INDIAN BLACKBIRD @Wellington, Nilgiris The Indian blackbird (Turdus simillimus) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the common blackbird. It is found only in India and Sri Lanka. The subspecies from most of the Indian subcontinent, simillimus, nigropileus, bourdilloni and spencei, are small, only 19–20 centimetres (7.5–7.9 inches) long, and have broad eye-rings. They also differ in proportions, wing formula, egg colour and voice from the common blackbird. 51
SOUTHERN-GREY SHRIKE/ IBERIAN SHRIKE @Jaisalmer The Iberian grey shrike (Lanius meridionalis) is a member of the shrike family. The plumage is generally similar to great grey shrike. It is slightly smaller and darker than the great grey shrike, and prefers dry open country. The general colour of the upperparts is pearl grey, tinged brownish towards the east of its Eurasian range. The cheeks and chin as well as a thin and often hard-to-see stripe above the eye are white, and a deep black mask extends from the beak through the eye to the ear coverts; the area immediately above the beak is grey. The scapulars (shoulder feathers) are white, and the wings are black with a white bar made up by the bases of the primary remiges, continuing slightly offset onto the bases of the secondary remiges in some regions. The tail is black, long, and pointed at the tip; the outer rectrices have white outer vanes. The underparts are white, slightly tinged with grey in most subspecies. In particular the breast is usually darker and sometimes browner than the rest of the light underside, and may appear as an indistinct band between the lighter belly and white throat. 52
LONG-TAILED SHRIKE @Wellington, Nilgiris The long-tailed shrike or rufousbacked shrike (Lanius schach) is a member of the bird family Laniidae, the shrikes. The longtailed shrike is a typical shrike, favouring dry open habitats and found perched prominently atop a bush or on a wire. The dark mask through the eye is broad and covers the forehead in most subspecies and the whole head is black in subspecies tricolor and nasutus. The tail is narrow and graduated with pale rufous on the outer feathers. Subspecies erythronotus has the grey of the mantle and upper back suffused with rufous while the southern Indian caniceps has pure grey. Long-tailed shrikes take a wide variety of animal prey. On occasion, they have been noted capturing fish from a stream. BROWN SHRIKE 53 @Gangtok The brown shrike (Lanius cristatus) is a bird in the shrike family that is found mainly in Asia. It is closely related to the red-backed shrike (L. collurio) and isabelline shrike (L. isabellinus). Like most other shrikes, it has a distinctive black "bandit-mask" through the eye. This shrike is mainly brown on the upper parts and the tail is rounded. The black mask can be paler in winter and has a white brow over it. The underside is creamy with rufous flanks and belly. The wings are brown and lack any white "mirror" patches. Females tend to have fine scalloping on the underside and the mask is dark brown and not as well marked as in the male.
ISABELLINE SHRIKE @Porbandar The isabelline shrike or Daurian shrike (Lanius isabellinus) is a member of the shrike family (Laniidae). The plumage is isabelline, the sandy colour which gives rise to its name. It has a red tail. Young birds can be distinguished from young red-backed shrikes by the much sparser vermiculations on the underparts. This migratory mediumsized passerine eats large insects, small birds, rodents and lizards. Like other shrikes it hunts from prominent perches, and impales corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a larder. It breeds in open cultivated country, preferably with thorn bushes. Bar-Winged Flycatcher Shrike @Wellington, Nilgiris The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus) is a small passerine bird usually placed in the Vangidae. It is found in the forests of tropical southern Asia from the Himalayas and hills of southern India to Indonesia. Mainly insectivorous it is found hunting in the midcanopy of forests, often joining mixed-species foraging flocks. They perch upright and have a distinctive pattern of black and white, males being more shiny black than the females. In some populations the colour of the back is brownish while others have a dark wash on the underside. The bar-winged flycatcher-shrike is black capped with black wings that contrast with the white of the body. A white slash across the wing and a white rump stand out in contrast. They sit upright on branches, flying around to glean insects. The nostril is hidden by hairs and the upper mandible of the beak has a curved tip. Males are velvety black while females tend to be greyish brown but the pattern varies across the geographic populations. 54
COMMON 55 WOODSHRIKE @Goa The common woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) is a species of bird found in Asia. It is now usually considered a member of the family Vangidae. It is small and ashy brown with a dark cheek patch and a broad white brow. It is found across Asia mainly in thin forest and scrub habitats where they hunt insects, often joining other insectivorous birds. The common woodshrike is dully ashy brown and like other woodshrikes has a large head with a strong hooked beak. They have a broad creamy brow above a dark cheek patch and white outer tail feathers contrasting with their dark tail. Young birds have streaks and spot on the crown and white spots on the mantle. The underside is also streaked and the breast is heavily marked in young birds. The Sri Lankan species is similar darker on the underside, with the dark cheek bordered below by a buffy sub - moustachial stripe and a white rump. MALABAR WOODSHRIKE @Goa The Malabar woodshrike (Tephrodornis sylvicola) is a species of bird usually placed in the family Vangidae. It is found in western India. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of the large woodshrike. 16 · 5 –18 ·5 cm. Large, dark woodshrike with ashy gray upperparts and darker gray wing panel and tail with a variable brownish tinge. A prominent black face mask surrounds the pale yellow iris. Underparts are white. Lacks the pale supercilium of the Common Woodshrike. Malabar Woodshrike typically inhabits tropical and subtropical lowland forests, both humid and dry, as well as clearings in evergreen forests. It is endemic to the Western Ghats region. This bird has a loud ringing call: “twee - tu, twee -tu, twee -tu. ”
COPPERSMITH BARBET @Mumbai The coppersmith barbet, crimson-breasted barbet or coppersmith (Psilopogon haemacephalus), is a bird with crimson forehead and throat which is best known for its metronomic call that has been likened to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is 15-17 cm (5.9-6.7 inches) long, making it a smallish barbet. The red forehead, yellow eyering and throat patch with streaked underside and green upperparts, it is fairly distinctive. Juveniles are duller and lack the red patches. The sexes are alike.
57 WHITE -CHEEKED BARBET @Wellington, Nilgiris The white -cheeked barbet or small green barbet (Psilopogon viridis) is a species of barbet found in southern India. It is very similar to the more widespread brown -headed barbet (or large green barbet) (Psilopogon zeylanica) but this species has a distinctive supercilium and a broad white cheek stripe below the eye and is endemic to the forest areas of the Western Ghats and adjoining hills. The head is brownish streaked with white, sometimes giving it a capped appearance. The bill is pale pinkish. The length is 165 -185mm, head of 51 -53mm and tail of 60 -67mm. BLUE -THROATED BARBET @Gangtok The blue -throated barbet (Psilopogon asiaticus) is an Asian barbet having bright green, blue & red plumage, seen across the Indian subcontinent and Southe ast Asia. The barbets get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills; this species eats fruits and insects. They frequent evergreen forests, deciduous forests, gardens, orchards, teak forests and cities with fruiting trees.
58 GREAT BARBET @Gangtok The great barbet (Psilopogon virens) is an Asian barbet. This is the largest barbet at 31–33 cm (12– 13 in) in length and a weight of 192–295 g (6.8– 10.4 oz). It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult has a blue head, large yellow bill, brown back and breast, green-streaked yellow belly and red vent. The rest of the plumage is green. Both sexes and immature birds are similar. BROWN-HEADED BARBET @Chilka The brown-headed barbet or large green barbet (Psilopogon zeylanicus) is an Asian barbet. This is a relatively large barbet at 27 cm. It is a plump bird, with a short neck, large head and short tail. 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.
MALABAR 59 BARBET @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The Malabar barbet (Psilopogon malabaricus) is a small barbet found in the Western Ghats of India. This species can be told apart from the coppersmith barbet by the crimson face and throat. INDIAN SCIMITAR BABBLER @Wellington, Nilgiris The Indian scimitar babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii ) are most often detected by their distinctive call which is an antiphonal duet produced by pairs within small groups. The long curve yellow, scimitar - shaped bills give them their name. The most distinctive feature of this 22 cm long bird is the long down -curved yellow bill which is blackish at the base of the upper mandible. It has a striking head pattern, with a long white supercilum above a broad black band through the eye. The white throat and breast contrast with the dark greyish brown on the upperside and dark grey to black on most of the underside. The tail is broad, long and graduated. They have short, round wings and being weak fliers are rarely seen flying in the open.
YELLOW BILLED 60 BABBLER @Chilka The yellow -billed babbler or white - headed babbler (Turdoides affinis) has short rounded wings and a weak flight and is usually seen calling and foraging in groups. These birds have grey brown upperparts, grey throat and breast with some mottling, and a pale buff belly. The head and nape are grey. The Sri Lankan form T. a. taprobanus is drab pale grey. Nominate race of southern India has whitish crown and nape with a darker mantle. The rump is paler and the tail has a broad dark tip. Birds in the extreme south of India are very similar to the Sri Lankan subspecies with the colour of the crown and back being more grey. The eye is bluish white. The Indian form is more heavily streaked on the throat and breast. LARGE GREY BABBLER @Porbandar The large grey babbler (Turdoides malcolmi) are locally common in the scrub, open forest and gardenland. They are usually seen in small groups and are easily distinguished from other babblers in the region by their nasal call and the whitish outer feathers to their long tail. It is one of the largest babblers in the region. This long -tailed and large babbler has a brown body with creamy white outer tail feathers which are easily visible as they fly with fluttery wing beats low over the ground. The lores are dark and forehead is grey with white shaft streaks on the feathers. The rump and uppertail covers are pale grey. The mantle has dusky blotches and no shaft streaks. The three outer tail feathers are white and the fourth pair has the outer web white. The wings are darker brown. The iris is yellow and the upper mandible is dark brown while the lower mandible is yellowish. The tail is faintly cross barred.
DESERT/ JUNGLE 61 BABBLER @Jaisalmer The Jungle Babbler (Turdoides striata) is a member of the family Leiothrichidae found in the Indian subcontinent. sindiana (Ticehurst, 1920) is a paler desert form that is found in the Indus River plains of Pakistan and extends into Rajasthan and the Rann of Kutch in India. The sexes are identical, drably coloured in brownish grey with a yellow-bill making them confusable only with the endemic yellow-billed babblers of peninsular India and Sri Lanka. The upperparts are usually slightly darker in shade and there is some mottling on the throat and breast. COMMON BABBLER @Porbandar The common babbler (Turdoides caudata) is distinctly long-tailed, slim with an overall brown or greyish colour, streaked on the upper plumage and having a distinctive whitish throat. This small, slim babbler with a long tail is buff to grey above with dark streaks. The underside is unstreaked and paler, the throat being nearly whitish.
62 WHITE-BROWED WAGTAIL @Ooty The white-browed wagtail or large pied wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis) is a mediumsized 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 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. WHITE WAGTAIL @Jodhpur The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a slender bird, 16.5 to 19 cm (6.5 to 7.5 in) in length (East Asian subspecies are longer, measuring up to 21 cm (8.3 in)), with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. Its average weight is 25 g (0.88 oz) and the maximum lifespan in the wild is about 12 years. The most conspicuous habit of this species is a near-constant tail wagging, a trait that has given the species, and indeed the genus, its common name.
63 CITRINE WAGTAIL @Porbandar The citrine wagtail (Motacilla citreola) is a small songbird in the family Motacillidae. It is a slender, 15.5 –17 cm long bird, with the long, constantly wagging tail. The adult male in breeding plumage is basically grey or black above, with white on the remiges, and bright yellow below and on the entire head except for the black nape. In winter plumage, its yellow underparts may be diluted by white, and the head is brownish with a yellowish supercilium. Females look generally like washed -out versions of males in winter plumage. FOREST WAGTAIL @Kochi The forest wagtail (Dendronanthus indicus) has a distinctive plumage that sets it apart from other wagtails and has the habit of wagging its tail sideways unlike the usual up and down movements of the other wagtail species. It is the only wagtail species that nests in trees. The forest wagtail is 18 cm in length, a slender bird with a long tail. The back and crown are olive brown, and the wings are black with two yellow wing bars and white tertial edges. There is a white supercilium, above a dark stripe through the eye. The underparts are white, apart from a black double breast band. The upper breast band is bib -like while the lower band is often broken. Sexes are similar. Young birds are more yellowish on the underside.
YELLOW 64 WAGTAIL @Port Blair The western yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava) is a small passerine. It is a slender 15–16 cm long bird, with the characteristic long, constantly wagging tail of its genus. It is the shortest tailed of the European wagtails. The breeding adult male is basically olive above and yellow below. In other plumages, the yellow may be diluted by white. The heads of breeding males come in a variety of colours and patterns depending on subspecies. SPOTTED DOVE @Wellington, Nilgiris The spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon. The ground colour of this long and slim dove is rosy buff below shading 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 back has brown feathers with rufous spots in the Indian and subspecies. The lesser median coverts are grey brown. The Indian populations have these coverts with rosy spots at the tip divided by a widening dark grey streak along the shaft. The primary coverts are dark brown. The wing feathers are dark brown with grey edges. The centre of the abdomen and vent are white. The outer tail feathers are tipped in white and become visible when the bird takes off. Sexes are similar, but juveniles are duller than adults and do not acquire the neck spots until they are mature. The length ranges from 28 to 32 centimetres (11.2 to 12.8 inches).
65 EMERALD DOVE @Wellington, Nilgiris The common emerald dove, Asian emerald dove, or grey-capped emerald dove (Chalcophaps indica) is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent. The common emerald dove is a stocky, medium-sized pigeon, typically 23 to 28 centimetres (10 to 11.2 inches) in length. The back and wings are bright emerald green. The flight feathers and tail are blackish, and broad black and white bars show on the lower back in flight. The head and underparts are dark vinous pink (in chrysochlora, more brown in longirostris), fading to greyish on the lower belly. The eyes are dark brown, the bill bright red and legs and feet rufous. The male has a white patch on the edge of the shoulders and a grey crown, which the female lacks. Females will tend to have a browner complexion with a grey mark on the shoulder. Immature birds resemble females but have brown scallops on their body and wing plumage. EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE @Gandhinagar The Eurasian collared dove (Streptopelia decaocto), most often simply called the collared dove, is also sometimes hyphenated as Eurasian collared-dove. It is a medium-sized dove, distinctly smaller than the wood pigeon, similar in length to a rock pigeon but slimmer and longer-tailed, and slightly larger than the related turtle dove, with an average length of 32 cm (13 in). from tip of beak to tip of tail, with a wingspan of 47–55 cm (19–22 in), and a weight of 125–240 g (4.4–8.5 oz). It is grey-buff to pinkish-grey overall, a little darker above than below, with a blue-grey under wing patch. The tail feathers are grey-buff above, and dark grey tipped white below; the outer tail feathers also tipped whitish above. It has a black half-collar edged with white on its nape from which it gets its name. 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.
66 ORIENTAL TURTLE DOVE @Gangtok The oriental turtle dove or rufous turtle dove (Streptopelia orientalis) is a member of the bird family Columbidae. This small species is very similar in plumage to its European counterpart, the turtle dove. It is a little larger than that species, particularly in the case of orientalis, about the same size as a collared dove. It shares the black and white striped patch on the side of its neck made of silver-tipped feathers, but the breast is less pink, and the orange-brown wing feathers of the turtle dove are replaced with a browner hue, and darker centres giving a scaly appearance. The tail is wedge shaped, like the turtle LAUGHING dove. The flight is more relaxed and direct than that of its relative. DOVE @ New Delhi The laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon. A rufous and black chequered necklace gives it a distinctive pattern and is also easily distinguished from other doves by its call. The laughing dove is a longtailed, 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 underparts are pinkish, shading to buff on the lower abdomen. A chequered rufous and grey patch is found on the sides of the neck and are 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 in the Indian population. The tail is graduated and the outer feathers are tipped in white. The sexes are indistinguishable in the field. Young birds lack the chequered neck markings. The legs are red.
GREEN IMPERIAL 67 PIGEON @Port Blair The green imperial pigeon (Ducula aenea) is a large forest pigeon. The green imperial pigeon is a large, plump pigeon, 45 cm in length. Its back, wings and tail are metallic green. The head and underparts are white, apart from maroon undertail coverts. Sexes are similar. The bird's call is deep and resonant, and is often the first indication of the presence of this treetop species. This is an arboreal dove, feeding on plant material in the tree canopy. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings which are characteristic of pigeons in general. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays a single white egg. The birds are not very gregarious, but will form small flocks. ROCK PIGEON @Gangtok The rock dove is also called rock pigeon, or common pigeon (Columba livia). Wild rock Doves are pale grey with two black bars on each wing, while domestic and feral pigeons are variable in colour and pattern. Few differences are seen between males and females. The adult of the nominate subspecies of the rock dove is 29 to 37 cm (11 to 15 in) long with a 62 to 72 cm (24 to 28 in) wingspan. Weight for wild or feral rock doves ranges from 238 –380 g (8.4 –13.4 oz), though overfed domestic and semi -domestic individuals can exceed normal weights. It has a dark bluish -grey head, neck, and chest with glossy yellowish, greenish, and reddish -purple iridescence along its neck and wing feathers. The iris is orange, red, or golden with a paler inner ring, and the bare skin round the eye is bluish -grey. The bill is grey -black with a conspicuous off -white cere, and the feet are purplish -red. The adult female is almost identical to the male, but the iridescence on her neck is less intense and more restricted to the rear and sides, while that on the breast is often very obscure.
68 GREY-FRONTED GREEN PIGEON @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The grey-fronted green pigeon (Treron affinis) is found in the forests of the Western Ghats in India. The male has a reddish mantle. The female has a green mantle. The grey-fronted green pigeon usually occurs singly or in small groups. Its flight is fast and direct, with the regular beats and an occasional sharp flick of the wings that are characteristic of pigeons in general. It eats the seeds and fruits of a wide variety of plants. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two white eggs. YELLOWFOOTED GREEN PIGEON @New Delhi The yellow-footed green pigeon (Treron phoenicoptera), also known as yellowlegged green pigeon, is a common species of green pigeon found in the Indian subcontinent. The species feeds on fruit, including many species of Ficus. They forage in flocks. In the early morning they are often seen sunning on the tops of emergent trees in dense forest areas. They especially are found sitting in couples on tree branches. Male ashy olive-green above; olive-yellow collar, band in dark slaty tail; lilac-red shoulder-patch (mostly absent in female); yellow legs and underbody. Female slightly duller than male. The nominate (northern) race has grey lower breast and belly. Small flocks; mostly arboreal, rarely coming to salt-licks or cropland; remains well hidden in foliage but moves briskly; has favourite feeding trees.
69 HILL PIGEON @Leh The hill pigeon is a stout-bodied pigeon, similar in size and general appearance to the rock dove (also called the rock pigeon, but take note that members of the lesser known pigeon genus Petrophassa and the speckled pigeon (Columba guinea), also have the common name “rock pigeons”), but mainly differentiated by its tail pattern which consist of a broad, white tail-band across the black tail. Other differences include a paler mantle and upper wings and a white patch on the back. In flight, the tail pattern is similar to the snow pigeon, but lacks the contrast between the head and neck in that species.
70 BRAHMINY STARLING @Mhow The brahminy myna or brahminy starling (Sturnia pagodarum) is a member of the starling family of birds. This myna is pale buff creamy with a black cap and a loose crest. The bill is yellow with a bluish base. The iris is pale and there is a bluish patch of skin around the eye. The outer tail feathers have white and the black primaries of the wings do not have any white patches. The adult male has a more prominent crest than the female and also has longer neck hackles. Juveniles are duller and the cap is browner. ASIAN-PIED STARLING @Mumbai The pied myna or Asian pied starling (Gracupica contra) is a species of starling found in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. 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.
ROSY STARLING 71 @Porbandar The rosy starling (Pastor roseus) is a passerine bird. The adult rosy starling is highly distinctive, with its pink body, pale orange legs and bill, and glossy black head, wings and tail. Males in the breeding season have elongated head feathers which form a wispy crest that is fluffed and more prominent when the bird gets excited. In winter, the crest is shorter, and the edges of black feathers within the plumage become paler as the edges of these feather erode. Winter plumage in males is comparatively dull. Females in contrast have a short crest and lack the sharp separation between pink and black. The juvenile birds can be distinguished from common starling(Sturnus vulgaris) by its obviously paler plumage and short yellow bill. Young birds moult into a subdued version of the adult plumage in autumn, yet these lack the crest. They do not acquire their adult plumage until they are nearly one year old in females, and nearly two years in males. CHESTNUT - TAILED/ BLYTH’S STARLING @Goa The chestnut -tailed starling is also called the grey -headed myna (Sturnia malabarica). The adults have a total length of approximately 20 cm (7.9 in). They have grey upperparts and blackish remiges, but the colour of the remaining plumage depends on the subspecies. In the nominate subspecies and blythii, the underparts (incl. undertail) are rufous, but in nemoricola the underparts are whitish tinged rufous, especially on the flanks and crissum (the undertail coverts surrounding the cloaca). The nominate and nemoricola have a light grey head with whitish streaking (especially on crown and collar region). Both subspecies have white irides and a yellow bill with a pale blue base. The sexes are similar, but juveniles have whitish underparts and just chestnut tips to the tail feathers.
72 COMMON MYNA @Porbandar The common myna or Indian myna (Acridotheres tristis) is readily identified by the brown body, black hooded head and the bare yellow patch behind the eye. The bill and legs are bright yellow. There is a white patch on the outer primaries and the wing lining on the underside is white. The sexes are similar. JUNGLE MYNA @Wellington, Nilgiris The jungle myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is a myna, a member of the starling family. The eyes are pale, yellow or blue depending on the population and the base of the orange -yellow bill is dark. Jungle mynas are 23 -centimetre (9.1 in) long and have grey plumage, darker on the head and wings. The sexes are indistinguishable in plumage. A large white wing patches on the base of the primaries becomes conspicuous in flight, and the tail feathers are broadly tipped in white. There is a tuft of feathers on the forehead arising at the base of the bill. The bill and legs are bright yellow, and there is no bare skin around eye as in the common myna and the bank myna. The base of the beak is dark in adults with a shade of blue at the base of the lower mandible. The southern Indian population has a blue iris. The northeast Indian populations have a smoky dark belly and vent. Juveniles are browner with a pale throat and along the median of the underside.
73 SOUTHERN HILL MYNA @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The southern hill myna (Gracula indica) is a member of the starling family. It is a resident of southwest India and Sri Lanka. This is a stocky jet-black myna, with bright orange-yellow patches of naked skin and fleshy wattles on the side of its head and nape. At about 29 cm length, it is somewhat larger than the common myna. It is overall green-glossed black plumage, purple-tinged on the head and neck. Its large, white wing patches are obvious in flight, but mostly covered when the bird is sitting. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow, and there are yellow wattles across the nape and extending a bit towards the eyes. In the Southern hill myna, the wattles are separate and curve towards the top of the head. BANK MYNA @Bhuj Bank myna (Acridotheres ginginianus) is smaller but similar in colouration to the common myna but differs in having a brick red bare skin behind the eye in place of yellow. It is greyer on the underside and in this and in the presence of a slight tuft of feathers bears some resemblance to the jungle myna. The head is black on the crown and sides and the upper plumage is slaty grey while the underside is lighter grey with pale pink plumage towards the centre of the abdomen. The wing is black but has a wing patch at the base of the primaries and the tips of the outer tail feathers are pale pinkish buff. The naked skin behind the eye is brick red, the legs are yellow while the iris is deep red. The sexes are indistinguishable in the field. Young birds have a browner head and neck.
74 BARN SWALLOW @Goa The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply forked tail. The adult male barn swallow of the nominate subspecies H. r. rustica is 17–19 cm (6.7– 7.5 in) long including 2–7 cm (0.79–2.76 in) of elongated outer tail feathers. It has a wingspan of 32–34.5 cm (12.6–13.6 in) and weighs 16–22 g (0.56–0.78 oz). It has steel blue upperparts and a rufous forehead, chin and throat, which are separated from the off-white underparts by a broad dark blue breast band. The outer tail feathers are elongated, giving the distinctive deeply forked "swallow tail". There is a line of white spots across the outer end of the upper tail. The female is similar in appearance to the male, but the tail streamers are shorter, the blue of the upperparts and breast band is less glossy, and the underparts paler. The juvenile is browner and has a paler rufous face and whiter underparts. It also lacks the long tail streamers of the adult.
WIRE-TAILED 75 SWALLOW @Goa The wire-tailed swallow (Hirundo smithii) 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 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 more commonly on man-made structures such as buildings and bridges. REDRUMPED SWALLOW @Goa The red-rumped swallow (Cecropis daurica) resemble barn swallows, but are darker below and have pale or reddish rumps, face and neck collar. They lack a breast band, but have black undertails. They have blue upperparts and dusky underparts. They have broad but pointed wings. The populations in mainland India, erythropygia has the rump patch uniform dark chestnut without any dark shaft-streaks. The tail fork is shallow and the white patch on the inner web of the outer-tail feathers is indistinct.
76 STREAK-THROATED SWALLOW @Porbandar The streak-throated swallow or the Indian cliff swallow (Petrochelidon fluvicola) is a species of swallow found as Native (breeder, year-round resident or winter visitor) in South Asia in the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. 11–12 cm; 8–12 g. Has forehead, crown and nape dull chestnut with faint dark streaks, back glossy deep blue with few narrow whitish streaks, rump pale brown. Found in open country, foothills, cultivation, and human habitations, including towns; often near water bodies. Diet includes flies (Diptera). Forages in flocks; joins other hirundines. Flight weak, fluttery. ASHY WOODSWALLOW @Guwahati The ashy woodswallow (Artamus fuscus) has a short curve bill and a short square tail and long wings. This stocky woodswallow has an ashy grey upperparts with a darker head and a narrow pale band on the rump. The underside is pinkish grey and the short slaty black tail is tipped in white. The finch-like bill is silvery. In flight the long wing looks very broad at the base giving it a very triangular outline. The first primary is very short. The legs are short. Males and females are indistinguishable in the field.
77 DUSKY CRAG MARTIN @Mhow The dusky crag martin (Ptyonoprogne concolor) is 13 cm (5 in) long with a broad body, wings and tail. It has sootybrown upperparts and slightly paler underparts, with a streaked pale dull rufous chin, throat and foreneck. The tail is short and square, with small white patches near the tips of all but the central and outermost pairs of feathers. The underwing coverts are dark brown, the eyes are brown, the small bill is mainly black, and the legs are brownish-pink. The sexes are alike, but juveniles have rufous grey tips to the plumage of the upperparts and wings. CRESTED TREE SWIFT @Goa The crested treeswift (Hemiprocne coronata) is a large slender bird at 23 cm (9 in) length. This species is dove grey above and white below. The long swept-back wings are a darker grey above. This treeswift has a crest and a long, deeply forked tail. The adult male has orange cheeks and ear coverts with a narrow streak of white under the eye and a trace of a white supercilium. The female has a thin white stripe below the eye running along the cheek. Young birds have a dark grey head and wings but the feathers are edged in white and the rest of the soft plumage is much streakier than that of the adults.
78 BLUE THROAT @Porbandar The bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. It is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and Asia with a foothold in western Alaska. It nests in tussocks or low in dense bushes. It winters in north Africa and the Indian subcontinent. The bluethroat is similar in size to the European robin at 13–14 cm. It is plain brown above except for the distinctive black tail with red side patches. It has a strong white supercilium. The male has an iridescent blue bib edged below with successive black, white and rust coloured borders. Some races, such as L. svecica svecica (red-spotted bluethroat) of northern Eurasia, have a red spot in the centre of the blue bib. Females of all races usually have just a blackish crescent on an otherwise cream throat and breast. Newly fledged juveniles are freckled and spotted dark brown above. LESSER WHITE THROAT @Mhow The lesser whitethroat (Sylvia curruca) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds in temperate Europe, except the southwest, and in western and central Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, wintering in Africa just south of the Sahara, Arabia and India. This is a small species with a grey back, whitish underparts, a grey head with a darker "bandit mask" through the eyes and a white throat. It is slightly smaller than the whitethroat, and lacks the chestnut wings and uniform head-face color of that species. The lesser whitethroat's song is a fast and rattling sequence of tet or che calls, quite different from the whitethroat's scolding song. Like most "warblers", it is insectivorous, but will also take berries and other soft fruit. This is a bird of fairly open country and cultivation, with large bushes for nesting and some trees.
79 DESERT WHITETHROAT @Jaisalmer The desert whitethroat (Sylvia minula) is a typical warbler. The desert whitethroat together with Hume's whitethroat form an Asian lineage in the superspecies, which have diverged into species adapted to drier lowlands and moister mountain habitats respectively. It is distinguished from Hume's and lesser whitethroats by its smaller size (12 cm length, 8–13 g weight), smaller bill, the uniformly paler grey head lacking the well-marked dark cheeks of Hume's and lesser whitethroats, and a lighter grey-brown back; in these differences it follows Gloger's rule of pale colour in arid regions. The throat is white, and the rest of the underparts pale greyish-white.
80 INDIAN ROLLER @Goa The Indian roller (Coracias benghalensis) is a bird of the family Coraciidae, the rollers. The Indian roller is a stocky bird about 26– 27 cm long and can only be confused within its range with the migratory European roller. The breast is brownish and not blue as in the European Roller. The crown and vent are blue. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green. The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white shaft streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in colour. The three forward toes are united at the base. Rollers have a long and compressed bill with a curved upper edge and a hooked tip. The nostril is long and exposed and there are long rictal bristles at the base of the bill. EURASIAN ROLLER @Porbandar The European roller is found in a wide variety of habitats, avoiding only treeless plains. It winters primarily in dry wooded savanna and bushy plains, where it typically nests in tree holes. The European roller is a stocky bird, the size of a jackdaw at 29–32 cm in length with a 52–58 cm wingspan; it is mainly blue with an orange-brown back. Rollers often perch prominently on trees, posts or overhead wires, like giant shrikes, whilst watching for the large insects, small reptiles, rodents and frogs that they eat. The diet of adult Rollers is dominated by Coleoptera, whereas nestlings mostly eat Orthoptera, such as grasshoppers and bush crickets. This species is striking in its strong direct flight, with the brilliant blue contrasting with black flight feathers. Sexes are similar, but the juvenile is a drabber version of the adult.
GREEN BEE- 81 EATER @Porbandar The green bee-eater (Merops orientalis), also known as little green bee-eater, is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family. Like other beeeaters, 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. BLUE TAILED BEE-EATER @Ezhimala, Kerala The blue-tailed beeeater (Merops philippinus) is a near passerine bird in the beeeater family Meropidae. It breeds in southeastern Asia. It is strongly migratory, seen seasonally in much of peninsular India. This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 23–26 cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike.
SPOTTED 82 OWLET @Goa The spotted owlet (Athene brama) is a small owl which breeds in tropical Asia from mainland India to Southeast Asia. A common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation, it has adapted to living in cities. They roost in small groups in the hollows of trees or in cavities in rocks or buildings. It nests in a hole in a tree or building, laying 3–5 eggs. They are often found near human habitation. The spotted owlet is a small and stocky bird, barely 21 centimetres (8.3 in) in size. The upperparts are grey-brown, heavily spotted with white. The underparts are white, streaked with brown. The facial disc is pale and the iris is yellow. There is a white neckband and supercilium. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating. The nominate form is darker than the paler forms such as indica of drier regions. JUNGLE OWLET @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The jungle owlet, or barred jungle owlet, (Glaucidium radiatum) is found in the Indian Subcontinent. The species is often found singly, in pairs or small groups and are usually detected by their calls at dawn and dusk. This small owlet has a rounded head and is finely barred all over. There is no clear facial disk and the wings are brownish and the tail is narrowly barred in white. The plumage on the upper parts is dark black brown barred with white. The wing coverts have white and rufous patches. The primaries and secondaries are dark brown and barred with pale chestnut. The lower side is whitish or pale rufous barred with black. There is a whitish patch on the chin, upper breast and centre of the abdomen. The iris is yellow, the bill and tarsi are greenish with black claws.
83 BROWN WOOD OWL @Wellington, Nilgiris The Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica) is found in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan, and south China. The brown wood owl is medium large (45–57 cm), with upperparts uniformly dark brown, with faint white spotting on the shoulders. The underparts are buff with brown streaking. The facial disc is brown or rufous, edged with white and without concentric barring, and the eyes are dark brown. There is a white neckband. The sexes are similar in appearance. This species is highly nocturnal and isn't commonly found in dense forests. It can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is roosting in a tree. The diet of the brown wood owl consists mainly of small mammals, birds, and reptiles. BARN OWL @Kochi The barn owl (Tyto alba) is the most widely distributed species of owl and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as the common barn owl. The barn owl is a medium-sized, palecoloured owl with long wings and a short, squarish tail. There is considerable size variation across the subspecies with a typical specimen measuring about 33 to 39 cm (13 to 15 in) in overall length, with a full range of 29 to 44 cm (11 to 17 in) across the species. Barn owls have a typical wingspan of some 80 to 95 cm (31 to 37 in), with a full range of 68 to 105 cm (27 to 41 in). The bird's head and upper body typically vary between pale brown and some shade of grey (especially on the forehead and back) in most subspecies. Some are purer, richer brown instead, and all have fine black-and-white speckles except on the remiges and rectrices (main wing and tail feathers), which are light brown with darker bands. The heartshaped face is usually bright white, but in some subspecies it is brown.
PALLID SCOPS 84 OWL @Jamnagar The pallid scops owl is a small eared owl similar in appearance to the Eurasian scops owl but with more distinct streaks on the back and less intricate markings. 18–21 cm; wingspan 54–64 cm; 100–110 g. Pale scops-owl with distinct fine streaking and short ear tufts. Facial disc pale buffish-white. It inhabits semi-open country with trees and bushes and has an estimated range of one to ten million kilometers. Primarily an insectivore, the pallid scops owl's diet includes insects, lizards, spiders, and small mammals. It occasionally hunts during the day, and has been known to take bats and insects on the wing. SRI LANKA BAY OWL @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The Sri Lanka bay owl (Phodilus assimilis) is a species of bay owl in the family Tytonidae. It is endemic to the island of Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats in Kerala, South Western India. The facial disk is V-shaped and coloured vinaceous-pink, though this colouring does not reach the top of the crown. There are dark, vertical patches on the face that "go through" the brownish-black eyes. The bill is yellowish. Upperparts are dark chestnut, densely speckled black and white, with a golden collar on the hindneck and golden patches on the scapulars. Wings are heavily barred dark, and the tail has 8-10 narrow dark bars. Underparts are pale buffish, with many black and white spots. The legs are relatively short and feathered buffish to the base of the bare toes, which are coloured pale greyish-brown with dirty whitish to pale grey claws.
85 SRI LANKAN FROGMOUTH @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The Sri Lanka frogmouth, Sri Lankan frogmouth or Ceylon frogmouth (Batrachostomus moniliger) is a small frogmouth found in the Western Ghats of south India and Sri Lanka. Related to the nightjars, it is nocturnal and is found in forest habitats. The plumage coloration resembles that of dried leaves and the bird roosts quietly on branches, making it difficult to see. This bird reaches 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in length. Like all frogmouths, this species has a wide and hooked bill with slit-like nostrils and the large head with eyes facing forward to provide a wide field of binocular vision. Compared to others of its genus it has small wings, which are distinguished by the wing coverts ending in black spots tipped with white. The male is gray-brown with fine barring and a spotted crown. Some males are browner and look more similar to females. The female is more rufous or chestnut brown. Indian female birds have very fine black speckles on the crown but Sri Lankan females may lack or may have reduced markings. The bird also has short, stiff bristles in front of and surrounding the eyes. The Western Ghats population, looks very slightly different. The male has a brownish-gray wing mirror and yellowish spots on the undersides. The female has a bright reddish-brown wing mirror and the wings are unspotted below. INDIAN NIGHTJAR @Porbandar The Indian nightjar (Caprimulgus asiaticus) is a small nightjar which is a resident breeder in open lands across South Asia and Southeast Asia. Like most nightjars it is crepuscular and is best detected from its characteristic calls at dawn and dusk that have been likened to a stone skipping on a frozen lake - a series of clicks that become shorter and more rapid. This nightjar is small and short-tailed with white corners to the tail, a golden nape and collar, dark cheeks and white patches on the sides of the throat. The crown is grey and the breast is finely barred in brown. The males have more white on the tail while the female is more heavily streaked on the crown. It is differentiated from Sykes's nightjar by the dark undertail and from Jerdon's nightjar by the shorter tail and white patches on the sides of the throat.
BLACK -HOODED 86 ORIOLE @Goa The black -hooded oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds and is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia. The male is striking, with the typical oriole black and yellow colouration. The plumage is predominantly yellow, with a solid black hood, and black also in the wings and tail centre . The female black -hooded oriole is a drabber bird with greenish underparts, but still has the black hood. Young birds are like the female, but have dark streaking on the underparts, and their hood is not solidly black, especially on the throat. The black head of this species is an obvious distinction from the Indian golden oriole, which is a summer visitor to northern India. Orioles can be shy, and even the male may be difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy. INDIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE @Goa The Indian golden oriole (Oriolus kundoo) is a species of oriole found in the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. The species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Eurasian golden oriole, but is now considered a full species. Adults can be told apart from the Eurasian golden oriole by the black of the eye stripe extending behind the eye. The Indian golden oriole is very similar to the Eurasian golden oriole but has more yellow in the tail and has a paler shade of red in the iris and bill. The male has the black eye stripe extending behind the eye, a large carpal patch on the wing and wide yellow tips to the secondaries and tertiaries. The streaks on the underside of females is more sharp than in the females of the Eurasian golden oriole.
ORANGE 87 MINIVET @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The orange minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus) is a species of bird in the cuckooshrike family, Campephagidae. Brightly - colored forest bird with a long tail. Male is decked out in black and orange -red, female in gray and yellow. Male lacks Small Minivet’s contrasting gray crown and back. Gives very high, somewhat bubbling twitter of “weeeep” notes. Travels in flocks, sometimes mixed in with other species. Often seen in bounding flight over the forest canopy. SMALL MINIVET @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The small minivet is 16 cm long with a strong dark beak and long wings. The male differs from most other common minivets by having grey, not glossy black, upperparts and head, and orange underparts, fading to yellow on the belly, orange tail edges, rump and wing patches. The female is grey above, with yellow underparts (including the face), tail edges, rump and wing patches. There is much racial variation. The male P. c. pallidus of the northwest Indian subcontinent is pale grey above, with the underparts whitish except on the throat and flanks, whereas the male P. c. malabaricus of peninsular and southern India is darker above, has more extensive scarlet below. The female of the southern race is also brighter yellow below.
88 WHITE-BELLIED WOODPECKER @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The white-bellied woodpecker or great black woodpecker (Dryocopus javensis) is found in evergreen forests of tropical Asia, including the Indian subcontinent. This species is one of the largest living species of woodpecker. The subspecies hodgsonii has whitish underwing coverts and a white rump. The face lacks white, but juveniles of the nominate race can have white streaks on the throat.. They have a range of calls from a short, sharp "kuk" to more intoned "kyuk", "kew", "kee-yow" calls. The longer calls are given prior to flying off.
HEART- 89 SPOTTED WOODPECKER @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The heart -spotted woodpecker (Hemicircus canente) is a species of bird in the woodpecker family. They have a contrasting black and white pattern, a distinctively stubby body with a large wedge -shaped head making them easy to identify while their frequent calling make them easy to detect as they forage for invertebrates under the bark of the slender outer branches of trees. A small, uniquely shaped, black and buff woodpecker with a large crest making the head look large for the short body and tail. Both males and females are predominantly black with heart -shaped black spots on white shoulders with broad white scapular patches and barring of flight feathers. The female has the forehead and crown buffy white while it is black on males. The throat is whitish and the underparts are dark olive grey. A tuft of feathers on the back are specialized and are lipid rich which causes the feathers to stick together in preserved specimens. These special feathers or "fat quills" sometimes make the rump feathers appear buff and may be a form of "cosmetic colouration" and the secretion is said to have a pleasant smell but the functional significance is unknown. BROWN - CAPPED PYGMY WOODPECKER @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The brown -capped pygmy woodpecker or Indian pygmy woodpecker (Yungipicu s nanus) is a species of very small woodpecker found in Nepal , India and Sri Lanka.. A small brown and white woodpecker with distinctive pink - rimmed white irises. Barred brown and white above, lightly streaked dirty white below. Tail spotted white. Paler brown crown (edged red in male) and eyestripes contrasting with white supercilia and cheeks.
90 LESSER GOLDENBACK @Goa The black -rumped flameback (Dinopium benghalense), also known as the lesser golden -backed woodpecker or lesser goldenback, is a woodpecker found widely distributed in the Indian subcontinent. The black -rumped flameback is a large species at 26 –29 cm in length. It has a typical woodpecker shape, and the golden yellow wing coverts are distinctive. The rump is black and not red as in the greater flameback. The underparts are white with dark chevron markings. The black throat finely marked with white immediately separates it from other golden backed woodpeckers in the Indian region. The head is whitish with a black nape and throat, and there is a greyish eye patch. Unlike the greater flameback it has no dark moustachial stripes. The adult male has a red crown and crest. Females have a black forecrown spotted with white, with red only on the rear crest. Young birds are like the female, but duller. Like other woodpeckers, this species has a straight pointed bill, a stiff tail to provide support against tree trunks, and zygodactyl feet, with two toes pointing forward, and two backward. The long tongue can be darted forward to capture insects. GREATER YELLOW -NAPE @Gangtok It is found in East Asia from northern and eastern India to south -eastern China, Indochina, Hainan, and Sumatra. Its natural habitats are subtropic al or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. c. 32 –35 cm; 153 –198 g. Male has olive -green forehead and crown, feathers tipped rufous -brown when fresh, tips of elongated hindcrown feathers and nape bright yellow. Food is mainly ants and termites (Isoptera), and large insect larvae, particularly of wood -boring beetles (Cerambycidae).
91 YELLOW-CROWNED WOODPECKER @Bhuj The yellow-crowned woodpecker (Leiopicus mahrattensis) or Mahratta woodpecker is a species of small pied woodpecker found in the Indian subcontinent. A medium-small (17.5 cm, 6.9 inches, 28-46 grams, 1-1.6 ounces), pale-headed, pied woodpecker. Upper-parts black, heavily spotted and barred white. Underparts dark, streaked dingy white with red belly patch. Irregular brown cheek and neck patches. Female has yellowish crown and nape. In male nape scarlet and forecrown yellow. HIMALAYAN WOODPECKER @Srinagar The Himalayan woodpecker (Dendrocopos himalayensis) is a species of bird in the family Picidae. It is found in the northern regions of the Indian subcontinent, primarily the Himalayas and some adjoining areas, and ranges across Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan a nd Pakistan. Its natural habitats are boreal forests and temperate forests. A medium-sized, pied woodpecker reaching a length of about 24 cm (9 in). Glossy black above with broad white patches from shoulder to lower back, limited white barring on flight feathers and clean white tail edgings. Underparts and head white or plain pale buff with black Yshaped mark on neck and cheeks. The crown is red in males and black in females. Black marks under eyes are unique and distinguish it from other species. Vent and under-tail coverts red or pink. Iris chestnut, beak blackish and legs grey. The juvenile is duller, greyish-black above, and with vent and under-tail areas less vivid and crown greyish with some red (in both sexes).
MALABAR TROGON 92 @Thatekkad, Near Kochi The Malabar trogon (Harpactes fasciatus) is a species of bird in the trogon family. It is found in the forests of Sri Lanka and peninsular India. In India it is mainly found in the Western Ghats, hill forests of central India and in parts of the Eastern Ghats. They are insectivorous and although not migratory, may move seasonally in response to rain in hill forest regions. Like in other trogons, males and females vary in plumage. Like most other trogons, these birds are brightly coloured and sexually dimorphic. The male has a slaty black head and breast with a white border to the black bib separating it from the crimson on the underside. The back is olive-brown to chestnut. The wing coverts are black with fine white vermiculations. They have 12 tail feathers that are graduated. The central tail-feathers are chestnut with a black tip, with the second and third pairs from the middle having more black than chestnut. The outer three pairs have long white tips. The female lacks the contrasting black and crimson and has only a slightly darker head and breast that shades into the olive brown on the back while the crimson of the underside of the male is replaced by ochre. In both sexes, the beak is bluish as is the skin around the eye. The iris is dark brown and the feet are pale bluish. The nostrils are covered by tufts of filoplumes.
93 SPOTTED FORKTAIL @Gangtok The spotted forktail (Enicurus maculatus) is a species of bird in the family Muscicapidae. It is found in the Himalayas and the hills of Northeast India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and southern China including Yunnan. Birds of this species are 25 cm with a long tail. The sexes are alike, having a white forehead and a black crown and nape, a black back spotted white, and a broad white wing bar. The tail is deeply forked, graduated black and white. The white spotted back easily identifies this species from other similar sized forktail. It breeds mostly at 1200 –3600 m, and descends to about 600 m in winter. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, where it is found in boulder -strewn torrents, forest streams, and roadside canals. EURASIAN WRYNECK @Porbandar The Eurasian wryneck or northern wryneck (Jynx torquilla) is a species of wryneck in the woodpecker family. This species mainly breeds in temperate regions of Europe and Asia. Most populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa and in southern Asia from Iran to the Indian subcontinent. The Eurasian wryneck grows to about 17 cm (6.7 in) in length. The subspecies Jynx torquilla tschusii weighs 26 to 50 g (0.92 to 1.76 oz). It is a slim, elongated - looking bird with a body shape more like a thrush than a woodpecker. The upperparts are barred and mottled in shades of pale brown with rufous and blackish bars and wider black streaks. The rump and upper tail coverts are grey with speckles and irregular bands of brown. The rounded tail is grey, speckled with brown, with faint bands of greyish - brown and a few more clearly defined bands of brownish -black. The cheeks and throat are buff barred with brown. The underparts are creamy white with brown markings shaped like arrow -heads which are reduced to spots on the lower breast and belly. The flanks are buff with similar markings and the under -tail coverts are buff with narrow brown bars. The primaries and secondaries are brown with rufous -buff markings. The beak is brown, long and slender with a broad base and sharp tip. The irises are hazel and the slender legs and feet are pale brown. The first and second toes are shorter than the others. The first and fourth toes point backwards and the second and third point forwards, a good arrangement for clinging to vertical surfaces.
CHESTNUT- 94 BELLIED NUTHATCH @Gangtok The chestnut-bellied nuthatch (Sitta cinnamoventris) belongs to the family Sittidae. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent occurring in the countries of India, Tibet Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal. It is found in subtropical or tropical forest], that are dry or moist forests, and in montane and lowland forests. This species is very similar to the Burmese nuthatch but it has a heavier bill, the crown and mantle are of the same shade. The wing and tail markings show contrasting markings; silvery-edge to primaries, blackish inner webs to tertials and tail with large white spots in the tail. The Chestnut-bellied nuthatch is different from the Indian nuthatch and the Burmese nuthatch. White on ear coverts does not extend into chin unlike in the Indian nuthatch. Race almorae of Nepal and NW Himalayas has paler underparts; race koelzi of the eastern Himalayas has the female darker than in other races. Resident from Murree Hills to the Uttaranchal foothills extending to the Assam Valley, Arunachal Pradesh into the Lushai Hills. VELVETFRONTED NUTHATCH @Thatekkad, Kerala The velvet-fronted nuthatch (Sitta frontalis) is a small passerine bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae found in southern Asia from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh east to south China and Indonesia. Like other nuthatches, it feeds on insects in the bark of trees, foraging on the trunks and branches and their strongly clawed toes allow them to climb down tree trunks or move on the undersides of horizontal branches. The velvet-fronted nuthatch has the typical nuthatch shape, short tail and powerful bill and feet. It is 12.5 cm long. It is violet-blue above, with lavender cheeks, beige underparts, yellow eyes, and a whitish throat. The iris is distinctly pale and yellow. The bill is red, and there is a black patch on the forehead and lores which is well developed in adults and less so in younger birds. Young birds have a dark beak and dark tips to the undertail coverts.[2] Adult males can be told apart by the black superciliary stripe that runs above the eye and over the head, towards the nape.
WHITE-RUMPED 95 SHAMA @Goa The white-rumped shama (Copsychus malabaricus) is a small passerine bird of the family Muscicapidae. Native to densely vegetated habitats in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They typically weigh between 28 and 34 g (1.0 and 1.2 oz) and are around 23– 28 cm (9–11 in) in length. Males are glossy black with a chestnut belly and white feathers on the rump and outer tail. Females are more greyish-brown, and are typically shorter than males. Both sexes have a black bill and pink feet. Juveniles have a greyish-brown colouration, similar to that of the females, with a blotchy or spotted chest. INDIAN PITTA @Goa The Indian pitta (Pitta brachyura) is a passerine bird native to the Indian subcontinent. It inhabits scrub jungle, deciduous and dense evergreen forest. It breeds in the forests of the Himalayas, hills of central and western India, and migrates to other parts of the peninsula in winter. Although very colourful, it is usually shy and hidden in the undergrowth where it picks insects on the forest floor. It has a distinctive two note whistling call which is heard at dawn and dusk. The Indian pitta is a small stubby-tailed bird that is mostly seen on the floor of forests or under dense undergrowth, foraging on insects in leaf litter. It has long, strong legs, a very short tail and stout bill, with a buff coloured crown stripe, black coronal stripes, a thick black eye stripe and white throat and neck. The upperparts are green, with a blue tail, the underparts buff, with bright red on the lower belly and vent. The bird hops on the ground to forage and has been known to get trapped in ground traps meant for small mammals. It has been suggested that the width of the coronal stripe may differ between the sexes.
96 COMMON KINGFISHER @Kochi/ Porbandar The common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) also known as the Eurasian kingfisher, and river kingfisher. This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, largeheaded kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to enable it to see prey under water. This species has the typical short-tailed, dumpy-bodied large-headed and long-billed kingfisher shape. The adult male of the western European subspecies, A. a. ispida has green-blue upperparts with pale azure-blue back and rump, a rufous patch by the bill base, and a rufous ear-patch. It has a green-blue neck stripe, white neck blaze and throat, rufous underparts, and a black bill with some red at the base. The legs and feet are bright red. It is about 16 centimetres (6.3 in) long with a wingspan of 25 cm (9.8 in), and weighs 34–46 grams (1.2–1.6 oz). The female is identical in appearance to the male except that her lower mandible is orange-red with a black tip. The juvenile is similar to the adult, but with duller and greener upperparts and paler underparts. Its bill is black, and the legs are also initially black.
WHITE -COLLARED 97 KINGFISHER @Port Blair The collared kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) is a medium -sized kingfisher belonging to the subfamily Halcyoninae, the tree kingfishers. It is also known as the white -collared kingfisher or mangrove kingfisher. The collared kingfisher is 22 to 29 cm (8.7 to 11.4 in) long and weighs 51 to 90 g (1.8 to 3.2 oz). It varies from blue to green above while the underparts can be white or buff. There is a white collar around the neck, giving the birds its name. Some races have a white or buff stripe over the eye while others have a white spot between the eye and bill. There may be a black stripe through the eye. The large bill is black with a pale yellow base to the lower mandible. Females tend to be greener than the males. Immature birds are duller than the adults with dark scaly markings on the neck and breast. STORK -BILLED KINGFISHER @Goa 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. 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.
WHITE-THROATED 98 KINGFISHER @Gandhinagar The white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) also known as the whitebreasted kingfisher is a tree kingfisher, widely distributed in Asia. This is a large kingfisher, 27– 28 cm (10.6–11.0 in) 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. PIED KINGFISHER @Porbandar The pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia. This is a medium-sized kingfisher, about 25 cm (9.8 in) long with a white with a black mask, a white supercilium and black breast bands. The crest is neat and the upperparts are barred in black. Its black and white plumage and crest, as well as its habit of hovering over clear lakes and rivers before diving for fish, make it distinctive. Males have a double band across the breast, while females have a single gorget that is often broken in the middle. This kingfisher feeds mainly on fish, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects such as dragonfly larvae. It usually hunts by hovering over the water to detect prey and diving vertically bill-first to capture fish.
99 ASIAN FAIRY BLUEBIRD @Port Blair/ Goa The Asian fairy-bluebird (Irena puella) is a mediumsized, arboreal passerine bird. The Asian fairy bluebird measures 24 to 27 centimetres (9.4 to 10.6 in) in length. The iris is crimson and eyelids pinkish; the bill, legs and claws are black, and mouth a flesh- colour. Marked sexual dimorphism is evident. The male is a shining ultramarine-blue with lilac reflections on its upper plumage, lesser wing coverts, and under tail coverts, while the sides of its head and the whole lower plumage are deep black; greater wing-coverts, quills, and tail black, and some of the coverts tipped with blue, and the middle tail-feathers glossed with blue. The upper plumage, the lesser wing coverts, and the lower tail coverts of the female are brownish blue, with the edges of the feathers brighter. The middle tail feathers and the outer webs of all the others, except the outer pair, like the upper plumage, and remainder of tail dark brown. primaries and secondaries dark brown. The greater wing coverts, primary coverts, and tertiaries dark brown, with a blue tinge on the outer webs. Sides of the head and whole lower plumage blue, very similar to the upper parts. The young resemble the female. The male changes into adult plumage in March, the change taking place without a moult. The feathers of the upper parts first become fringed with bright blue, then the tail coverts change, and finally the lower plumage changes. Young birds with the lower plumage mixed black and dull blue, and the upper plumage like that of the adult are frequently seen.
ROSE-RINGED 100 PARAKEET @Mumbai The rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae. The rose-ringed parakeet is sexually dimorphic. 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 colour in the wild, and captive bred ringnecks have multiple colour mutations including blue, violet and yellow. Roseringed parakeets measure on average 40 cm (16 in) in length, including the tail feathers, a large portion of their total length. Their average single-wing length is about 15 to 17.5 cm (5.9 to 6.9 in). In the wild, this is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. ALEXADRINE PARAKEET @Mumbai The Alexandrine parakeet (Psittacula eupatria), also known as the Alexandrine parrot, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula of the family Psittacidae. It is named after Alexander the Great, who transported numerous birds from Punjab to various European and Mediterranean countries and regions, where they were prized by the royalty, nobility and warlords. The Alexandrine parakeet is one of the largest parakeets, measuring 56 to 62 cm (22 to 24 in) from the top of the head to the tip of the tail and weighing 200 to 300 g (7.1 to 10.6 oz). The tail measures 28 to 35 cm (11 to 14 in). It is predominantly green with a light blue-grey sheen on the cheeks and nape (back of the neck), yellow-green abdomen, red patch on the shoulders and massive red beak with yellow tips. The upper-side of the tail passes from green at the top to blue further down and is yellow at the tip. The underside of the tail is yellow. Adults are sexually dimorphic. Adult males have a black stripe across their lower cheeks and a pink band on their nape. Adult females lack both a black stripe across their lower cheeks and a pink band on their nape. The young are similar in appearance to adult females but have shorter tails.