Birding Program

Dr. Abhay Hule and Dr. Mugdha Hule, The PAVO, Mumbai.

And

Dr Shilpa Kamat,MPCOE

Date and Place: 20th and 21st July, 2013 at Maharshi Parshuram College Of

Engineering, Velneshwar.

A nature trail was carried out during 20th and 21st July 2013 around Velneshwar and our college

campus for bird watching and surrounding habitats. List of birds seen during the two days visits were

stipulated as below in a small power-point presentation.

Timing: Most of the birds were seen during the early morning and late evening period of the day but

some of them were seen in regular day time period.

Weather –Raining and wet

List of the bird spotted

1. Oriental pied Hornbill ( local name Kakaner) – I pair male and

female along with Juvenile (without eye strip) were seen on

both days. This Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros

albirostris) is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family

which is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia,

Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

The Oriental Pied Hornbill's diet includes wild fruit (esp. figs,

genus Ficus) and other fruit such as rambutans, along with small

reptiles such as lizards and frogs, and larger insects.

2. White bellied fish Eagle- (1 Adult)( Haliaeetus Leucogastor): The White-bellied Sea

Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), also known as

the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird

of prey in the family Accipitridae. A distinctive bird,

the adult White-bellied Sea Eagle has a white head,

breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts

are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers

contrast with the white coverts. The tail is short and

wedge-shaped.. The call is a loud goose-like

honking. Resident from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Australia on coasts

and major waterways, the White-bellied Sea Eagle breeds and hunts near water, and fish

form around half of its diet.

3. Brahminy Kite The Brahminy Kite is one of the medium-sized raptors (birds of prey), with a

white head and breast. The rest of its

body is a striking chestnut brown.

The very tip of its tail is white. The

wings are broad, with dark 'fingered'

wing tips and the tail is short. The

legs are short and not feathered, the

eye is dark and the lemon yellow

coloured bill is strongly hooked. It

sails on level wings along shorelines

and mudflats. The Brahminy Kite is a

bird of the coast, particularly mangrove swamps and estuaries. It is sometimes seen over

forests and along rivers. The Brahminy Kite feeds on carrion (dead animals), insects and fish.

It swoops low over water, the ground or tree tops and snatches live prey or carrion from the

surface. It also steals from fish-hunting birds, snatching prey in flight.

4. Paddy-field pipit, Paddy-field Pipit, or Oriental Pipit, (Anthus rufulus) is a

small passerine bird in the pipits and wagtail family. It is a resident breeder in open scrub,

grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines. This is a large pipit at

15 cm, but is otherwise an undistinguished looking

bird, mainly streaked grey-brown above and pale

below with breast streaking. It is long legged with a

long tail and a long dark bill. Sexes are similar.

Summer and winter plumages are similar. Young

birds are more richly coloured below than adults and

have the pale edges to the feather's of the upper

parts more conspicuous with more prominent

spotting on the breast.

5. The Pied Myna or Asian Pied Starling (Gracupica contra) is a species of starling found in the

Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are usually found in small groups mainly on the

plains and low foothills. They are often seen

within cities and villages. This myna is

strikingly marked in black and white and has a

yellowish bill with a reddish bill base. The bare

skin around the eye is reddish. The upper

body, throat and breast are black while the

cheek, lores, wing coverts and rump are

contrastingly white. The sexes are similar in

plumage but young birds have dark brown in

place of black. The habitat is lowland open areas with scattered trees near water, often near

human habitation. This species is often seen at sewage farms and refuse tips.

6. Jungle myna the Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is a myna, a member of the starling

family. This bird is a common resident

breeder in tropical southern Asia from

Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Burma east

to Indonesia. This common passerine is

typically found in forest and cultivation.

The Jungle Myna builds a nest in hole. The

normal clutch is 3–6 eggs. These 23 cm

(9.1 in) long birds have grey plumage,

darker on the head and wings. There are

large white wing patches obvious in flight,

and a white tail tip. The head has a forehead tuft. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow,

and there is no bare skin around eye. The southern Indian race has a blue iris. The sexes are

similar, but juveniles are browner. They are usually found close to water or rice fields. Like

most starlings, the Jungle Myna is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, grain and insects.

7. Call Heard of Indian peafowl ( local name More) The Indian Peafowl or Blue

Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to

South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world. The male peacock

is predominantly blue with a fan-

like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like

feathers and is best known for the

long train made up of elongated

upper-tail covert feathers which

bear colourful eyespots. These stiff

and elongated feathers are raised

into a fan and quivered in a display

during courtship. The female lacks

the train, has a greenish lower

neck and a duller brown plumage.

The Indian Peafowl is found mainly

on the ground in open forest or on land under cultivation where they forage for berries, grains

but will also prey on snakes, lizards, and small rodents. Their loud calls make them easy to

detect, and in forest areas often indicate the presence of a predator such as a tiger. They

forage on the ground in small groups and will usually try to escape on foot through

undergrowth and avoid flying, though they will fly into tall trees to roost. The bird is celebrated

in Indian and Greek mythology and is the national bird of India.

8. Common Iora (Subhag) (male’s call heard and female was seen) almost 2-3 pairs of this

around area. And these birds had responded

so well to our imitated call. The Common

Iora (Aegithina tiphia) is a

small passerine bird found a cross the

tropical Indian Subcontinent with populations

showing plumage variations, some of which

are designated as subspecies. A species

found in scrub and forest, it is easily detected

from its loud whistles and the bright colours.

During the breeding season, males display by

fluffing up their feathers and spiral in the air

appearing like a green, black, yellow and white ball.

9. Little brown dove (local name as Kavada) seen in pairs here. The Laughing

Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Sub-

Saharan Africa, the Middle East east

to the Indian Subcontinent. This

small long-tailed dove is found in dry

scrub and semi-desert habitats

where pairs can often be seen

feeding on the ground. A Rufus and

black chequered necklace gives it a

distinctive pattern and is also easily

distinguished from other doves by its

call. In India the name of the Little

Brown Dove is often used. The

Laughing Dove is a long-tailed, slim

pigeon, typically 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. It is pinkish brown on the underside with a lilac

tinged head and neck. The head and under parts are pinkish, shading to buff on the

lower abdomen. A chequered rufous and grey patch is found on both the side of the neck

which is made up of split feathers. The upper parts are brownish with a bluish-grey band

along the wing. The back is uniform and dull brown.

10. Ashy Prinia was seen and heard as well. The Ashy Prinia or Ashy Wren-Warbler (Prinia

socialis) is a small warbler. This prinia is a

resident breeder in the Indian

Subcontinent, ranging across most

of India, Nepal, Bangladesh,Bhutan, Sri

Lanka and western Myanmar. It is a

common bird in urban gardens and

farmland in many parts of India and its

small size, distinctive colours and upright

tail make it easy to identify. These 13–

14 cm long warblers have short rounded

wings and longish graduated cream tail

tipped with black sub-terminal spots. The tail is usually held upright and the strong legs are

used for clambering about and hopping on the ground. They have a short black bill. The

crown is grey and the under-parts are rufus in most plumages. In breeding plumage, adults of

the northern population are ash grey above, with a black crown and cheek with

no supercilium and rufescent wings. In non-breeding season, this population has a short and

narrow white supercilium and the tail is longer. They are found singly or in pairs in shrubbery

and will often visit the ground.

11. Spotted dove (Kavada) seen in pair. The Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon which is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced into many parts of the world and feral populations have become established. This dove is long tailed buff brown with a white-spotted black collar

patch on the back and sides of the neck. The tail tips are white and the wing coverts have light buff spots. There are considerable plumage variations across populations within its wide range. The species is found in light forests and gardens as well as in urban areas. They fly off from the ground with an explosive flutter and will sometimes glide down to a perch.

12. Juvenile small bee-eater (Veda Raghu in Marathi, Kir popat) seen with catch. The Green

Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) (sometimes Little Green

Bee-eater) is a near passerine bird in the bee-

eater family. It is resident but prone to seasonal

movements and is found widely distributed across sub-

Saharan Africa from Senegal and The

Gambia to Ethiopia, the Nile valley, western Arabia

and Asia through India to Vietnam. They are mainly

insect eaters and they are found in grassland, thin scrub

and forest often quite far from water. Like other bee-

eaters, this species is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is

about 9 inches (16–18 cm) long with about 2 inches

made up by the elongated central tail-feathers. The

sexes are not visually distinguishable. The entire plumage is bright green and tinged with

blue especially on the chin and throat. The crown and upper back are tinged with golden

rufous. The flight feathers are rufous washed with green and tipped with blackish. A fine black

line runs in front of and behind the eye. The iris is crimson and the bill is black while the legs

are dark grey. The feet are weak with the three toes joined at the base.

13. Purple Rumped Sunbirds (Suryapacshi in Marathi). The Purple-rumped

Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is

a sunbird endemic to the Indian

Subcontinent. Like other sunbirds, they

are small in size, feeding mainly

on nectar but sometimes take insects,

particularly when feeding young. They

can hover for short durations but usually

perch to feed. They build a hanging

pouch nest made up of

cobwebs, lichens and plant material.

Males are brightly coloured but females

are olive above and yellow to buff

below. Purple-rumped Sunbirds are tiny

at less than 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped

tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding. Purple-rumped Sunbirds

are sexually dimorphic. The males have a dark maroon upper side with a blue-green crown

that glistens in some angles, bright green shoulder patch and violet/purple rump patch which

is generally hidden. The under parts are whitish with dark throat, maroon breast band and

purple/violet patch in the throat which is visible in some angles. The iris is generally reddish in

color. In the Western Ghats, it can overlap in some areas with the Crimson-backed

Sunbird but male of that species has reddish upperparts, a broader breast band and

generally darker eyes. The female has a white throat followed by yellowish breast. The upper

side is olive or brownish. The upper-tail coverts are black and a weak supercilium is visible.

14. Baya weaver (Sugaran in Marathi) male yellow and with black cap and females seen in

party (10-12 individuals). The Baya

Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) is a weaver

bird found across South and Southeast Asia.

Flocks of these birds are found in

grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub and

secondary growth and they are best known

for their hanging retort shaped nests woven

from leaves. These nest colonies are usually

found on thorny trees or palm fronds and the

nests are often built near water or hanging

over water where predators cannot reach

easily. They are widespread and common

within their range but are prone to local, seasonal movements mainly in response to rain and

food availability. These are sparrow-sized (15 cm) and in their non-breeding plumage, both

males and females resemble female house sparrows. They have a stout conical bill and a

short square tail. Non-breeding males and females look alike, dark brown streaked fulvous

buff above, plain (unstreaked) whitish fulvous below, eyebrow long and buff coloured, bill is

horn coloured and no mask. Breeding males have a bright yellow crown, dark brown mask,

blackish brown bill, upper parts are dark brown streaked with yellow, with a yellow breast and

cream buff below.

15. Singing Bush-lark (flight pattern seen).(Chandol in Marathi) The Indian Bush Lark, Indian

Bushlark or Red-winged Bushlark

(Mirafra erythroptera) is a species of

bushlark found in South Asia mainly in

India. Pale and found mostly in arid areas.

Has cheek patch completely bounded by

white supercilium and post-auricular

border. Crown and upperparts heavily

streaked. Pale underparts have large spots

on the breast. Differentiable from

Jerdon's Bush Lark by longer tail, shorter

bill and legs. Most wing coverts, tertials

and central tail feathers have pale centres. Primary coverts look all brown. Sings from bush

tops but does not usually perch on trees or wires. Calls similar to that of Jerdon's but is

lower and has longer rattling tremolos. Often falling in pitch. The song-flight during the

mating season is an amazing spectacle. The bird flutters high over the ground, then holds its

wings in an open V and "parachutes" down to its perch uttering its song consisting of short

tweets and cheeps in three syllables followed by a longer fourth syllable. This combination is

oft repeated till the bird perches again. The rufous wing bars are diagnostic but care must be

taken not to confuse the bird with M. affinis in the central Western Ghats and country

around where their ranges overlap. Mirafra affinis is darker with more rufous on the wings.

16. White breasted kingfisher (Bandya/Khandya) The White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon

smyrnensis) also known as

the White-breasted

Kingfisher or Smyrna

Kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher,

widely distributed in Eurasia from

Bulgaria, Turkey, West Asia east

through the Indian

Subcontinent to the Philippines.

This kingfisher is a resident over

much of its range, although some

populations may make short

distance movements. It can often

be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small

reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even birds. During the breeding season they

call loudly in the mornings from prominent perches including the tops of buildings in urban

areas or on wires. This is a large kingfisher, 28 cm in length. The adult 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. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are a duller version of

the adult.

17. Wire tailed swallow (Pair seen) The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) is

small passerine bird in the swallow family.

Swallows are somewhat similar in habits and

appearance to other aerial insectivores, Wire-

tailed Swallow breeds in Africa south of

the Sahara and in tropical southern Asia from

the Indian subcontinent east to southeast Asia.

It is mainly resident, but populations

in Pakistan and northern India migrate further

south in winter. 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.

18. Black Drongo (Kotwal) call heard. The Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a

small Asian passerine bird of the drongo family Dicruridae. It is a common resident breeder in

much of tropical southern Asia from southwest

Iran through India and Sri Lanka east to

southern China and Indonesia. It is a wholly black bird

with a distinctive forked tail and measures 28 cm

(11 in) in length. Feeding on insects, it is common in

open agricultural areas and light forest throughout its

range, perching conspicuously on a bare perch or

along power or telephone lines. The species is known

for its aggressive behaviour towards much larger birds,

such as crows, never hesitating to dive-bomb any birds

of prey that invade its territory. This behavior earns it

the informal name of King Crow. Smaller birds often nest in the well-guarded vicinity of a

nesting Black Drongo This bird is glossy black with a wide fork to the tail. Adults usually have

a small white spot at the base of the gape. The iris is dark brown (not crimson as in the

similar Ashy Drongo). The sexes cannot be told apart in the field. Juveniles are brownish and

may have some white barring or speckling towards the belly and vent, and can be mistaken

for the White-bellied Drongo. First-year birds have white tips to the feathers of the belly, while

second-years have these white-tipped feathers restricted to the vent.

19. Red wattled lapwing (Titavi) The Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is a lapwing or

large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. It has

characteristic loud alarm calls which are variously

rendered as did he do it or pity to do it leading to

colloquial names like the did-he-do-it bird. Usually

seen in pairs or small groups not far from water but

may form large flocks in the non-breeding season

(winter) Red-wattled Lapwings are large waders,

about 35 cm long. The wings and back are light brown

with a purple sheen, but head and chest and front part

of neck are black. Prominently white patch runs

between these two colours, from belly and tail, flanking the neck to the sides of crown. Short

tail is tipped black. A red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, black-tipped red bill, and the long

legs are yellow. In flight, prominent white wing bars formed by the white on the secondary

coverts.

20. Greater Coucal (Bharatdyaj) heard its call and seen it. The Greater Coucal or Crow

Pheasant (Centropus sinensis) is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds,

the Cuculiformes. A widespread resident

in Asia, from India, east to

south China and Indonesia, it is divided into

several subspecies, some being treated as

fullspecies. They are large, crow-like with a

long tail and coppery brown wings and found

in wide range of habitats from jungle to

cultivation and urban gardens. They are weak

fliers, and are often seen clambering about in

vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other

birds. They have a familiar deep resonant call which is associated with omens in many parts

of its range. This is a large species of cuckoo at 48 cm. The head is black, upper mantle and

underside are black glossed with purple. The back and wings are chestnut brown. There are

no pale shaft streaks on the coverts. The eyes are ruby red. Juveniles are duller black with

spots on the crown and there are whitish bars on the underside and tail. There are several

geographic races and some of these populations are sometimes treated as full species.

21. Brown headed barbet (Kurtuk) (call heard) The Brown-headed Barbet or Large Green

Barbet[2]

(Megalaima

zeylanica) is an Asian

barbet. Barbets

and toucans are a group

of near passerine birds with

a worldwide tropical

distribution. The barbets

get their name from the

bristles which fringe their

heavy bills. The Brown-

headed Barbet is a resident

breeder in the Indian

Subcontinent, widespread

in India and also seen

in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It is anarboreal species of gardens and wooded country which

eats fruit and insects. Nonetheless, it is fairly tolerant of humans and is often seen in cities, in

greenery. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs. The bird is largely frugivorous on mangos,

ripe jack, papaya, banana, figs and similar cultivated fruit trees. Its habitat includes urban and

country gardens though it tends to eschew heavy forest. It nests in a suitable hole in a tree

that it will often excavate out. The adult has a streaked brown head, neck and breast, with a

yellow eye patch. The rest of the plumage is green. The bill is thick and red. Sexes are

similar.

22. Indian Robin The Indian Robin (Saxicoloides fulicatus[note 1]

) is a species of bird in

the Muscicapidaefamily. It is widespread in the Indian Subcontinent, and ranges

cross Bangladesh, Bhutan,India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri L.anka. They are commonly found

in open scrub areas and often

seen running along the ground

or perching on low thorny

shrubs and rocks. Their long

tails are held erect and their

chestnut undertail covert and

dark body makes them easily

distinguishable from the Pied

Bushchat and the Oriental

Magpie Robin. The Indian

Robin is sexually dimorphic in

plumage with the main being

mainly black with a white

shoulder patch or stripe whose

visible extent can vary with posture. The males have chestnut undertail coverts and these are

visible as the bird usually holds the 6–8 cm long tail raised upright. The females are brownish

above, have no white shoulder stripe and are greyish below with the vent a paler shade of

chestnut than the males. Juvenile birds are much like females but the throat is mottled.

23. Oriental Magpie Robin (OMR) These birds are found in southern Asia, from eastern

Pakistan, throughout India and Bangladesh and through Indochina into Indonesia, the

Philippines and southern and

south-eastern China. The

oriental magpie-robin is 19-23

cm long and weighs 29-42 g.

These birds are mostly found in

tropical forests, both in dry and

moist areas, but also in

mangroves, scrublands, along

rivers and streams, in rural

gardens, plantations and in

gardens and parks within urban

areas. They are found from sea

level up to an altitude of 2.000 m. They forage on the ground and in the foliage, mainly taking

insects, but also nectar, earthworms, snails, small lizards and some plant matter.

24. Indian Bushchat (?) on ground seen The Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata) is a

small passerine bird found ranging from West

and Central Asia to South and Southeast Asia.

About sixteen subspecies are recognized through

its wide range with many island forms. It is a

familiar bird of countryside and open scrub or

grassland where it is found perched at the top of

short thorn trees or other shrubs, looking out for

insect prey. They pick up insects mainly from the

ground, and were, like other chats, placed in the thrush family Turdidae, but are now

considered as Old World flycatchers. hey nest in cavities in stone walls or in holes in an

embankment, lining the nest with grass and animal hair. The males are black with white

shoulder and vent patches whose extent varies among populations. Females are

predominantly brownish while juveniles are speckled. he male is black except for a white

rump, wing patch and lower belly. The iris is dark brown, the bill and legs black. The female is

drab brown and slightly streaked. Juveniles have a scaly appearance on the underside but

dark above like the females.

25. Baby of grey francolin (?) seen while coming from Guhaghar to Velneshwar The Grey

Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus is a species of francolin found in the plains and drier

parts of South Asia. They are found in

open cultivated lands as well as scrub

forest and their local name of teetar is

based on their calls, a loud and

repeated Ka-tee-tar...tee-tarwhich is

produced by one or more birds. The

term teetar can also refer to other

partridges and quails. During the breeding

season calling males attract challengers

and decoys were used to trap these birds

especially for fighting. It is a medium sized francolin with males averaging 11.6–13.4 in (29–

34 cm) and females averaging 10.2–11.9 in (26–30 cm). The males weigh 9–12 oz (260–

340 g) whereas the weight of the females is 7–11 oz (200–310 g).[2]

The francolin is barred

throughout and the face is pale with a thin black border to the pale throat. The only similar

species is the Painted Francolin, which has a rufous vent. The male can have up to two spurs

on the legs while females usually lack them. Subspecies mecranensisis palest and found in

arid north-western India, Eastern Pakistan and Southern Iran.

26. Red Vented Bulbul The Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) (balkunda is a member of

the bulbul family of passerines. It is

resident breeder across the Indian

Subcontinent, including Sri

Lanka extending east to Burma and

parts of Tibet. It has been introduced in

many other parts of the world and has

established itself in the wild on several

Pacific islands including Fiji, Samoa,

Tonga, and Hawaii. The Red-vented

Bulbul is easily identified by its short crest giving the head a squarish appearance. The body

is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. The rump is white while

the vent is red. The black tail is tipped in white.

27. Red Whiskered Bulbul The Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus) is a passerine bird

found in Asia. It is a member of

the bulbul family. It is a

resident frugivore found mainly in

tropical Asia. It has been introduced in

many tropical areas of the world where

populations have established themselves. It

feeds on fruits and small insects and they

conspicuously perch on trees and their calls

are a loud three or four note call. The

distinctive crest and the red-vent and

whiskers makes them easy to identify. They

are very common in hill forests and urban

gardens within its range.

28. Common crow Crows (/kroʊ/) are members of a widely distributed genus of birds, Corvus,

in the family Corvidae

Corvus species are all black or

black with little white or gray

plumage. They are stout with

strong bills and legs. The sexes

are not very different in

appearance.

29. Jungle Crow (Juvenile) The Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), is a

widespread Asian species of crow. It is very

adaptable and is able to survive on a wide range

of food sources, making it capable of colonizing

new areas, due to which it is often considered a

nuisance, especially on islands. It has a large bill

which is the source of its scientific

name macrorhynchos (Ancient Greek for "large

beak"), and it is sometimes known by the

common names Large-billed Crow or Thick-

billed Crow. The overall size (length: 46–59 cm;

18–23 in.) and body proportions vary regionally.

30. Pond Heron ( Vanchak) The Indian Pond Heron or Paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a

small heron. It is of Old Worldorigins, breeding in southern Iran and east

to India, Burma, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be

easily missed when they stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when they roost

close to human habitations. They

are however distinctive when they

take off with bright white wings

flashing in contrast to the cryptic

streaked olive and brown colours

of the body. Their camouflage is so

excellent that they will close

approach before taking to flight, a

behaviour which has resulted in

folk names and beliefs that the

birds are short-sighted or blind.

They appear stocky with a short

neck, short thick bill and buff-brown

back. In summer, adults have long

neck feathers. Its appearance is

transformed from their dull colours

when they take to flight, when the

white of the wings makes them

very prominent.

31. Orange headed thrush was seen feeding on the ground. The Orange-headed Thrush (Geokichla

citrina) is a bird in the thrush family. It is common in well-wooded areas of the Indian

Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Most populations are resident. The

species shows a preference for

shady damp areas, and like many

Zoothera thrushes, can be quite

secretive. The Orange-headed

Thrush is omnivorous, eating a

wide range of insects, earthworms

and fruit. It nests in trees but does

not form flocks. The male of this

small thrush has uniform grey

upperparts, and an orange head and underparts. The females and young birds have browner

upper parts.

32. Vernal hanging parrot The Vernal Hanging Parrot (Loriculus vernalis) is a mall parrot which

is a resident breeder from India, Nepal and

some other areas of Southeast Asia. It

undergoes local movements, driven mainly

by the availability of the fruit, seeds, buds

and blossoms that make up its diet. They

frequent the Banyan tree for the fruit

and Plantain trees for the nectar from the

flowers. Vernal Hanging Parrot is a bird of

dry jungle and cultivation. It nests in holes in

trees, laying 2-4 white eggs. This is a small,

mainly green hanging parrot, only 14 cm long

with a short tail. The adult male has a red

rump and bill, and blue throat patch. The female has a green patch.

33. Jungle Babbler (Ranbhai) The Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata) is a member of

the Leiothrichidae family found in the Indian Subcontinent. They are gregarious birds that

forage in small groups of six to

ten birds, a habit that has given

them the popular name of Seven

Sisters or Saath

bhai in Hindi with cognates in

other regional languages which

means "seven brothers" The

Jungle Babbler's habitat

is forest and cultivation.

This species, like most babblers,

is non-migratory, and has short

rounded wings and a weak flight.

The sexes are identical, drably coloured in brownish grey with a yellow-bill.

Other Observations

Pagoda nest

Black faced Languor

Area visited or covered

1. College campus

2. Paddy field area

3. Grassland

4. Scrub jungle

5. MTDC resort and beach.