeable hawk-eagles are typically dark brown above and boldly streaked below with a strong bill, a variably sized, often floppy crest or no crest, rather short wings, a quite long, thinly-barred tail and long feathered legs. This species tends to perch “bolt” upright, and may perch in various places from somewhat secluded spots to also quite open area as well. When perched, their wings reach only about one-third to halfway down tail. Pale morph adults are mainly dark brown above with very faint paler edges (usually only conspicuous on the wing-coverts). They tend to have an evenly black-streaked and somewhat rufous-tinged head and neck, with a blackish crest (if present). The tail tends to be paler brown than the back with a thin whitish tip, a broad, blackish subterminal band (both the whitish tip and the subterminal band are also visible from tail underside) and 3 to 4 narrower, brown and often rather obscure bars. On the pale morph hawk-eagle's underside, the base colour is white to buff overlaid with bold black to dark brown streaking; the streaking tends to be more subtle on abdomen but more obvious on the legs. Beyond the typical pale morph, some subspecies but especially N. c. liminaeetus tend to have a further intermediate and a dark morph. The intermediate morph is somewhat similar to pale morph adults but is heavily grey-brown below with little to no paler base colour showing and more obscure streaking, with the area from belly down to the crissum usually being unpatterned. Meanwhile, the dark morph adult can range from all dark chocolate brown to almost pure black with variable browner edges, relieved only by the greyish inner half of tail as well as some greyish tail bars. Most juvenile changeable hawk-eagles are dark brown above but with far more conspicuous white edges on mantle and wings than the adults, in some cases, the median coverts are largely white and greater and even lesser coverts are largely scaled with white. The juvenile has a light brown tail with about seven thin dark bars and a whitish tip. The young hawk-eagle's head varies from buff with white-tipped black crest (as is the case in peninsular India and Sri Lanka) through entirely whitish, but almost always the young birds are spotted and streaked with black or dark brown about the rear crown and nape. As is the head, the underparts are variable with juveniles in much of India and in Sri Lanka showing thin brown streaks on chest or small spots on breast, with obscure tawny barring on thigh, legs and crissum. Juveniles elsewhere are often nearly all pure whitish below. By the time the young hawk-eagles reaches their 2nd to 3rd year, they tend to show less white above and more brown or black below. Their tail starts to molt to resemble that of adults in the 3rd year but in the 2nd year in N. c. limnaeetus (or at least in Philippines). Changeable hawk-eagles may attempt to breed at 3 years of age but full adult plumage is not obtained until the 4th year. Adults have yellow to orange yellow eyes, while those of the juvenile are grey-brown to pale greenish. Adult have a cere that's grey to pale greenish yellow and juveniles’ ceres are dull greyish, while all ages have yellow feet.

In flight, the changeable hawk-eagles is a large raptor with a prominent head, rather short rounded and broad wings, longish squarish or rounded tail, but has somewhat slenderer wings and straighter trailing edges than sympatric species of hawk-eagles. The species tends to fly with a fast agile flight, showing powerful shallow beats interspersed with glides on flat or bowed wings with their carpals well forward (above level of bill) and primaries swept back. When soaring, the wings are gently lowered or sometimes held level, with the carpals again well forward.  Typical juveniles show large areas of whitish streaking or mottling seen from above in flight. Juveniles from much of India and Sri Lanka show extensive darker tawny but obscure barring above and below, while other races are much whiter. Much like adult, the juvenile has dark tips to primary and greater coverts produce thin ragged diagonal bars but the barring tends to be thinner.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE (Streptopelia decaocto)

The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto) is a dove species native to Europe and Asia. During the 20th century, the Eurasian collared dove spectacularly expanded its range from the Middle East to right across Europe. Accidentally introduced in 1974 into the Bahamas, this pale chunky bird soon spread to the mainland in Florida. A relative of the mourning dove, its name comes from its black half-collar around its neck.

The Eurasian collared dove is grey-buff to pinkish-grey overall, a little darker above than below, with a blue-grey underwing patch. The tail feathers are grey-buff above, and dark grey and tipped white below; the outer tail feathers are also tipped whitish above. It has a black half-collar edged with white on its nape. The short legs are red and the bill is black. The iris is red, but from a distance, the eyes appear to be black, as the pupil is relatively large and only a narrow rim of reddish-brown iris can be seen around the black pupil. The eye is surrounded by a small area of bare skin, which is either white or yellow. The two sexes are virtually indistinguishable; juveniles differ in having a poorly developed collar, and a brown iris.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - WHITE THROATED KINGFISHER (Halcyon smyrnensis)

The White-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia. This kingfisher is a resident over much of its range and can often be found well away from water where it hunts a wide range of prey.

The adult White-throated kingfisher has a bright blue back, wings, and tail. Its head, shoulders, flanks, and lower belly are chestnut, and the throat and breast are white. The large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the white-throated kingfisher is rapid and direct, the short rounded wings whirring. In flight, large white patches are visible on the blue and black wings. The male and the female are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of the adult.

White-throated kingfishers are found in Asia from the Sinai east through the Indian subcontinent to China and Indonesia. They are mainly resident over much of their range, although some populations may make short-distance movements. White-throated kingfishers live in a variety of habitats, mostly open country in the plains with trees, wires, or other perches; however, they have also been seen in the Himalayas. These birds also occur in tropical forests, mangrove edges, swamps, ponds, plantations, rice fields, and farmland.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - INDIAN SPOTTED DOVE (Streptopelia chinensis ssp. suratensis)

The Spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small pigeon that is a common across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. These birds are also called the Mountain dove, Pearl-necked dove, Lace-necked dove, and Spotted turtle-dove.

The ground color 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 center of the abdomen and vent are white. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white and become visible when the bird takes off. The male and the female are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults and do not acquire the neck spots until they are mature.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - NORTHERN PLAINS GREY LANGUR (Semnopithecus entellus)

The northern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus entellus ), also known as the sacred langur, Bengal sacred langur and Hanuman langur, is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae.

The fur of adults is mostly light colored, with darker fur on the back and limbs, and the face, ears, hands and feet are all black. Infants are brown. Body size excluding tail ranges from 45.1 cm (17.8 in) to 78.4 cm (30.9 in) long, and the tail length is between 80.3 cm (31.6 in) and 111.8 cm (44.0 in). Adult males weigh between 16.9 kg (37 lb) and 19.5 kg (43 lb) while adult females weigh between 9.5 kg (21 lb) and 16.1 kg (35 lb).

The range of the northern plains gray langur covers a large portion of India south of the Himalayas south to the Tapti River and the Krishna River.It is thought to have been introduced to western Bangladesh by Hindu pilgrims on the bank of the Jalangi River.

The northern plains gray langur is diurnal, and is both terrestrial and arboreal. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Females groom members of both sexes but males do not groom others.

The northern plains gray langur can live in several different types of groups. It can live in groups of multiple males and females, one male and multiple females or multiple males with no females, and males can also live alone without a group. Single male groups are most common. Group size can exceed 100 monkeys. Upon reaching maturity, males typically emigrate from their natal group while females typically remain. Young adult females are typically dominant over older females. When a new male takes over a group it may engage in infanticide of young fathered by the previous male or males, but this is less common when the takeover occurs slowly over several months.

The northern plains gray langur eats primarily fruits and leaves. It is able to survive on mature leaves, which is a key to its ability to survive throughout the dry season. It also eats seeds, flowers, buds, bark and insects, including caterpillars. It is also fed fruits and vegetables by humans, and some groups get a substantial portion of their diets from food provided by temples and from raiding crops.

Groups that have access to abundant food year-round, for example those that are provisioned by temples or are able to raid crops year-round, also breed throughout the year. Other groups, such as those living in forests, typically give birth between December and May. The gestation period is about 200 days. Females other than the mother alloparent the infant for the first month of its life. Weaning occurs at about 1 year and males reach maturity at about 6 to 7 year old.

The northern plains gray langur often associates with chital deer. Both species respond to each other's alarm calls. The chital seem to benefit from the vigilance of male langurs watching for predators in the trees, while the langurs seem to benefit from the chital's better senses of smell and hearing. It also has been observed engaging in grooming sessions with rhesus macaques.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - CHITAL (Axis axis) (JUVENILE)

The Axis deer (Axis axis) is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. It was first described and given a binomial name by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777.

The Axis deer is a beautiful mammal with a spotted body and short tail. Both males and females have markings on their bodies; the markings are white, running in rows along the length of their bodies. The body of Axis deer is bright golden brown in color while the head is a bit lighter shade of the same color. Around their eyes, they have stripes of fur that are paler in color. Males have black spots on their faces and three tines on each of their magnificent antlers. These deer have a dark stripe, running along the length of their back and bordered by a row of spots. The outer parts of their legs are light brown in color while the underparts can be both white and creamy. The Axis deer has a white spot on its throat, which is more noticeable in males. In addition, the tail of the Axis deer has a white underpart.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - INDIAN BLUE PEAFOWL (MALE) (Pavo cristatus)

The Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is a brightly-colored bird that lives mainly on the ground. Its loud calls make it easy to detect, and in forest areas often indicates the presence of a predator such as a tiger. The bird is celebrated in Hindu and Greek mythology and is the national bird of India.

The male Indian peafowl (peacock) is brightly colored, with a predominantly blue fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers, and is best known for the long train (tail) made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colorful eyespots. These stiff feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. Despite the length and size of these covert feathers, peacocks are still capable of flight. Females (peahens) lack the train and have a greenish lower neck and duller brown plumage. Downy chicks are pale buff with a dark brown mark on the nape that connects with the eyes. Young males look like the females but their wings are chestnut colored.

Indian peafowl live mainly on the ground where they forage in small groups that usually have a cock and 3 to 5 hens. After the breeding season, the groups tend to be made up only of females and young. They are found in the open early in the morning and tend to stay in cover during the heat of the day. Indian peafowl often dust-bathe and at dusk and groups walk in single file to a favorite waterhole to drink. When disturbed, they usually escape by running and rarely take to flight. During the night, peafowl roost in groups on tall trees but may sometimes make use of rocks, buildings, or pylons. 

Birds arrive at dusk and call frequently before taking their position on the roost trees. Indian peafowl produces loud calls, especially in the breeding season. They may call at night when alarmed and neighboring birds may call in a relay-like series. The most common calls are a loud 'pia-ow' or 'may-awe'. They also make many other calls such as a rapid series of 'ka-aan..ka-aan' or a rapid 'kok-kok'. They often emit an explosive low-pitched honk! when agitated.

 Indian peafowl are polygynous (one male to several females), and their breeding season usually depends on the rain. The peak season in southern India is April to May, January to March in Sri Lanka, and June in northern India. During this time several males may congregate at a lek site and these males are often closely related. Males at lek appear to maintain small territories next to each other and they allow females to visit them and make no attempt to guard harems. Females do not appear to favor specific males. The males display in courtship by raising the upper-tail coverts into an arched fan. The wings are held half open and drooped and it periodically vibrates the long feathers producing a ruffling sound. The cock faces the hen initially and struts and prances around and sometimes turns around to display the tail. Males may also freeze over food to invite a female in a form of courtship feeding. Males may display even in the absence of females. When a male is displaying, females do not appear to show any interest and usually continue their foraging. Indian peafowl nest on the ground; it is a shallow scrape lined with leaves, sticks, and other debris. The clutch consists of 4-8 fawn-to-buff white eggs which are incubated only by the female for about 28 days. The chicks are precocial (fully developed) and follow the mother around soon after hatching. Downy young may sometimes climb on their mother's back and she may carry them in flight to a safe tree branch. The chicks can fly about one week after hatching and become self-sufficient in 8 weeks. They usually reach reproductive maturity at the age of 2 to 3 years old.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - BLACK NAPED MONARCH (Hypothymis azurea)

The black-naped monarch or black-naped blue flycatcher (Hypothymis azurea ) is a slim and agile passerine bird belonging to the family of monarch flycatchers found in southern and south-eastern Asia. They are sexually dimorphic, with the male having a distinctive black patch on the back of the head and a narrow black half collar ("necklace"), while the female is duller with olive brown wings and lacking the black markings on the head. They have a call that is similar to that of the Asian paradise flycatcher, and in tropical forest habitats, pairs may join mixed-species foraging flocks. Populations differ slightly in plumage colour and sizes.

The adult male black-naped monarch is about 16 cm long, and is mainly pale azure blue apart from a whitish lower belly. It has a black nape and a narrow black gorget. The female is duller and lacks the black markings. Its wings and back are grey-brown. However, several geographically separated breeding populations differ in the extent and shade of markings. The Indian peninsula has subspecies H. a. styani (which subsumes H. a. sykesi of Stuart Baker), in which males have very distinct black markings and a whitish abdomen. Males of the Sri Lankan race H. a. ceylonensis lack the black nape and gorget and the shade is more purplish. The subspecies of the Andaman Islands, H. a. tytleri, has the underparts blue grey. The form on Car Nicobar Island, H. a. idiochroa, has a greyish white belly, while H. a. nicobarica from the southern Nicobars has a smaller and finer bill. The colour of the gape is yellowish to green.

12-5-2024 SOLLANA SOUTH, ALBUFERA - BLACK WINGED STILT (Himantopus himantopus)

Black-winged stilts (Himantopus himantopus) are very long-legged wading birds. They are found in both warm and hot climates, feed on small aquatic creatures, and nest on the ground surface in small colonies.

Adult Black-winged stilts have long, pink legs, and a long, rather thin black bill. They are generally black above and white below, with a white head and neck. Males have a black back, often with a greenish gloss or sheen. Females' backs have a brownish hue, contrasting with the black remiges. In populations where the top of the head is normally white (at least in winter), females tend to have less black on the head and neck the entire year round, while males often have much more black, particularly in summer. This difference is not clear-cut, however, and males usually grow all-white head feathers in winter. Immature birds are grey, instead of black, and have a markedly sandy hue on their wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

Black-winged stilts are very gregarious birds. They often gather in groups of around 20 individuals and may migrate or roost in large flocks of several thousand birds. Black-winged tilts are mainly diurnal; however, they are also adapted to nocturnal vision and may also forage even on moonless nights. Black-winged stilts feed in shallow water, wading slowly picking up their food from the water surface or sand.

Black-winged stilts are serially monogamous; they form pairs and maintain their bonds only during one breeding season. These birds may nest singly or in loose colonies and each pair defends vigorously their nest site and territory around it. The nest is a bare spot on the ground located near water. The female lays up to 4 eggs which are then incubated for about 3-4 weeks by both parents. Chicks hatch well-developed and can leave the nest within 24 hours. They fledge around 1 month after hatching and become independent 2-4 weeks later. Young Black-winged tilts become reproductively mature and start to breed when they are 1 or 2 years old.

12-5-2024 ULLAL DE BALDOVI, ALBUFERA - ZITTING CISTICOLA (Cisticola juncidis)

The zitting cisticola or streaked fantail warbler (Cisticola juncidis ) is a widely distributed Old World warbler whose breeding range includes southern Europe, Africa (outside the deserts and rainforest), and southern Asia down to northern Australia. A small bird found mainly in grasslands, it is best identified by its rufous rump; as well, it lacks any gold on the collar and the brownish tail is tipped with white. During the breeding season, males have a zigzagging flight display accompanied by regular "zitting" calls that have been likened to repeated snips of a scissor. They build their pouch nest suspended within a clump of grass.

The zitting cisticola is 10 to 12 cm (3.9 to 4.7 in) in length. It is brown above, heavily streaked with black markings. The underparts are whitish, and the tail is broad, white-tipped and flicked frequently, giving rise to the alternative name for the species. The adult males have less crown streaking and more back marking than the females, but there are no great difference between the sexes or the eighteen geographical races. The absence of a nuchal collar separate it from the golden-headed cisticola (Cisticola exilis ). In the non-breeding season, they tend to skulk within the grass and can be hard to spot.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - RUFOUS TREEPIE (Dendrocitta vagabunda

The Rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a bird similar to magpie native to South Asia and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia. It is a member of the crow family and like other corvids, it is very adaptable, omnivorous, and opportunistic in feeding. A local name for the Rufous treepie 'kotri' is derived from its typical call; it is also known locally as Handi Chancha and taka chor meaning "coin thief".

The main colour of the body is cinnamon with a black head and the long graduated tail is bluish grey and is tipped in black. The wing has a white patch. The only confusable species is the Grey treepie which however lacks the bright rufous mantle. The bill is stout with a hooked tip. The underparts and lower back are warm tawny-brown to orange-brown in color with white wing coverts and black primaries. The bill, legs, and feet are black. The male and the female of this species look similar.

Rufous treepies are found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. They live in open forests consisting of scrub, dry forests, wet forests, montane forests, plantations, gardens, and urban parks. In the Garhwal Himalayas, Rufous treepies migrate seasonally between different elevations.

Rufous treepies are arboreal diurnal birds. They are usually seen in pairs or family groups and may gather in flocks in areas with plentiful food sources. Rufous treepies are agile foragers, clinging and clambering through the branches and sometimes joining mixed hunting parties along with species such as drongos and babblers. Like many other corvids, they cache food. Rufous treepies also feed on ectoparasites of sambar which permit them to perch and position themselves to invite the birds to examine specific parts. These birds have a wide repertoire of calls, but a 'bob-o-link' or 'ko-tree' call is most common. They also make various harsh calls, squawks, and musical notes.

 Rufous treepies have an omnivorous diet. They eat fruits, nectar, seeds, invertebrates, small reptiles, and the eggs and young of birds. They have also been known to take flesh from recently killed carcasses.

Rufous treepies are monogamous and form pairs. In India, they breed from April to June; in Bengal, the peak is in April and May. These birds build their shallow nests in trees and bushes and females usually lay 3-5 eggs. Both parents are known to incubate the eggs and take care of their chicks.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - ASHY DRONGO (Dicrurus leucophaeus)

The ashy drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus ) is a species of bird in the drongo family Dicruridae. It is found widely distributed across South and Southeast Asia with several populations that vary in the shade of grey, migration patterns and in the size or presence of white patches around the eye.

The adult ashy drongo is mainly dark grey, and the tail is long and deeply forked, There are a number of subspecies varying in the shade of the grey plumage. Some subspecies have white markings on the head. Young birds are dull brownish grey.

Subspecies longicaudatus of India (which includes beavani of the Himalayas that winters on the peninsula, with one breeding population in central India that Vaurie separates as longicaudatus in the restricted sense) is very dark and almost like the black drongo although this bird is slimmer and has a somewhat longer and less-splayed tail. It is found in more tall forest habitat, has dark grey underside lacking the sheen of black drongo. The iris is crimson and there is no white rictal spot. Subspecies leucogenis and salangensis have a white eye-patch as do several of the island forms that breed further south. The calls are a little more nasal and twangy than that of the black drongo.

20-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - RED JUNGLEFOWL (MALE) (Gallus gallus)

The Red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) is a tropical bird in the family Phasianidae. It was formerly known as the Bankiva or Bankiva Fowl. It is the primary ancestor of the domestic chicken. Junglefowl are behaviourally different from domestic chickens; they are naturally very shy of humans compared to the much tamer domesticated subspecies.

Compared to the more familiar domestic chicken, the Red junglefowl has a much smaller body mass and is brighter in coloration. Male junglefowl are significantly larger than females and have brightly colored decorative feathers. The male's tail is composed of long, arching feathers that initially look black, but shimmer with blue, purple, and green in direct light. He also has long, golden hackle feathers on his neck and on his back. The female plumage is typical of this family of birds in being cryptic and adapted for camouflage as she alone looks after the eggs and chicks. She also has a very small comb and wattles (fleshy ornaments on the head that signal good health to rivals and potential mates) compared to the males.

11-5-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - WALL BROWN BUTTERFLY (Lasiommata megera)

Lasiommata megera, the wall or wall brown, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae (subfamily Satyrinae). It is widespread in the Palearctic realm with a large variety of habitats and number of generations a year.

P. megera L. [— xiphie Boisd. pt (45d). Above reddish yellow, with a black mark which traverses the distal band from the cell of the forewing to the abdominal margin of the hindwing, short black stripes crossing the disc and the cell of the forewing.

The species lives in North Africa, Europe, the Caucasus, Asia Minor, the Middle East, western Siberia, northern Tian Shan, Dzungarian Alatau, Kazakhstan and Dzungaria.

Habitats include forest edges and clearings, shrubby areas in ravines and river valleys and sparse woodlands. It is also found in mountain habitats up to 0–3,000 metres (0–9,843 ft) above sea level.

The imago flies from April to October in two or three generations depending on locality and altitude. The larva feeds on grasses in the genera Festuca, Bromus, Deschampsia, Poa, Dactylis and Brachypodium.

"The egg is pale green when first laid, and in shape it is almost spherical, but rather higher than broad; it is finely ribbed and reticulated, but unless examined through a lens it appears to be quite smooth. The caterpillar when full grown is whitish-green, dotted with white. From the larger of these dots on the back arise greyish bristles; the three lines on the back (dorsal and sub-dorsal) are whitish, edged with dark green; the line on the sides (spiracular) is white, fringed with greyish hairs; anal points green, hairy, extreme tips white. Head larger than the first ring (first thoracic segment), green dotted with white and hairy, jaws marked with brownish. The chrysalis is green, with yellow-tinted white markings on the edge of the wing covers and ridges; the spots on the body are yellowish, or sometimes white. Occasionally the chrysalids are blackish, with white or yellow points on the body". 

21-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - SPOTTED DOVE (Spilopelia chinensis)

The Spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small pigeon that is a common across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. These birds are also called the Mountain dove, Pearl-necked dove, Lace-necked dove, and Spotted turtle-dove.

The ground color 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 center of the abdomen and vent are white. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white and become visible when the bird takes off. The male and the female are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults and do not acquire the neck spots until they are mature.

21-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - RED VENTED BULBUL (Pycnonotus cafer)

The red-vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer ) is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is a resident breeder across the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Fiji, as well as parts of Samoa, Australia, USA and Cook Islands. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

The Red-vented bulbul is a medium-sized songbird that can be found across the Indian subcontinent. It can be easily identified by its short crest giving the head a squarish appearance. The body of this bird is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while the vent is red. It has a long black tail, tipped in white. The males and the females of this species look similar, but young birds are duller than adults.

Red-vented bulbuls occur across Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Bhutan and Nepal. These birds don’t migrate and inhabit dry scrub, open forests, plains, cultivated areas, parks, and gardens.

Red-vented bulbuls are diurnal social birds. Outside of the breeding season, they like to form large flocks and gather together in communal roosts. The typical call of Red-vented bulbuls has been transcribed as ginger beer, but they also produce a number of sharp single-note calls sounding like a pick. Their alarm calls are usually responded to and heeded by many other species of bird.

21-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - BLACK DRONGO (Dicrurus macrocercus)

The Black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a small Asian passerine bird The species is known for its aggressive behavior towards much larger birds that invade its territory. The Black drongo has been introduced to some Pacific islands, where it has thrived and become abundant to the point of threatening and causing the extinction of native and endemic bird species there.

Black drongos are glossy black birds 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. Black drongos fly with strong flaps of the wing and are capable of fast maneuvers 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.

10-5-2024 VILLALONGA RESERVOIR, VALENCIA - SPECKLED WOOD BUTTERFLY (Pararge aegeria)

The average wingspan of both males and females is 5.1 cm (2 in), although males tend to be slightly smaller than females. Furthermore, males possess a row of grayish-brown scent scales on their forewings that is absent in the females. Females have brighter and more distinct markings than males. The subspecies P. a. tircis is brown with pale yellow or cream spots and darker upperwing eyespots. The subspecies P. a. aegeria has a more orange background and the hindwing underside eyespots are reddish brown rather than black or dark gray. The two forms gradually intergrade into each other. Subspecies P. a. oblita is a darker brown, often approaching black with white rather than cream spots. The underside of its hindwings has a marginal pale purple band and a row of conspicuous white spots. The spots of subspecies P. a. insula are a tawny orange rather than a cream color. The underside of the forewings has patches of pale orange, and the underside of the hindwing has a purple-tinged band. Although there is considerable variation with each subspecies, identification of the different subspecies is manageable.

21-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - COMMON ROSE SWALLOWTAIL (Pachliopta aristolochiae)

Pachliopta aristolochiae, the common rose, is a swallowtail butterfly belonging to the genus Pachliopta, the roses, or red-bodied swallowtails. It is a common butterfly which is extensively distributed across south and southeast Asia.

It is widely distributed in Asia including Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (including the Andaman Islands), Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Japan (south-western Okinawa only), Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nicobar Islands, peninsular and eastern Malaysia, Brunei, Philippines (Palawan and Leyte), Indonesia, Bangladesh and Taiwan.

In China, it is distributed in southern and eastern China (including Hainan, Guangdong province) and Hong Kong. In Indonesia, it is distributed in Sumatra, Nias, Enggano, Bangka, Java, Bali, Kangean, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Tanahjampea, and Kalimantan.

It is very common almost all over the plains of India, and is not threatened as a species. During and after the monsoon it is extremely abundant.

21-4-2024 BANDHAVGARH, INDIA - ORANGE HEADED THRUSH (Geokichla citrina)

The orange-headed thrush is 205–235 milliimetres (8.1–9.25 in) long and weighs 47–60 grammes (1.7–2.1 oz). The adult male of the nominate subspecies of this small thrush has an entirely orange head and underparts, uniformly grey upperparts and wings, and white median and undertail coverts. It has a slate-coloured bill and the legs and feet have brown fronts and pink or yellowish rears.

The female resembles the male but has browner or more olive upperparts and warm brown wings, but some old females are almost identical to the male. The juvenile is dull brown with buff streaks on its back, and a rufous tone to the head and face; it has grey wings. The bill is brownish horn, and the legs and feet are brown.

This species' orange and grey plumage is very distinctive, and it is unlikely to be confused with any other species. Differences between the subspecies, as described above, can be quite striking, as with the strong head pattern on G. c. cyanota, but may be less obvious variations in plumage tone, or whether there is white on the folded wing. As with many other thrushes, all forms of this species shows a distinctive underwing pattern, with a strong white band.

The orange-headed thrush breeds in much of the Indian Subcontinent, including Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka, and through Southeast Asia to Java and southern China. Its habitat is moist broadleaved evergreen woodlands, with a medium-density undergrowth of bushes and ferns, but it also utilises bamboo forests for secondary growth. G. c. cyanota also occurs in large gardens and orchards.

This species is often found in damp areas, near streams or in shady ravines. It occurs between 250–1830 metres (825– 6040 ft) in the Himalayas and up to about 1500 metres (5000 ft) in Malaysia, Thailand and Java. G. c. aurata is resident between 1000–1630 metres (3300–5400 ft) on Mt Kinabalu and Mt Trus Madi, northern Borneo. Some of the subspecies are completely or partially migratory; their wintering habitat is similar to the breeding forests, but more likely to be at lower altitudes.

The orange-headed thrush feeds on the ground in dense undergrowth or other thick cover. It is most active at dawn and dusk, probing the leaf litter for insects and their larvae, spiders, other invertebrates and fruit. In Malaysia, wintering birds regularly feed on figs. 

10-5-2024 DEVESA, ALBUFERA - ORTOLAN BUNTING (FEMALE) (Emberiza hortulana)

The Ortolan Bunting (Emberiza hortulana) is a small, elusive bird, a member of the Emberizidae family. It measures approximately 16-17 cm in length with a wingspan ranging from 23-29 cm. The bird's plumage is rather unassuming compared to its relative, the Yellowhammer, with a greenish-grey head rather than bright yellow.

To identify the Ortolan Bunting, look for its subtle greenish-grey head, which sets it apart from the more vibrantly colored Yellowhammer. Its size and shape are similar to other buntings, making careful observation a necessity for proper identification.

This species is known to frequent cornfields and their surroundings, where it can find seeds and insects to feed on. It is a bird of the European countryside, often found in open, rural landscapes.

The Ortolan Bunting is native to a wide range across Europe and western Asia. Its range extends as far north as Scandinavia and even beyond the Arctic Circle. It is an uncommon vagrant to the British Isles and has been observed as far afield as coastal Karnataka, India.

Ortolans are ground nesters, often placing their nests close to or on the ground itself. They have been recorded to live up to six years and ten months in the wild.

Ortolans primarily feed on seeds, but their diet also includes beetles and other insects, especially when feeding their young.

As of the latest assessments, the Ortolan Bunting is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, there are indications that the species may be in decline due to unsustainable hunting practices during migration.

7-5-2024 MONTE CORONA, VALENCIA - PRIVET TORTRIX MOTH (Clepsis consimilana)

This species is present from Europe to Asia Minor and Syria, it is also found in North Africa and the eastern United States.

Clepsis consimilana has a wingspan of 13–19 mm. The forewings are reddish-brown, with dark brown markings and two small dark spots on the hind edge. The females are more indistinctly marked on the forewings than the males. Hindwings are brownish grey. Larvae are violet green or violet grey, with pale brown head.

Adults are on wing from June to September. They are active in afternoon and evening, and comes to light. The larvae feed on various trees, including Ligustrum species. They apparently prefer dead leaves. Other recorded food plants include Syringa, Hedera, Lonicera, Polygonum, Malus, Carpinus, Crataegus and Cotoneaster species. Pupation occurs in the larval feeding place. In September usually a partial second generation takes place and in the third instar these moths hibernate.

8-5-2024 CREU DE LONGA, ALBUFERA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

 

The Glossy ibis is a medium-sized wading bird. They have long, slender, down-curved bill and magnificent plumage with shiny feathers. Breeding adults have reddish-brown bodies and shiny bottle-green wings. Non-breeders and juveniles have duller bodies. These birds have dark facial skin bordered above and below in blue-gray (non-breeding) to cobalt blue (breeding) and red-brown legs.

The Glossy ibis is the most widespread ibis species; it breeds in warm regions of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Atlantic and Caribbean regions of the Americas. This species is migratory; most European birds winter in Africa, and in North America birds from north of the Carolinas winter farther south. Though generally suspected to be a migratory species in India, the Glossy ibis is a resident in western India. Birds from other populations may disperse widely outside the breeding season. Glossy ibises inhabit wetlands with tall dense stands of emergent vegetation such as reeds, papyrus or rushes, and low trees or bushes. They show a preference for marshes at the margins of lakes and rivers but can also be found at lagoons, flood-plains, wet meadows, swamps, reservoirs, sewage ponds, paddies, and irrigated farmland. These birds are less commonly found in coastal locations such as estuaries, deltas, salt marshes, and coastal lagoons.