16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - RED WATTLED LAPWING (Vanellus indicus)

The Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is large wader native to Asia. Like other lapwings, they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. This bird has many local names such as titahri (Hindi), titawi (Marathi), tittibha (Kannada), tateehar (Sindhi), titodi (Gujarati), hatatut (Kashmiri), balighora (Assamese), yennappa chitawa (Telugu), aal-kaati (Tamil, meaning "human indicator").

Red-wattled lapwings are large birds. Their wings and back are light brown with a purple to green sheen, but the head, a bib on the front, and the back of the neck are black. Prominently white patch runs between these two colors, from the belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of the crown. The short tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, a black-tipped red bill, and long legs are yellow. In flight, prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary coverts. Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a slightly longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur.

Red-wattled lapwings breed from West Asia (Iraq, SW Iran, Persian Gulf) eastwards across South Asia (Baluchistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the entire Indian subcontinent up to Kanyakumari and up to 1800m in Kashmir/Nepal), with another sub-species further east in Southeast Asia. These birds may migrate altitudinally in spring and autumn (e.g. in N. Baluchistan or NW Pakistan) and spread out widely in the monsoons on the creation of requisite habitats, but by and large, the populations are resident. Red-wattled lapwings inhabit almost any wetland habitat throughout their range including well-watered open country, flooded grasslands, marshes, rivers, pools, cultivated areas, ploughed fields, grazing land, and rural gardens.

Red-wattled lapwings are usually seen in pairs or trios not far from water. They occasionally form large flocks, ranging from 26 to 200 birds. They run about in short spurts and dip forward obliquely (with unflexed legs) to pick up food in a typical plover manner. They feed mainly during the day but are said to also feed at night being especially active around the full moon. They may sometimes make use of the legs to disturb insect prey from soft soil. Red-wattled lapwings are uncannily and ceaselessly vigilant, day or night, and are the first to detect intrusions and raise an alarm; their sounds have been variously rendered as ‘did he do it’ or ‘pity to do it’ leading to the colloquial name of ‘did-he-do-it bird’. Flight of Red-wattled lapwings is rather slow, with deliberate flaps, but the birds are capable of remarkable agility when defending their nest or being hunted by a hawk. They bathe in pools of water when available and will often spend time preening when leaving the nest. They sometimes rest on the ground with the tarsi laid flat on the ground and at other times may rest on one leg.

Red-wattled lapwings are monogamous and form pairs. They breed mainly from March to August. The courtship involves the male puffing its feathers and pointing its beak upwards. The male then shuffles around the female. Several males may display to females and they may be close together. The eggs are laid in a ground scrape or depression sometimes fringed with pebbles, goat or hare droppings. The female lays 3-4 black-blotched buff eggs shaped a bit like a peg-top (pyriform). Nests are difficult to find since the eggs are cryptically colored and usually match the ground pattern. In residential areas, they sometimes take to nesting on roof-tops. When nesting pairs are very territorial and will attempt to dive bomb or distract potential predators. Both parents incubate the eggs and divert predators using distraction displays or flash their wings to deter any herbivores that threaten the nest. Males relieve females incubating at the nest, particularly towards the hot part of noon. The eggs hatch in 28 to 30 days. When the chicks hatch they are cryptically patterned and immediately follow their parents to feed, hiding by lying low on the ground or in the grass when threatened. Parents often soak their belly feathers to provide water to their chicks as well as to cool the eggs during hot weather. 

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - INDIAN GREY HORNBILL (Dicrurus leucophaeus)

Indian grey hornbills are found from the foothills of the Himalayas southwards, bounded to the west by the Indus system and to the east by the Ganges Delta. They don't migrate but may make local movements in the drier western region. Indian grey hornbills live in dry forests, savannas, rural gardens, and even in cities that have old avenue trees.

Indian grey hornbills are active during the day and usually spend time in pairs or small groups. They are almost completely arboreal, but very rarely descend to the ground to pick up fallen fruits, to dust bathe, or to pick up mud pellets to seal the nest cavity during the nesting period. They have various social activities, including bill-grappling and aerial jousting. Indian grey hornbills are quite noisy producing squealing calls, loud cackling, or short pipping-like sounds. Their flight is heavy and involves flapping interspersed with glides.

Indian grey hornbills are monogamous and form strong pair bonds. They typically breed between April and June and the clutch varies from 1 to 5 very symmetrical white eggs. Indian grey hornbills usually nest in tree hollows on tall trees. An existing hollow may be excavated further to suit. The female enters the nest hollow and seals the nest hole, leaving only a small vertical slit through which the male feeds her. The nest entrance is sealed by the female using its excreta and mud pellets supplied by the male. While inside the nest, the female molts her flight feathers and incubates the eggs. The male provides the nest inmates with a steady supply of bark pieces to ensure that the excreta is removed from the nest by absorption and adsorption and to help maintain the micro-climate within the next cavity. The incubation period lasts around 21 days and chicks fledge approximately 45 days after hatching. The regrowth of the female's feathers coincides with the maturity of the chicks, at which point the nest is broken open.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - GREAT TIT (Parus major)

The Great tit (Parus major) is a widespread and common songbird throughout Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, and east across the Palearctic to the Amur River, south to parts of North Africa. It has adapted well to human changes in the environment and is a common and familiar bird in urban parks and gardens. It is also an important study species in ornithology.

The Great tit has a distinctive appearance that makes it easy to recognize. The nominate race has a bluish-black crown, black neck, throat, bib, and head, and white cheeks and ear coverts. The breast is bright lemon-yellow and there is a broad black mid-line stripe running from the bib to the vent. There is a dull white spot on the neck turning to greenish yellow on the upper nape. The rest of the nape and back are green-tinged with olive. The wing-coverts are green, and the rest of the wing is bluish-grey with a white wing bar. The tail is bluish-grey with white outer tips. The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male except that the colors are overall duller.

Great tits have a wide distribution across much of Eurasia. They can be found across all of Europe except for Iceland and northern Scandinavia, including numerous Mediterranean islands. In North Africa, they live in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. They also occur across the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia from northern Iran and Afghanistan to Mongolia, as well as across northern Asia from the Urals as far east as northern China and the Amur Valley. Great tits inhabit open deciduous woodland, mixed forests, forest edges, and gardens. In northern Siberia, they live in boreal taiga. In North Africa, they prefer oak forests as well as stands of Atlas cedar and even palm groves. In the east of their range, Great tits favor riverine willow and birch forest, as well as low scrubland and oases.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - PLUM HEADED PARAKEET (Psittacula cyanocephala) (FEMALE)

The Plum-headed parakeet (Psittacula cyanocephala) is a colorful parrot that was once thought to be conspecific with the Bossom-headed parakeet. Plum-headed parakeets spend their time in flocks and fly swiftly with twists and turns accompanied by their distinctive calls.

The Plum-headed parakeet is a mainly green parrot. The male has a red head which shades to purple-blue on the back of the crown, nape, and cheeks, while the female has a blueish-gray head. There is a narrow black neck collar with verdigris below on the nape and a black chin stripe that extends from the lower mandible. There is a red shoulder patch and the rump and tail are bluish-green, the latter tipped white. The upper mandible is orangish-yellow, and the lower mandible is dark. The female has a dull bluish-grey head and lacks the black and verdigris collar, which is replaced by yellow. The upper mandible is corn-yellow and there is no black chin stripe or red shoulder patch. Immature birds have a green head and both mandibles are yellowish. The dark head is acquired after a year. The delicate bluish-red appearance resembling the bloom of a peach is produced by a combination of blue from the optical effects produced by the rami of the feather and a red pigment in the barbules.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - BROWN HEADED BARBET (Psilopogon zeylanicus)

The Brown-headed barbet (Psilopogon zeylanicus ) is an Asian barbet species native to the Indian subcontinent, where it inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. It is widespread, with its range stretching from the Terai in southern Nepal in the north to Sri Lanka in the south, encompassing most of peninsular India, and listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. It is an arboreal species of gardens and wooded country which eats fruit and insects. It is fairly tolerant of humans and often seen in city parks. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs. It forages on mangoes, ripe jackfruit, papaya, banana, figs and similar cultivated fruit trees. Its habitat includes urban and country gardens; it tends to eschew heavy forest. It nests in a suitable hole in a tree that it will often excavate. Both sexes incubate the eggs and often communicate with each other using their Kura, kura calls.

The adult has a streaked brown head, neck and breast, and a yellow eye patch. The rest of the plumage is green. It is 27 cm (11 in) long with a large head, short neck and short tail.

Its call is a repetitive kutroo…kutroo…kutroo, but silent in the winter. Others take up the call when one starts.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - SAMBAR (Rusa unicolor)

The sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large deer native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The name "sambar" is also sometimes used to refer to the Philippine deer called the "Philippine sambar", and the Javan rusa called the "Sunda sambar".

Sambar deer are light brown or dark with a grayish or yellowish tinge. The underparts are paler. Old sambars turn very dark brown, almost the color black. Their coat of dark short hair is coarse, and their undersides have creamy white to light brown hair. The color of the coat is usually consistent around the body, but it can vary from almost dark gray to yellowish-brown.

 Males have unique stout, rugged antlers with three points, or tines. Their tail is quite long for deer, generally black on top and dirty white or whitish underneath. Sambars have long, strong legs, the upper color being dark brown, with the inner parts of the legs a paler or dirty white. Their brownish-gray ears are long. Adult males and pregnant or lactating females possess an unusual hairless, blood-red spot located about halfway down the underside of their throats. This sometimes oozes a white liquid and is apparently glandular in nature.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, 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".

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - INDIAN BLUE PEAFOWL (MALE) (Pavo cristatus)

Peacocks are polygamous, and the breeding season is spread out but appears to be dependent on the rains. Peafowls usually reach sexual maturity at the age of 2 to 3 years old. Several males may congregate at a lek site and these males are often closely related. Males at leks 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 favour 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.

 The peak season in southern India is April to May, January to March in Sri Lanka and June in northern India. The nest is a shallow scrape in the ground lined with leaves, sticks and other debris. Nests are sometimes placed on buildings and, in earlier times, have been recorded using the disused nest platforms of the white-rumped vultures. The clutch consists of 4–8 fawn to buff white eggs which are incubated only by the female. The eggs take about 28 days to hatch. The chicks are nidifugous and follow the mother around after hatching. Downy young may sometimes climb on their mothers' back and the female may carry them in flight to a safe tree branch. An unusual instance of a male incubating a clutch of eggs has been reported.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - STRIATED GRASSBIRD (Megalurus palustris)

The striated grassbird (Megalurus palustris) is an "Old World warbler" species in the family Locustellidae. It was formerly placed in the family Sylviidae. It is now the only species placed in the genus Megalurus.

It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Noisy and conspicuous, often sitting and calling exposed on tops of grasses, bushes and telephone wires. Note streaked crown and streaked upper breast.

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

19-5-2024 SOLLANA SOUTH, ALBUFERA - GLOSSY IBIS (Plegadis falcinellus)

The glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus ) is a water bird in the order Pelecaniformes and the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. The scientific name derives from Ancient Greek plegados and Latin, falcis, both meaning "sickle" and referring to the distinctive shape of the bill.

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.

19-5-2024 SOLLANA SOUTH, ALBUFERA - MEDITERRANEAN GULL (ichthyaetus melanocephalus)

The Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus ) is a small gull. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle", and the specific melanocephalus is from melas, "black", and -kephalos "-headed".

This gull breeds almost entirely in the Western Palearctic, mainly in the south east, especially around the Black Sea, and in central Turkey. There are colonies elsewhere in southern Europe, and this species has undergone a dramatic range expansion in recent decades. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus.

Formerly restricted to the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean this species has now expanded over most of Europe as far as Great Britain and Ireland, with 37 sites: 543–592 pairs in the United Kingdom in 2008. In Ireland breeding has been recorded in at least four counties. Breeding has also occurred in Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and the Balkans.

In winter, this bird migrates to Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts.

The Mediterranean gull is slightly larger and bulkier than the black-headed gull with a heavier bill and longer, darker legs. The breeding plumage adult is a distinctive white gull, with a very pale grey mantle and wings with white primary feathers without black tips. The black hood extends down the nape and shows distinct white eye crescents. The blunt tipped, parallel sided, dark red bill has a black subterminal band. The non breeding adult is similar but the hood is reduced to an extensive dusky "bandit" mask through the eye. This bird takes two years to reach maturity. First year birds have a black terminal tail band and more black areas in the upperwings, but have pale underwings.

16-4-2024 PANNA TIGER RESERVE, INDIA - MOTTLED WOOD OWL (Strix ocellata)

The mottled wood owl (Strix ocellata ) is a species of large owl found in India. They are found in gardens and thin deciduous forests adjacent to dry thorn forests or farmland. They are easily detected by their distinctive tremulous eerie calls at dawn and dusk. The characteristic call is a duet of the male and female while other notes include a low hoot and a screech. Their large size, lack of "ear" tufts and the concentric barring on the face make them easy to identify.

The eerie call has been associated with ill omen in some parts of Kerala. The call is interpreted as povaa-aa (="let us go" in Malayalam) and likened to a summons to the spirit world.

This large owl lacks ear tufts and is mottled and vermiculated in reddish brown and white. The face disc is marked with fine concentric black and white barring. The sexes are alike. The chin is white. The eyelid is orange and the iris is dark brown. The tail is barred narrowly in brown and black. The concentric barring on the face and mottled crown separate it from the brown wood owl in southern India.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - FORGET ME NOT BUTTERFLY (Catochrysops strabo)

Catochrysops strabo, the forget-me-not, is a small butterfly found in Asia that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. It is found in Sri Lanka, India, from Sikkim to Indochina and in Sundaland, Sulawesi and the Philippines.

The wingspan is 25–30 mm.

The larvae feed on Ougeinia dalbergioides, Schleichera trijuga and Desmodium species.

This species resides in Peninsular India south of the outer ranges of the Himalayas; Ceylon; Assam; Burma; Tenasserim; the Andamans; Nicobars; extending through the Malayan subregion down to Australia.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - COPPERSMITH BARBET (Psilopogon haemacephalus)

The Coppersmith barbet (Psilopogon haemacephalus) is an Asian barbet known for its metronomic call that sounds similar to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. These birds live in areas with woods where they can excavate holes to build their nests.

The Coppersmith barbet is green with a red head, yellow cheeks, and a yellow throat. Its underparts are streaked in grey and black. During the nesting season, the wear and tear on the feathers can cause the plumage of the upper back to appear bluish.

Coppersmith barbets are found in South and Southeast Asia. They inhabit gardens, groves, and sparse woodland. In northern India, they occur in the valleys of the outer Himalayas and are rare in northwestern Indian states and in wet forests in Assam.

Coppersmith barbet live singly or in small groups. They may sometimes gather in larger parties in abundantly fruiting Ficus trees. They are diurnal birds and can often be seen sunning in the morning on bare top branches of tall trees, often flitting about to sit next to each other. Their flight is straight, with rapid flaps. Coppersmith barbets roost at night in their nest holes; some birds roost alone in cavities and often roost during part of the day. Immatures roost with the parents but often return to roost early so as not to be prevented by the parents from entering the roost cavity. The call of Coppersmith barbets is a loud rather metallic 'tuk…tuk…tuk' (or 'tunk'). The beak remains shut during each call - a patch of bare skin on both sides of the throat inflates and collapses with each 'tuk' like a rubber bulb and the head is bobbed. During the winter Coppersmith barbets are silent and do not call.

Coppersmith barbets are monogamous and form pairs. Their breeding season takes place through much of the year and varies depending on location. It is mainly February to April in India and December to September in Sri Lanka. Males attract females by singing, puffing of the throat, bobbing of the head, flicking of the tail, ritual feeding, and allopreening. After the pair was formed, both partners excavate the nest on the underside of a narrow horizontal branch. They also roost inside the nest holes. The female lays 3-4 eggs and both parents incubate them for about 2 weeks. The checks hatch blind and helpless. They are fed and tended by both parents. The chicks fledge around 35 days after hatching and become independent. Coppersmith barbets often raise two broods in quick succession.

Coppersmith barbets are herbivores (frugivores) and prefer banyan, peepul, and other wild figs, various drupes and berries, and flower petals. They can also catch insects on the wing.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - YELLOW THROATED SPARROW (Gymnoris xanthocollis)

The yellow-throated sparrow or chestnut-shouldered petronia (Gymnoris xanthocollis ) is a species of sparrow found in southern Asia.

It has a finer bill than typical sparrows of the genus Passer and unlike them has no streaks on the plumage. The white double wing bar on the shoulder is diagnostic on the otherwise dull grey-brown sparrow. Males have a chestnut shoulder patch which can sometimes be hard to see. They also have a pale yellow spot on the throat in fresh plumage. Females are duller and lack the chestnut shoulder patch. The yellow spot is much reduced or lacking in females.

This species is tree-loving although sometimes seen on wires and on the ground, where it has a hopping gait. The usual call is a chirrup but the song is distinctive and repetitive chilp chalp cholp. It has a bounding flight and dips deeply before rising up.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - ROSE RINGED PARAKEET (Psittacula krameri)

 

The Rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is one of the few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in disturbed habitats. As a popular pet species, escaped birds have colonized a number of cities around the world, including Northern and Western Europe. These parakeets are also capable of living in a variety of climates outside their native range and are able to survive low winter temperatures in Northern Europe. The species is not threatened, but its popularity as a pet and unpopularity with farmers have reduced its numbers in some parts of its native range.

The Rose-ringed parakeet is a medium-sized parrot. The adult male sports a red and black neck ring, and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. Both sexes have a distinctive green color in the wild, and captive-bred ringnecks have multiple color mutations including blue, violet, and yellow.

Rose-ringed parakeets are native to Africa and South Asia. They don't migrate and live in a wide variety of habitats. They can be found in grasslands, savanna, shrubland, rainforests, mangroves, and wetlands. These birds also occur in rural gardens and agricultural areas.

Rose-ringed parakeets are social birds. They are active during the day spending their time, foraging, flying about, and resting in the shades of tree canopy during midday hours. They often gather in flocks that fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards. Rose-ringed parakeets are very noisy and have an unmistakable squawking call.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, 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.

18-5-2024 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - EUROPEAN SERIN (MALE) (Serinus serinus)

The European serin, or simply the serin (Serinus serinus ), is the smallest European species of the family of finches (Fringillidae) and is closely related to the Atlantic canary. Its diet consists mainly of a combination of buds and seeds.

The European serin is a small short-tailed bird, 11–12 cm in length. The upper parts are dark-streaked greyish green, with a yellow rump. The yellow breast and white belly are also heavily streaked. The male has a brighter yellow face and breast, yellow wing bars and yellow tail sides. The song of this bird is a buzzing trill, very familiar in Mediterranean countries.

It breeds across southern and central Europe and North Africa. Southern and Atlantic coast populations are largely resident, but the northern breeders migrate further south in Europe for the winter. Open woodland and cultivation, often with some conifers, is favoured for breeding. It builds its nest in a shrub or tree, laying 3–5 eggs. It forms flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes mixed with other finches.

The food is mainly seeds, and, in the breeding season, insects. This small serin is an active and often conspicuous bird.

18-5-2024 RIO SERPIS, GANDIA - EURASIAN BLACKBIRD (MALE) (Turdus merula)

The adult male has glossy black plumage, blackish-brown legs, a yellow eye ring, and an orange-yellow bill. The bill darkens somewhat in winter. The adult female is sooty-brown with a dull yellowish-brownish bill, a brownish-white throat, and some weak mottling on the breast. The juvenile is similar to the female but has pale spots on the upperparts, and the very young juvenile also has a speckled breast. Young birds vary in the shade of brown, with darker birds presumably males. The first-year male resembles the adult male but has a dark bill and weaker eye ring, and its folded wing is brown, rather than black like the body plumage.

Common blackbirds breed in Europe, North Africa, India, and southern China. Populations in the north and east migrate to winter in Egypt and the west and southeast of Asia. Depending on latitude, Common blackbirds may be resident, partially migratory, or fully migratory. These birds live in very varied habitats, including mountainous regions and big city centers, where they inhabit open forests and forest edges, woodlands, cultivated areas, gardens, and parks if the cover is dense enough for hiding.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - INDIAN COMMON MOORHEN (Gallinula chloropus)

The Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a bird species in the rail family (Rallidae) found across many parts of the Old World. These birds live around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands. The word 'moor' as a part of their name is an old sense meaning marsh.

Common moorhens have predominantly black and brown plumage, with the exception of a white under-tail, white streaks on the flanks, yellow legs, and a red frontal shield. The bill is red with a yellow tip. The young are browner and lack the red shield. The frontal shield of the adult has a rounded top and fairly parallel sides; the tailward margin of the red unfeathered area is a smooth waving line.

Сommon moorhens are widespread across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Populations in areas where the waters freeze, such as eastern Europe, will migrate to more temperate climates. In China, Common moorhens are largely resident south of the Yangtze River, whilst northern populations migrate in the winter. These birds live around well-vegetated marshes, ponds, canals, and other wetlands. They can even be found in city parks and urban areas.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - WIRE TAILED SWALLOW (Hirundo smithii)

The wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii ) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. It has two subspecies: H. s. smithii, which occurs throughout Africa, and H. s. filifera, which is found in southern and southeastern Asia. It is mainly resident, but populations in Pakistan and northern India migrate further south in winter. The genus name Hirundo is the Latin word for swallow. The species name smithii commemorates Christen Smith, a Norwegian botanist and geologist.

The wire-tailed swallow is a small swallow, measuring 18 cm (7.1 in) in length. It has bright blue upperparts, bright white underparts and a chestnut cap. Immature birds lack tail wires, and have dull brown (rather than chestnut) caps. The species is named for the very long filamentous outermost tail feathers, which trail behind like two wires. The sexes are similar in appearance, but the female has shorter "wires". Juveniles have a brown crown, back and tail. The Asian form, H. s. filifera, is larger and longer-tailed than the abundant African H. s. smithii.

This bird is found in open country near water and human habitation. Wire-tailed swallows are fast flyers and they generally feed on insects, especially flies, while airborne. They are typically seen low over water, with which they are more closely associated than most swallows.

The neat half-bowl nests are lined with mud collected in the swallows' beaks. They are placed on vertical surfaces near water under cliff ledges or nowadays more commonly on man-made structures such as buildings and bridges. The clutch is three to four eggs in Africa, up to five in Asia (Turner and Rose). These birds are solitary and territorial nesters, unlike many swallows, which tend to be colonial.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - STORK BILLED KINGFISHER (Pelargopsis capensis)

The stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis ), is a tree kingfisher which is widely but sparsely distributed in the tropical Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. This kingfisher is resident throughout its range.

It is a very large kingfisher, measuring 35 cm (14 in) in length. The adult has a green back, blue wings and tail, and olive-brown head. Its underparts and neck are buff. The very large bill and legs are bright red. The flight of the stork-billed kingfisher is laboured and flapping, but direct. Sexes are similar. There are 13 races or subspecies, differing mostly in plumage detail, but P. c. gigantea of the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines has a white head, neck and underparts. The call of this noisy kingfisher is a low and far reaching peer-por-por repeated about every 5 seconds, as well cackling ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke.

The stork-billed kingfisher lives in a variety of well-wooded habitats near lakes, rivers, or coasts. It perches quietly whilst seeking food, and is often inconspicuous despite its size. It is territorial and will chase away eagles and other large predators. This species hunts fish, frogs, crabs, rodents and young birds.

Adults dig their nests in river banks, decaying trees, or tree termite nests. A clutch of two to five round white eggs is typical.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - ASIAN OPENBILL STORK (Anastomus oscitans)

 

The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork (Anastomus oscitans ) is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish or white with glossy black wings and tail and the adults have a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower mandible. Young birds are born without this gap which is thought to be an adaptation that aids in the handling of snails, their main prey. Although resident within their range, they make long distance movements in response to weather and food availability.

The Asian openbill stork is predominantly greyish (non-breeding season) or white (breeding season) with glossy black wings and tail that have a green or purple sheen. The name is derived from the distinctive gap formed between the recurved lower and arched upper mandible of the beak in adult birds. Young birds do not have this gap. The cutting edges of the mandible have a fine brush like structure that is thought to give them better grip on the shells of snails.

The tail consists of twelve feathers and the preen gland has a tuft. The mantle is black and the bill is horn-grey. At a distance, they can appear somewhat like a white stork or Oriental stork. The short legs are pinkish to grey, reddish prior to breeding. Non-breeding birds have a smoky grey wings and back instead of white. Young birds are brownish-grey and have a brownish mantle. Like other storks, the Asian openbill is a broad-winged soaring bird, which relies on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight. They are usually found in flocks but single birds are not uncommon. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. It is relatively small for a stork and stands at 68 cm height (81 cm long).

The usual foraging habitats are inland wetlands and are only rarely seen along river banks and tidal flats. On agricultural landscapes, birds forage in crop fields, irrigation canals, and in seasonal marshes. Birds may move widely in response to habitat conditions. Young birds also disperse widely after fledging. 

Individuals ringed at Bharatpur in India have been recovered 800 km east and a bird ringed in Thailand has been recovered 1500 km west in Bangladesh. Storks are regularly disoriented by lighthouses along the southeast coast of India on overcast nights between August and September. The species is very rare in the Sind and Punjab regions of Pakistan, but widespread and common in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia. It has recently expanded its range into southwestern China.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - RED WATTLED LAPWING (Vanellus indicus)

The Red-wattled lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is large wader native to Asia. Like other lapwings, they are ground birds that are incapable of perching. This bird has many local names such as titahri (Hindi), titawi (Marathi), tittibha (Kannada), tateehar (Sindhi), titodi (Gujarati), hatatut (Kashmiri), balighora (Assamese), yennappa chitawa (Telugu), aal-kaati (Tamil, meaning "human indicator").

Red-wattled lapwings are large birds. Their wings and back are light brown with a purple to green sheen, but the head, a bib on the front, and the back of the neck are black. Prominently white patch runs between these two colors, from the belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of the crown. The short tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, a black-tipped red bill, and long legs are yellow. In flight, prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary coverts. Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a slightly longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur.

Red-wattled lapwings breed from West Asia (Iraq, SW Iran, Persian Gulf) eastwards across South Asia (Baluchistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the entire Indian subcontinent up to Kanyakumari and up to 1800m in Kashmir/Nepal), with another sub-species further east in Southeast Asia. These birds may migrate altitudinally in spring and autumn (e.g. in N. Baluchistan or NW Pakistan) and spread out widely in the monsoons on the creation of requisite habitats, but by and large, the populations are resident. Red-wattled lapwings inhabit almost any wetland habitat throughout their range including well-watered open country, flooded grasslands, marshes, rivers, pools, cultivated areas, ploughed fields, grazing land, and rural gardens.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - BRONZE WINGED JACANA (Metopidius indicus)

The bronze-winged jacana (Metopidius indicus ) is a wader in the family Jacanidae. It is found across South and Southeast Asia and is the sole species in the genus Metopidius. Like other jacanas it forages on lilies and other floating aquatic vegetation, the long feet spreading out its weight and preventing sinking. The sexes are alike but females are slightly larger and are polyandrous, maintaining a harem of males during the breeding season in the monsoon rains. Males maintain territories, with one male in the harem chosen to incubate the eggs and take care of the young. When threatened, young chicks may be carried to safety by the male under his wings.

Bronze-winged jacanas are rail-like, large, short tailed birds that appear dark at a distance except for the supercilium. They are 29 cm (11 in) in length. The sexes are similar but the females are slightly larger than the males. The wings are bronzy brown with a green sheen and have a reduced tubercular carpal spur. The head, neck and breast are black and contrast with the broad white supercilium that runs from over the eye to the back of the neck. The lower back and tail coverts are chestnut. The tail is stubby and reddish brown with black terminal band. The greenish yellow bill has a red-base to the upper mandible. A lappet or frontal shield extends up over the forehead and is reddish purple. The legs are greenish. The toes are long and the straight and the elongated nail on the hind toe is longer than the toe. Downy chicks are light brown with a dark stripe running down the nape. Young birds have brown upperparts, a rufous crown, white underparts, a buff foreneck, an undeveloped frontal shield, and may have a dull supercilium. Adults can be confused at a distance with the common moorhen (which is found in similar habitat) and with the watercock and while young can appear similar to the young of the pheasant-tailed jacana, they lack the black necklace seen in that species.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - WHITE BROWED WAGTAIL (Motacilla maderaspatensis)

The white-browed wagtail or large pied wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis ) is a medium-sized bird and is the largest member of the wagtail family. They are conspicuously patterned with black above and white below, a prominent white brow, shoulder stripe and outer tail feathers. White-browed wagtails are native to South Asia, common near small water bodies and have adapted to urban environments where they often nest on roof tops. The specific name is derived from the Indian city of Madras (now Chennai).

In older times in India, the species was sometimes kept as a cage-bird and was acclaimed for its singing ability. The native name of khanjan is used in the phrase "khanjan-eyed" to describe someone with beautiful eyes. The Khanjan was held sacred and considered a good omen in India as it supposedly bore an impression of Vishnu's shaligram on its breast. A variety of beliefs on the future predicted by where the bird sat and what it did have been documented by Saratchandra Mitra. Another local name for wagtails in India is dhobin (or washerwoman).

The white-browed wagtail is the largest species of wagtail at 21 cm (8.3 in) length. It is a slender bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. It has black upperparts, head and breast, with a white supercilium and large white wingbar. Unlike white wagtails it never has white on the forehead. The rest of the underparts are white. The female has the black less intense than in the male. Juveniles are like the females brown-grey where the adult is black.

The white-browed wagtail is a resident breeder in India and is endemic to the Indian subcontinent. It is found south of the Himalayas, east of the Indus system and to the west of Bangladesh. It is rare in the higher altitude regions but has been seen in Ladakh on the edge of the Tibetan plateau. In most of India it is found below 1000 m but in southern India it goes up into the hills up to 2200 m. It is very rare in the Indus valley area. It is absent from the Sind region of Pakistan. It is found in open freshwater wetland habitats. It is one of the few Motacilla wagtails that has adapted well to urban habitats and is often found perched on overhead water storages in residential buildings.

It is a rare winter visitor to Sri Lanka and have possibly extended their range in recent times.

Usually seen in pairs or small groups near open water. They call often especially in the mornings and are active like most other wagtails. They will perch on the ground as well as on wires or on buildings. The song is long and loud with many different notes. The usual call is a wheezy "wheech". They can fly fairly rapidly for long distances and they fly with a bounding (dipping and rising) flight pattern and have been recorded to travel at the speed of about 40 km/h.

Endoparasitic filarial parasites of the species Splendidofilaria singhi have been recorded in individuals of the species. 

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - INDIAN SPOT BILLED DUCK (Anas poecilorhyncha)

The Indian spot-billed duck (Anas poecilorhyncha ) is a large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is found in the mainland Indian population. When in water it can be recognized from a long distance by the white tertials that form a stripe on the side, and in flight it is distinguished by the green speculum with a broad white band at the base. This species and the eastern spot-billed duck (A. zonorhyncha ) were formerly considered conspecific, together called the spot-billed duck (A. poecilorhyncha ).

This duck is around the same size as a mallard and has a scaly patterned body with a green speculum bordered by white. At rest the white stripe stands out and the long neck and the bill with yellow tip and orange red spots at the base are distinctive in the nominate subspecies. The red spots at the base of the bills are absent in haringtoni. It measures 55–63 cm (22–25 in) in length and 83–95 cm (33–37 in) across the wings, with a body mass of 790–1,500 g (1.74–3.31 lb). These are mainly grey ducks with a paler head and neck and a black bill tipped bright yellow. The wings are whitish with black flight feathers below, and from above show a white-bordered green The male has a red spot on the base of the bill, which is absent or inconspicuous in the smaller but otherwise similar female. The male does not have an eclipse plumage. The legs and feet are bright orange to coral red. Juveniles are browner and duller than adults.

The eastern spot-billed duck is darker and browner; its body plumage is more similar to the Pacific black duck. It lacks the red bill spot, and has a blue speculum.

Both males and females undergo a complete post-breeding moult, dropping all their wing feathers simultaneously.

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - PURPLE HERON (Ardea purpurea)

The purple heron (Ardea purpurea ) is a wide-ranging species of wading bird in the heron family, Ardeidae. The scientific name comes from Latin ardea "heron", and purpureus, "coloured purple". It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The Western Palearctic populations migrate between breeding and wintering habitats whereas the African and tropical-Asian populations are primarily sedentary, except for occasional dispersive movements.

It is similar in appearance to the more common grey heron but is slightly smaller, more slender and has darker plumage. It is also a more evasive bird, favouring densely vegetated habitats near water, particularly reed beds. It hunts for a range of prey including fish, rodents, frogs and insects, either stalking them or standing waiting in ambush.

Purple herons are colonial breeders and build a bulky nest out of dead reeds or sticks close to the water' edge among reeds or in dense vegetation. About five bluish-green eggs are laid and are incubated by both birds. The young hatch about four weeks later and fledge six weeks after that. The International Union for Conservation of Nature notes that the global population trend is downwards, largely because of the drainage of wetlands, but assesses the purple heron's conservation status as being of "least concern".

The purple heron is a large bird, 78–97 cm (31–38 in) in length with a standing height from 70 to 94 cm (28 to 37 in) and a 120–152 cm (47–60 in) wingspan. However, it is slender for its size, weighing only 0.5 to 1.35 kg (1.1 to 3.0 lb). It is somewhat smaller than the grey heron, from which it can be distinguished by its darker reddish-brown plumage, and, in adults, its darker grey back. Adults have the forehead and the crown of the head black, with a dark stripe down the back of the neck that terminates in a slender, dangling crest. This is shorter than the crest of the grey heron and does not exceed 140 mm (5.5 in). The sides of the head and the neck are buffish chestnut, with dark streaks and lines down either side of the whole the neck. The mantle is oily brown and the upper scapular feathers are elongated but not the lower ones. The rest of the upper parts and the tail are brownish grey. The front of the neck is paler than the sides and there are some elongated feathers at the base of the neck which are streaked with white, chestnut and black. The breast is chestnut brown, with some blackening at the side, and the belly and under-tail coverts are black. The brownish-yellow beak is long, straight and powerful, and is brighter in colour in breeding adults. The iris is yellow and the legs are brown at the front and yellowish behind.

The call is a harsh "frarnk", but is quieter and more high-pitched than that of the grey heron. It is generally a less noisy bird, though similar guttural sounds are heard emanating from the heronry. It is also less robust, and appears somewhat hollow-chested. Its head and neck are more slender and snake-like than the grey heron and its toes much longer. Unlike that bird, it often adopts a posture with its neck extending obliquely, and even nestlings tend to use this stance.

The purple heron has a mostly palaearctic distribution and breeds in Europe, Asia and Africa. The range of the western race extends from Portugal eastwards across much of central and southern Europe and parts of North Africa as far as Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan. In Africa, the bird breeds in Senegal, down the east coast of Africa and in Madagascar. The eastern race extends from the Indian Subcontinent, eastwards to eastern China and the Philippines, and northwards to the basins of the Amur River and the Ussuri River at about 49°N. The southern race is restricted to Madagascar, and a small population of purple herons on the Cape Verde Islands is regarded as a separate race by some authorities.

Between August and October, birds of the western population migrate southwards to tropical Africa, returning northwards in March. Purple herons often overshoot their normal range on their return, and are vagrants to northern Europe including Britain. The eastern population is largely resident, though some birds from the northern part of the range fly southwards to Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. The African birds are resident.

The purple heron inhabits marshes, lagoons and lakes surrounded by dense vegetation. It may frequent mangrove swamps on the coast but it usually chooses freshwater habitats, particularly locations with reed beds (Phragmites ). It also visits mudflats, river banks, ditches and canals. In the Cape Verde Islands, it is more likely to be seen in the open, on arid slopes. 

17-4-2023 KEN RIVERSIDE LODGE, INDIA - LITTLE CORMORANT (Microcarbo niger)

The little cormorant (Microcarbo niger ) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. Slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. It is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinent and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called the Javanese cormorant. It forages singly or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on a waterside rock with its wings spread out after coming out of the water. The entire body is black in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish, and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. These birds breed gregariously in trees, often joining other waterbirds at heronries.

 The little cormorant is about 50 centimetres (20 in) long and only slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant (Phalacrocorax fuscicollis ). The Indian cormorant has a narrower and longer bill which ends in a prominent hook tip, blue iris and a more pointed head profile. The breeding adult bird has a glistening all black plumage with some white spots and filoplumes on the face. There is also a short crest on the back of the head. The eyes, gular skin and face are dark. In the non-breeding bird or juvenile, the plumage is brownish and the bill and gular skin can appear more fleshy. 

The crest becomes inconspicuous and a small and well-marked white patch on the throat is sometimes visible. Towards the west of the Indus River valley, its range can overlap with vagrant pygmy cormorants (Microcarbo pygmaeus ), which can be difficult to differentiate in the field and are sometimes even considered conspecific. The sexes are indistinguishable in the field, but males tend to be larger. Some abnormal silvery-grey plumages have been described.