Birds of India

Asian Emerald Cuckoo

2023-09-19T04:26:00.005-07:00

Asian Emerald Cuckoo

Introduction of Asian Emerald Cuckoo

The Asian Emerald Cuckoo, scientifically known as "Chrysococcyx maculatus", is a beautiful bird species found across various regions in Asia. This avian beauty is known for its vibrant emerald-green plumage and is a member of the "Cuculidae" family, which also includes other cuckoo species.

How to identify Asian Emerald Cuckoo

The Asian Emerald Cuckoo is a relatively small bird. It measures around 15 to 17 centimeters (about 6 to 6.7 inches) in length from the tip of its beak to the end of its tail. These cuckoos are quite lightweight. and They generally weigh between 17 to 24 grams and generally weigh between 17 to 24 grams. There can be slight variations in size and weight among individuals and between male and female Asian Emerald Cuckoos.

The Asian Emerald Cuckoo is aptly named for its shimmering emerald-green plumage. Males and females exhibit slight variations in coloration. While the males are predominantly green with a glossy metallic sheen, females tend to have a more subdued greenish-brown coloration. Both male and female have a distinctive white patch on their wings and a bright red eye-ring.

Habits And Habitats

Asian Emerald Cuckoos are primarily arboreal, which means they spend much of their time in the trees and shrubs. They are agile fliers and are often seen darting among the foliage in search of prey.

Asian Emerald Cuckoos are commonly found in wooded and forested habitats. They thrive in tropical rainforests, evergreen forests, and mixed woodlands. They are often encountered in dense vegetation and forest edges.

These cuckoos are adaptable and can also be found in secondary growth forests, regenerating forests, and even gardens and parks, provided there is suitable vegetation and a sufficient supply of insects and food sources.

Their habitat range can vary with altitude. You can find them in lowland forests as well as in higher elevations, including montane forests.

Distribution

They are most commonly found in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and parts of East Asia, with their range extending from India and Sri Lanka in the west to Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia in the east.

Some populations of Asian Emerald Cuckoos are migratory, moving seasonally in search of food and suitable breeding grounds. These migrations can be influenced by factors like climate and food availability.

Subspecies

The Asian Emerald Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx maculatus) is a bird species with a relatively wide distribution across various regions of Asia, and it is known to have several subspecies. Subspecies are geographically distinct populations of a species that may have slight variations in plumage, size, or behavior due to adaptation to their specific habitats. Here are some of the recognized subspecies of the Asian Emerald Cuckoo:

C. m. maculatus:

This is the nominate subspecies and is found in the Indian subcontinent, including India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Pakistan. The male of this subspecies typically has a bright emerald-green plumage with a glossy sheen.

C. m. parvirostris:

This subspecies is found in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Myanmar, and parts of Indochina. It is similar in appearance to the nominate subspecies but may exhibit some variations in plumage.

C. m. robinsoni:

Found in the Philippines, particularly on islands such as Luzon and Mindanao. This subspecies often has a more bluish-green hue compared to other subspecies.

C. m. minor:

Distributed in the Indonesian archipelago, including Sumatra, Java, and Bali. This subspecies may have slightly smaller body size compared to others.

C. m. saturatus:

This subspecies inhabits the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and parts of Borneo. It is characterized by its green plumage with a yellowish tinge on the underparts.

C. m. harterti:

Found in the southern parts of the Malay Peninsula and the nearby islands, this subspecies is known for its striking green plumage with a blue tinge on the head and neck.

C. m. rufomerus:

Inhabiting the island of Palawan in the Philippines, this subspecies is known for having a reddish-brown or rufous patch on its upper breast.

The distinctions between these subspecies can be subtle, and they are often based on geographic range and small differences in plumage characteristics. Ornithologists continue to study and refine the classification of subspecies within the Asian Emerald Cuckoo, so it's advisable to refer to the most recent taxonomic research for the latest information on subspecies.

Food

Asian Emerald Cuckoos are primarily insectivorous. They feed on a diet of insects, especially caterpillars, which they catch in flight or pick off foliage with their sharp bills. Their slender bodies and agile flight enable them to capture prey with precision. They are also known to feed on fruits and berries occasionally.

Call

The Asian Emerald Cuckoo is known for its melodious and distinctive calls, which can vary slightly among individuals and populations. These calls are often used for communication, territory defense, and courtship. Here is a description of the typical calls made by Asian Emerald Cuckoos:

Advertising Call (Song):

The primary call of the Asian Emerald Cuckoo is a series of melodious and repetitive whistles. This song is often described as a high-pitched "wee-oo, wee-oo, wee-oo" or "pee-pee-pee-pee-pee." It's a pleasant and musical call that can be heard throughout their territories during the breeding season. Males are especially known for their vocalization as they advertise their presence and attempt to attract females.

Contact Calls:

Asian Emerald Cuckoos may also use softer and shorter contact calls to communicate with one another within their territory. These contact calls can be more subdued and are often used for less conspicuous communication between individuals.

Alarm Calls:

Like many bird species, Asian Emerald Cuckoos have specific alarm calls that they use when they perceive potential threats. These calls are typically sharp and serve to alert other birds in the vicinity of danger.

Courtship Calls:

During courtship displays, males may enhance their song and call intensity to impress potential mates. These displays may include aerial acrobatics and fluttering flights accompanied by more enthusiastic singing.

These vocalizations are not only used for communication within the species but also help establish and defend territories during the breeding season. They are an essential part of the Asian Emerald Cuckoo's behavior and can often be heard echoing through the forested habitats they inhabit.

Nesting And Breeding

The nesting and breeding behavior of Asian Emerald Cuckoos (Chrysococcyx maculatus) is fascinating, as they are brood parasites, meaning they do not build their own nests but instead rely on other bird species to raise their young. Here's an overview of their nesting and breeding habits:

Nesting Behavior:

Selection of Host Species:

The female Asian Emerald Cuckoo carefully selects a host species, typically smaller birds such as sunbirds, white-eyes, and other passerines. Each population of Asian Emerald Cuckoos may have specific host species preferences.

Egg-Laying:

Once a suitable host nest is found, the female cuckoo sneaks into the nest of the chosen host. She lays her eggs in the host's nest, often removing one of the host's eggs to replace it with her own. This ensures that her egg is incubated and cared for by the host parents.

Breeding and Parenting:

1. Incubation: After laying her egg in the host nest, the Asian Emerald Cuckoo female does not return to incubate or care for her egg. Instead, she leaves the responsibility of incubation and chick-rearing to the unwitting host parents.

2. Mimicry: The cuckoo's egg often closely resembles the eggs of the host species, helping it blend in and avoid detection. This mimicry is critical to the success of the parasitic strategy.

3. Cuckoo Chick Development: Once the cuckoo chick hatches, it instinctively begins to demand food from the host parents, who typically feed it as they would their own chicks. The cuckoo chick often grows faster and can be more aggressive than the host chicks, potentially leading to the cuckoo chick outcompeting and sometimes even ejecting host chicks from the nest.

4. Fledging: Eventually, the cuckoo chick matures and fledges from the nest, often leaving behind the host parents who continue to care for it, mistakenly believing it to be their own offspring.

5. Repetition: Asian Emerald Cuckoos can repeat this parasitic behavior multiple times during a breeding season, laying eggs in the nests of different host species.

Advantages of Brood Parasitism:

This breeding strategy allows the Asian Emerald Cuckoo to save energy and resources that would otherwise be spent on nest-building and chick-rearing.
It also provides a level of protection for the cuckoo's own eggs and chicks, as the host parents defend the nest and provide food for all the chicks, including the parasitic cuckoo.

Challenges and Risks:

While brood parasitism can be a successful strategy for the cuckoo, it can have negative consequences for the host species, which may end up investing time and resources in raising a chick that is not genetically related to them.
Some host species have developed mechanisms to recognize and reject cuckoo eggs from their nests, leading to a co-evolutionary "arms race" between the cuckoo and its hosts.

In summary, the nesting and breeding behavior of the Asian Emerald Cuckoo revolves around brood parasitism, where the female cuckoo lays her eggs in the nests of other bird species, leaving the host parents to incubate and care for the cuckoo chick, often to the detriment of their own offspring. This unusual reproductive strategy has evolved as an adaptation to the cuckoo's environment and provides certain advantages for its survival and reproduction.

Conservation Status

The Asian Emerald Cuckoo was not listed as a globally threatened or endangered species. However, like many other bird species, it faces threats from habitat loss due to deforestation and urbanization. Additionally, climate change and the illegal pet trade can also pose risks to their populations.

Indian white-eye

2021-11-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

Introduction of Indian white-eye

The Indian white-eye also formerly known as the Oriental white-eye (Scientific name: Zosterops palpebrosus) is a small passerine bird which belongs to the Family: Zosteropidaethe. It is a resident bird that is found primarily in the Indian subcontinent. The average body length of the species is around 3.14-3.54 in (8-9 cm). Their name (white-eyes) comes from the ring of white feathers around their eyes.

How to identify Indian white-eye

Both males and females look similar. The upperparts of the bird is either green or yellowish-olive and the belly is whitish-gray. It has a white ring around their eyes. The bill is black and very sharp. The throat and vent are yellow.

Habits and habitats

Indian white-eyes lives in small flocks and separate during the breeding season. They are highly arboreal and rarely descend to the ground. They call frequently as they forage. the usual contact call is a soft nasal cheer. Adults generally groom the feathers of their offspring and their mates to strengthen their bond. They also take bath in dew accumulated on leaves.

These birds inhabit lowland forests, mangrove areas, and moist forests, and they have also adapted to live in villages, farms, and parks.

Distribution

The range of these Indian white-eye birds includes India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, China, and Indonesia.

Food

Indian white-eye are mainly insectivorous and their diet includes small insects. But they also eat various kinds of fruits, nectar and seeds.

Call

The Indian white-eye communicates with loud contact calls that are used to find each other. Several musical notes are also used during the breeding season.

Nesting and Breeding

The Indian white-eye birds are monogamous which means they mate for life. The breeding season occurs from February to September and peaks in the month of April. Several courtship displays are seen during this time. Male Indian white-eye performs loud songs for several minutes during the day and the evening. Soft warbles and areal shows are also performed to attract the female.

Indian white-eye birds make a hammock-shaped nest on the fork of a branch during the breeding season. Nest are made up of cobwebs, lichens, and plant fiber. Sometimes they steal nest material from the nests of other birds.

It takes around four days to construct the nest. Around two eggs are laid within a couple of days. Color of the eggs is pale blue. Incubation period are around 10 days and both the female and male are involved in incubating the eggs. Both parents take care of brooding the chicks and fledging occurs after 10 days.

Little Spiderhunter

2021-09-10T23:44:00.000-07:00

Introduction of Little Spiderhunter

The Little Spiderhunter (Scientific Name: Arachnothera longirostra) are small, long-billed, nectar-feeding birds. It belongs to the Order Passeriformes and family is Nectariniidae. These birds were named so as their preferred diet is spiders.

How to Identify Little Spiderhunter

Size of Little Spiderhunter is 6.7 inches or 17 cm in length. The beak is black and is very long and curved down. Color of upper plumage is olive-green; and underparts are bright yellow with bold black streaks.

The eyes are large and dark. The head Little Spiderhunter is small and the neck is thin. The legs are thin and orange in color. The toes are long and curved.

Males and females look alike but base of the lower beak of females are paler than males. beaks of Males are all-black

Little Spiderhunter can be easily differentiated form other sunbirds by their distinctive long beak. The sexes are alike except for a paler base to lower mandible in the female. Male has all black beak.

Habits and Habitats

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is usually found below the canopy. They are found close to flowering trees that yield nectar.

Distribution

Little Spiderhunter is found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Within India, they are found in the Eastern Ghats from Lamasinghi, Visakhapatnam and parts of Orissa and the Western Ghats apart from the main distribution in north-east India that extends into Southeast Asia.

Subspecies and their distribution range:

Arachnothera magna magna - These sub-species are found in the Himalayas, in Nepal, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, eastern Bangladesh and northeastern India east to southern China and northern Burma / Myanmar.

Arachnothera magna aurata - These sub-species are found in East and central Myanmar.

Arachnothera magna musarum - These sub-species are found in Southeastern Myanmar in southern Shan States to northern parts of Thailand and Laos, and northern Vietnam (western Tonkin).

Arachnothera magna pagodarum -These sub-species are found in southern Myanmar, and southwestern/western Thailand and the Southern Malay Peninsula.

Arachnothera magna remota - These sub-species are found in South-central and southern Vietnam

Food

Little Spiderhunter hunt and feed mainly on spiders. Beside that , they take nectar from various flowering plants like Banana, Indian Cotton Trees and Indian Coral Trees. They are good pollinators mainly of wild bananas.

Call

The songs are a series of rapid chipping notes. They have a buzzy zick-zick call made regularly when disturbed or foraging. The song is series of rapid chipping notes and these can go on for long periods.

Breeding and Nesting

Breeding season of Little Spiderhunter occurs in March to September in northeastern India or from December to August in southern India.

Female make a compact cup-shaped nest using various twigs, leaves, moss, spider webs and blades of grass. The nest is suspended from tree branches or under broad-leaved plant like banana; attached by spider web and vegetable fibers. The average clutch consists of 2 eggs.

Rufous Treepie

2021-09-04T07:44:00.003-07:00

An introduction of Rufous Treepie

Rufous Treepie (Scientific Name: Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a Passerine bird and belongs to Corvidae family. The Rufous Treepie is endemic to the Indian subcontinent . Size of Rufous Treepie is around 45-55 cm from head to the tail. The Weight of adult varies between 90-140 gms. A local name for this bird "Kotri" is derived from the typical call while other names include "Handi Chancha" and "Taka Chor" (coin thief). In Bengali it is also known as "Lez Zhola".

How to identify Rufous Treepie

The adult Rufous Treepie has slate-grey color head, breast and upper mantle, with darker face and throat. The underparts and lower back are deep buff-rufous to orange-buff in color with white wing coverts and black primaries. On the upperwing, secondary wing-coverts and tertials are silvery-grey, contrasting with the black rest of wing. The long graduated tail is a light bluish-grey with a thick black band on the tip.

The bill is stout with a hooked tip and blackish-grey in color. The eyes are deep red to reddish-brown. Legs and feet are dark grey.

Both male and female are similar.

The juvenile is duller with brown hood and mantle, whitish-buff rump, uppertail-coverts and underparts. The wings are brown instead black, and the pale grey wing panel is tinged creamy-buff. The outer rectrices show narrow pale buff tips.

The Rufous Treepie has distinctive dipping flight during which each dip ends in upwards jerk. The flight is undulating a swift noisy flapping, followed by a short glide on outspread wings and tail.

Habits and Habitats

The Rufous Treepie are often found at all types of open deciduous woodlands, dry forest, mixed deciduous forest, scrub jungle near towns and villages and sometimes cultivated areas with scattered trees. It can be seen in urban parks and large gardens.

This species is mainly visible in lowlands below 1000 meters. But according to the range, it can be found up to 2100 meters of elevation.

Food

Rufous Treepie are omnivorous. Their main foods are Insects, caterpillars, lizards, frogs, centipedes, young birds, small birds, rodents, bats, snakes, frogs, lizards and fruits. They also hunt for birds’ nests and are highly destructive to the eggs and young of the smaller species.

The Rufous Treepie performs short hops with raised tail while feeds on the ground. When feeding in trees it is very agile. It clings and clambers among branches while searching for food.

Call

They have a wide repertoire of calls, some harsh and guttural, others quite melodious. The Rufous Treepie gives loud, metallic, flute-like “koku-lii” or “ko-ki-la”. The pairs utter loud “kuki-uii-akuak” and also “ekhekhekh” calls.

Alarm calls are harsh “herh-herh-herh-herh hah-hah-hah herh-herh-herh…"

Distribution

The Rufous Treepie is found in Indian Subcontinent and adjacent parts of SE Asia. This species is resident in Pakistan and Indian Subcontinent, except on islands.

In SE Asia, it is locally common resident in Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, S Annam and Cochinchina.

Sub-species

Rufous Treepie has nine sub-species. They are :

Dendrocitta vagabunda kinneari : This sub-species are found from southern Myanmar and northwest Thailand.

Dendrocitta vagabunda pallida : This sub-species are found at the desert region and is paler in color.

Dendrocitta vagabunda sakeratensis : This sub-species are found at Eastern Thailand an Indochina.

Dendrocitta vagabunda sclateri : This sub-species are found from Upper Chindwin to the Chin Hills.

Dendrocitta vagabunda saturatior : This sub-species are found at Southern Thailand.

Dendrocitta vagabunda bristoli : This sub-species are found at Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Dendrocitta vagabunda vagabunda (Nominate sub-species) : This sub-species are found at Northeastern part of peninsular India, south to Hyderabad.

Dendrocitta vagabunda vernayi : This sub-species are found at Eastern Ghats and is brighter in color.

Dendrocitta vagabunda parvula : This sub-species are found at the Western Ghats and is smaller in size.

Nesting and Breeding

The breeding season varies according to the range and extends from February to July. Breeding season in North India is from May–Jun and in Kerala from Mar–Apr.

The Rufous Treepie breeds solitary. Both adults build the nest, a rather small and flimsy cup made with thin thorny twigs. The inner cup is lined with rootlets and small twigs. It is placed at about 6-8 meters above the ground in isolated or prominent tree or in bush and are well concealed by foliage,

The female lays 2-6 eggs. Eggs are pale greenish with darker markings. Both male and female share incubation and all the nesting duties. The young are fed by both parents.

Oriental dwarf kingfisher

2021-09-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Introduction of Oriental dwarf kingfisher

The oriental dwarf kingfisher (Scientific name: Ceyx erithaca) of Alcedinidae family is also known as the black-backed kingfisher or three-toed kingfisher. It is the smallest kingfisher species measuring 13 to 14 cm in length and weighting 14 to 20 grams.

How to identify Oriental dwarf kingfisher

Identification of Oriental dwarf kingfisher is very easy because of its small size and color. Oriental dwarf kingfisher is brightly colored bird like other kingfishers. Upperparts of Oriental dwarf kingfisher are glowing bluish black and underparts are yellowish orange. On the forehead, they have a blackish spot. On the side of the neck, there is a blue patch and just below the blue patch there is a white patch. The throat is white with bright orange colored lines in the bottom. The rump is lilac-pink.

The head of the Oriental dwarf kingfisher is colored lilac-rufous. The tail is short and the tip of the tail is orange. The bill of Oriental dwarf kingfisher is long and broad and color of the bill is reddish orange. The irises are black and there is dark gray bare skin around the eye. The legs and feet are reddish orange. This species has three toes and out of these three toes, two are facing forward. Because of three toes, it is also known as three-toed kingfisher.

Habits and Habitats

Oriental dwarf kingfisher like to keep themselves clean. They sometimes dive into the water to bathe, then fly to a perch to preen and dry their feathers in the sunlight. Sometimes they clean their heads using their wings. They also clean their bills by scraping them back and forth.

Oriental dwarf kingfisher inhabit tropical coastal forests, evergreen primary and secondary forest, wooded lowlands, deciduous forests, subtropical moist lowlands, tropical moist lowlands, mangroves, rivers, streams and creeks. The popular habitat is small streams in densely shaded forests. But Oriental dwarf kingfisher species have moderate forest dependency. These kingfisher species are found from 0 to 1300 meters elevation.

Distribution

Oriental dwarf kingfisher species are distributed in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia and Philippines.

It has three sub-species. Distribution of subspecies are as bellows

Ceyx erithaca erithaca (Nominate Race) are distributed Southwestern India (south from Bombay) south to Sri Lanka, and from Bhutan east to south China (Yunnan, Hainan) and south to Sumatra and adjacent islands.

Ceyx erithaca macrocarus are found at Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands, and islands off western Sumatra (Simeulue, Nias, Batu).

Ceyx erithaca motleyi are found at Northern central and western Philippines (Mindoro and Panay to Palawan), south to Borneo and Java, then east to Sumbawa and Flores.

Food

Geckos, crabs, snails, frogs, crickets, shrimp and dragonflies are in the food list of Oriental dwarf kingfisher. Kingfishers are territorial birds and for searching food, it generally locate a area based on food sources, desirable perching trees and safe roosting sites. Like most other birds, Oriental dwarf kingfisher also search for their food in the mornings and evenings. But they will hunt for food during mid-day if the weather is cooler. It captures its meals by hovering or perching above the water. And it can dives deep into the water at speeds of over 40km/h when it spots any prey.

Call

Their call is high pitched “triet triet triet” or low pitched “tjiee tjiee tjiee” sound.

Nesting and Breeding

The breeding season of these Oriental dwarf kingfisher species is from July to September in the southwest India. In Sri Lanka, the breeding season is from February to July. The breeding season is during April and May in northeastern India and from March to July in Malay Peninsula.

The Oriental dwarf kingfisher species excavate one meter long horizontal tunnel on the river bank for nesting. And at the end of the tunnel, they hollow out a narrow chamber in which female lay eggs. The nests are constructed by both males and females. It takes between three to seven days to complete the tunnel. The clutch may comprise four or five eggs. Both the parents take turns to incubate and the eggs hatch out in 17 days. The hatchlings are fed with a variety of insects and small vertebrates. The young birds fledge after 20 days. A second brood may be raised if the first nesting attempt was unsuccessful.

Malabar Trogon

2021-07-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

Introduction of Malabar Trogon

Malabar Trogon (Scientific name: Harpactes fasciatus) belongs to the family Trogonidae. Malabar Trogon is a medium-sized brightly colored bird. It is sexually dimorphic bird means male and female are not look alike. It measures about 30 cm in length and weighs 60 to 65 grams.

How to identify Malabar Trogon

The male Trogon has black head. Breast has white ring which separated the hood from other parts of the body. The upper part is rusty or olive brown. Underparts is bright red. The wing coverts are black with fine white vermiculations. The feathers of tail are graduated. The skin around the eyes in blue. The iris is blackish. The feet are pale blue. Their feet are heterodactyl, a feature unique to the trogons, in which the inner toe is turned backward. Tufts of filoplumes cover the nostrils. Both male and female have a bright blue bill.

The female is not as colorful as male. Female has a brown head and orangish or rusty color underparts.

Habits and Habitats

Malabar Trogon is a forest bird. Dense primary and secondary forests, evergreen forests and semi-evergreen forests are its natural habitats. These birds usually perch still, especially when alarmed and sometimes cling laterally to branches. They can be seen actively foraging with mixed hunting parties of other insectivorous birds.

Local movements for feeding and breeding has been observed. They move to higher region in summer in the Nilgiri hills.

Distribution

Malabar Trogon species are mostly like to reside in their range. Though local movements for feeding and breeding has been observed. In India it is distributed in the peninsular region mainly in the humid areas of Western and Eastern Ghats. It has three sub-species.

The subspecies H. f. legerli is distributed in Northern end of Western Ghats, in South-east Gujarat and South-west Madhya Pradesh.

The subspecies H. f. malabaricus is found in central and southern Western Ghats, northern parts of Eastern Ghats, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal.

The subspecies H. f. fasciatus is distributed in Sri Lanka.

Call

Malabar Trogon are less vocal. When calling they sometimes raise and lower their tail. The call is a series of guttural or purring notes. The song of the male is a series of percussive kyau calls.

Food

Malabar Trogon are avid insect eater and has the capacity to capture the flying insects from the air. The diet of these trogon species mostly consists of insects like spiders, dragonflies, flies, ants, aphids, caterpillars, moths, beetles, grasshoppers, cicadas, bugs and stick-insects. The Sri Lankan subspecies is known to feed on seeds, leaves and berries.

Breeding and Nesting

The male perches himself on a visible branch and and begins to sing. If a female likes the song, she responds with a tune of her own. They take turns serenading each other for a bit, until they’re convinced they have found a worthy mate. The breeding season of malabar trogon is from February to June in India. In Sri Lanka the breeding season is in March and May. They are generally monogamous. It builds nests in hollows of rotting trees or stumps. Both male and female malabar trogon excavate the nest with their bills and the nest is lined with wood power.

The clutch usually has two or three eggs. The female incubates the eggs in the night and the male in the day. The incubation period is 20-22 days. Initially the hatchlings are fed with caterpillars for the first few days. After that, leafhoppers, flies, and praying mantis are included in their diet. Both the parents take care of the hatchlings till they are five or six months old.

Indian Golden Oriole

2021-06-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

Indian Golden Oriole Male

Introduction of Indian Golden Oriole

The Indian Golden Oriole (Scientific name: Oriolus Kundoo) is a species of oriole. Order of this species is Passeriformes and belongs to the Family Oriolidae. It is a medium sized bird of wingspan of 17 to 18.5 inches. The Indian species is a partial migrant. Those reside in the northern parts of the country move to the south during winter. Average life span of Indian golden oriole is between five to ten years.

How to Identify Indian Golden Oriole

It was once regarded as a subspecies of the Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus). But now it is considered as another species. Both the Indian and Eurasian Golden Oriole species are very similar. But there are some differences by which these species can be separated.

Adult male Indian Golden Oriole has golden yellow head, upper parts and underparts. The underwing coverts are yellow and the flight feathers have narrow, yellowish white tips. Wings are black and have yellow-tipped coverts. There are black eye stripe which extends behind the eye and by which it can be differentiate from Eurasian Golden Oriole. Tail are a shiny black. The eyes are a deep dark red and the medium to large bill is a bright pinkish red. Legs are grey blue in color.

Females lacks the male’s distinctive golden yellow color. They are almost greenish with a yellowish-white underpart with black streaks. Bill is more pink than red. Wings are dark grey to black.

Juveniles are similar to the adult female but duller and with heavier underpart streaking. Juvenile has bright golden-yellow face and upperparts and has yellowish supercilium.

Indian Golden Oriole Female

Habits and Habitats

Indian Golden orioles are diurnal birds which means active during the day. They usually lives alone, in pairs, or in small groups. Indian Golden orioles forage on the ground and in tree canopy. Its flight is strong and direct like the flight of thrush. These birds live in various habitats like open deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, woodland, forest edge, mangroves, open country with scattered trees, parks, gardens orchards and plantations.

Distribution

The Indian golden oriole species is distributed in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Indian subcontinent.

Food

Golden orioles are more or less omnivorous. Small insects, fruits, seeds, nectar, and pollen are there main food. But small mammals, small lizards, eggs, and nestlings are also in their food list.

Call

Golden orioles use whistles to communicate with each other. But they produce harsh, alarm calls to warn nearby birds about potential predators. Their alarm call is a screech like a jay. Their song is a beautiful fluting weela-wee-ooo or or-iii-ole. Breeding pairs often sing in duets when females answer to the males' song with a short skweeeeer.

Breeding and Nesting

Indian Golden orioles are monogamous and form long-lasting pair bonds. Males usually arrive at the breeding areas several days before the females. The breeding season is April to August. Orioles make their deep cup-shaped nest on high tree. The nest hangs below a horizontal fork of thin branches. The nest is built mainly by the female, but the male sometimes help to gather nest making material. Size of the nest is 16 inch in length. It is made by plant fibers, fine grass, feathers, and wool. Female lays 3 to 5 eggs at daily intervals early in the morning. Color of the eggs can be white, cream or very pale pink with black marks. The eggs are mainly incubated by the female but the male also take part for short periods. Incubation period is 16-17 days. Nestlings are fed both by the male and female and fledging normally occur by three weeks.

Vigors's sunbird

2021-06-04T07:40:00.000-07:00

Introduction of Vigors's sunbird

Vigors's sunbird (Scientific Name: Aethopyga vigorsii) is a species of sunbird . It is also known as western crimson sunbird and Sahyadri sunbird. It is a tiny bird. Size of the Male is 15 cm. and weight approx. 7·9 g. Female is little lesser than male. Size of female 10 cm anf weight around 7·7 g. Taxonomically it belongs to the Order: Passeriformes. Included in the Family: Nectariniidae and Genus is Aethopyga. Formerly it was considered as a subspecies of the Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja) but it does not have the central tail as long as Crimson.

How to Identify Vigors's sunbird

Throat and breast of adult males are bright scarlet and the rest of its under parts are grey. Color Its wings are grey-brown and edges of the wings lack yellowish-olive shades. lower back is yellow and color of tail is iridescent blue-green or bottle green. Bill is curved.

Upperparts of females are dark olive and underparts are grey. Juvenile male looks like the female, but throat and breast is dull scarlet patches which is bright in adult male.

Habits and Habitats

Like other sunbirds, this species has a fast and direct flight with their short wings. While collecting nectar from flower, Vigors's sunbird can hover like hummingbirds. but most of the time they usually perch to feed. This Vigors's sunbird Found in forest, scrub and gardens below the elevation 1,800 meters. They Forage in small flocks in upper levels of foothill forest and forest edge.

Distribution

The species is mainly found or endemic to the northern Western Ghats of India.

Call

Comparable to Crimson Sunbird, call of Vigors's sunbird is squeaky song and high “seep” .

Food

Nectar, insects and spiders are the main food of Vigors's sunbird .

Breeding and Nesting

Vigors's sunbird make suspended nest in a tree. Generally clutch consists of two to three eggs. It's parasitised by the Asian Emerald Cuckoo.

Crimson Sunbird

2021-05-30T07:20:00.003-07:00

Male Crimson Sunbird

Introduction of Crimson Sunbird

The crimson sunbird (Scientific name: Aethopyga siparaja) is a species of bird which belongs to the sunbird family. Crimson sunbirds are small bird. Average length of Crimson Sunbirds average is 11 cm or 4.3 inches.

How to Identify Crimson Sunbird

The adult male has a crimson colored breast and throat and its back is maroon-colored. The rump is yellow and the abdomen is yellowish-olive. He has deep blue moustachial stripes. The Male has a bluish-green tail with white tips to the outer tail feathers. But this long central tail feathers are absent in the sub-species Aethopyga siparaja. nicobarica of the Nicobar Islands. It's bill is medium-length which is thin and curved downward. Tongue is brush-tipped and tubular. These adaptation is due to their nectar feeding.

The adult female has an olive-green back, yellowish chest and white tips to the outer tail feathers.

Juvenile male looks like adult female, but has scarlet chin, centre of throat and breast, mantle and shoulders and yellow patch on back and uppertail.

Female Crimson Sunbird

Habits and Habitats

Flight of Crimson sunbird is fast and direct. like hummingbird most species of Crimson sunbird can take nectar by hovering but most of the time they perch to feed. The males establish feeding territories. They aggressively defend the flower bearing shrubs and trees; particularly those plants which has a lot of nectar are defended more vigorously. This species are found in forest and in cultivated areas. An altitudinal movements are seen in rainy season. In some areas they move to thelower altitude during the monsoons and move to the higher altitude after the rains.

Distribution

The crimson sunbird is a resident bird of tropical southern Asia. It is distributed from India, through Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar to Indonesia. It has several sub-species

Sub-species

Aethopyga siparaja siparaja

This species is found in Malay Peninsula (south of Narathiwat), Sumatra (except Aceh) and satellite islands, Borneo and associated small islands (except Natunas).

Aethopyga siparaja labecula

In India, this species is found in North West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Manipur. Besides it is also found in Bhutan, South of Bangladesh to Chittagong Hills, east to Myanmar (except in the south), Southern China (south Yunnan), northwestern Laos and northwestern Vietnam.

Aethopyga siparaja cara

This species is found in South Myanmar and Thailand

Aethopyga siparaja nicobarica

This species is found in South Nicobar Island (Great and Little Nicobars, Kondal and Meroe Islands)

Aethopyga siparaja tonkinensis

This species is found in Northeastern Vietnam and south China (southeastern Yunnan east to western Guangdong

Aethopyga siparaja owstoni

This species is found in Naozhou Island (southwestern Guangdong), in south China

Aethopyga siparaja mangini

This species is found in Southeastern Thailand and central and south Indochina

Aethopyga siparaja insularis

This species is found in Phu Quoc Island, off southern Cambodia

Aethopyga siparaja trangensis

This species is found in Southern Thailand and northern Malay Peninsula

Aethopyga siparaja natunae

This species is found in Natuna Island

Aethopyga siparaja heliogona

This species is found in Java

Aethopyga siparaja flavostriata

This species is found in Northern Sulawesi

Aethopyga siparaja beccarii

This species is found in Central, south and southeastern Sulawesi, Kabaena, Muna and Butung

Aethopyga siparaja magnifica

This species is found in West-central Philippine Islands, Marinduque, Tablas, Sibuyan, Panay, Negros, Cebu

Aethopyga siparaja seheriae

This species is found in Himalayan foothills in India from W Himachal Pradesh (Kangra) east to Sikkim and Bhutan, south to northern West Bengal, eastern Bihar,eastern Madhya Pradesh and Orissa (possibly northern Andhra Pradesh), and western Bangladesh.

Call

Its call is described as a chee-cheewee.

Food

Main food of Crimson Sunbirds mostly is nectar. But it also take insects particularly during the breeding season to feed their young. They prefer the nectar of flowers with the highest sugar content. and try to find out those areas containing flowers with high energy nectar.

Breeding and Nesting

Both the male and female Crimson Sunbird make a purse-shaped suspended nest on thin branch of a low tree or shrub. Later the female cover the nest by moss.

The peak nesting season is December to March. The average clutch consists of 2 - 3 eggs. Eggs are mostly incubated by the female for about 18 - 19 days. The male assists with feeding the young.

Malabar Parakeet | Blue-winged Parakeet

2021-05-28T06:27:00.009-07:00

Introduction of Malabar Parakeet

The Malabar Parakeet (Scientific name : Psittacula columboides) is a native bird of India. It is also known as the Blue-winged Parakeet. It is a medium sized bird. The average size of adult Malabar Parakeetis arround 14.8 inches in length. This species is closely related to Sri Lanka's endemic bird Layard's parakeet (Psittacula calthropae).

How to identify Malabar Parakeet

Color of plumage of Malabar Parakeet is very beautiful. Overall color of male is a bluish-gray with a reddish-pink tint. Male has a double ring around the neck. Top ring is of greenish dark gray color and the lower ring is a bright light blue. There is a tinge of green feathers around the eyes which extend towards their beaks. The wings and tail feathers are dark blue and there is a yellow tinge to the tips. Yellow also appears on the vent. The color of its heads is bluer in than other parts of their bodies. Blue color is more prominent above the nares and on the cheeks. Color of beak is bright red and tip of the beak is yellow but lower mandible is brown. color of eyes are yellow.

The female Malabar Parakeets don't have the collar or ring around their necks. Color of female's head is gray. The beak of the female is black.

Young or immature parakeets can be easily recognized from adults by their orange beaks. They have plumage similar to that of the female which transforms in to adult plumage after their first molt. Head color of young is grey and upper parts are green . Black stripe across cheeks and around collar is duller and narrower and there is no blue or green band under black stripe. Eyes are grey.

Habits and Habitats

The Malabar Parakeet live in small groups. Each group generally composed of four to five individuals. But some times, they live in small flocks also. They are very noisy.

Food

Berries and other fruits such as figs, flowers, leaf buds, seeds, small nuts and nectar are their main food.

Call

Calls are discordant and shrieky.. Sharp notes repeated in short bursts can also be heard.

Distribution

They are commonly found in Southwest India, Western Ghats strip, south-western India, north to Bombay and south to Kerala.

Breeding and Nesting

Breeding season of the Malabar Parakeet starts in January and lasts up to march March. They like to make nest in holes in trees, especially of old woodpecker and barbet nests and generally choose atop tall trees in humid deciduous and evergreen forests. A clutch usually consists of 3 to 5 eggs and the incubation period is 23 days. The female incubates the eggs. The chicks fledge after 3 weeks of age.

IUCN status of Malabar Parakeet

The population size is unknown but trend appears to be stable. It is in the Red List of IUCN and the species is evaluated as Least Concern. It is classified as a "restricted-range" species by the IUCN. But like the Alexandrine Parakeet, the main threat to this species is capturing for the illegal pet trade.

Morphology of Birds- Essential for birdwatching

2021-05-23T00:19:00.000-07:00

What is Morphology

Morphology is a branch dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features. It has two parts. One is study of the outer appearance (shape, structure, color, pattern, size) and it is called external morphology (or eidonomy). Another one is study of the internal parts like bones and organs, It is called. internal morphology (or anatomy). In this article only external morphology will be discussed.

Why study of bird morphology is essential

Colors and shapes varies in birds from species to species. But at the same time it is fact that the arrangement of feathers is remarkably similar across all species. When trying to identify a bird by its appearance, to have some knowledge about group feathers and a bird’s body parts is the most important for the birders.

Knowledge about a bird’s morphology such as feathers and body parts will enable you to not only write a good description when you see a bird but also, will enable you to understand someone else’s written descriptions of a bird others see. Lets take an example of Red Vented Bulbul. If you don't know what the Vent is, then you can not understand why it is called Red Vented. On the other hand, if you don't have knowledge about the name of different parts of a bird, you will not be able to take notes about the physical appearance when you see an unknown bird in your field book.

Different parts of Head

Bird's head varies according to species. But construction are overall same. Different parts of head has different name.

Orbital Ring: Unfeathered ring or skin around the eye. Some birds have brightly color Orbital Rings while others do not have one at all. Orbital ring can change color over time.

Iris: Refers to the colored part of the eye surrounding the pupil, which is always black. In some birds the iris color change with age.

Nostril: Equivalent to a channel of the nose of a bird.

Nail: Tip of upper mandible. In ducks the size and coloration of the nail can be an important identification feature.

Gape: Fleshy edges at corners or the base of the beak. In most birds the gape are obvious in young individuals.

Nape: Refers to the area behind the neck.

Supraorbital Ridge: Is the boney protuberance above the eye socket; this ridge helps shade and protect the eye and gives raptors their fierce look.

Cere: Is the bare area surrounding the nostrils and can be different colos according to species, age and sex of the bird.

Chin: Is a very small area at the base of the lower mandible and can often be a good clue for the identification of certain birds.

Culmen: Refer to the ridge along the top of the upper mandible.

Crown: Refers to the top area of the head.

Forehead: Area between the bill and the crown.

Post Ocular Spot: Feathered or skin spot found behind the eye .

Post Ocular Stripe: Stripe of feathers that project from the eye down bordering the throat or gorget.

Bill: The size, shape and color of a bird’s bill known as beak also is a way of identification. It has two parts one is Upper mandible and lower mandible. Different birds have different types of bill e.g curvature in the bill, unique markings, colors or bands.

Different parts of body

Throat: A bird’s throat may be a different color from its surrounding plumage, or it may be marked with spots, streaks or lines. Malar stripes may frame the throat as well, helping set it off from the rest of a bird’s body. For many birds, the chin and throat have similar colors and markings.

Neck: The neck of a bird is hard to see on many species, since it can be relatively short and insignificant. On wading birds, however, the neck is much more prominent and can be a good place to look for field marks. The length of the neck can also help distinguish different bird species.

Back: A bird’s back is often broad and easy to see in the right posture. Look for different colors and markings along the back that distinguish it from the neck, rump and wings.

Chest: The chest (also called the breast) is the upright part of the bird’s body between the throat and the abdomen. A bird’s chest may be differently colored or marked with stripes, streaks or spots that can help with identification.

Abdomen: The abdomen or belly of a bird extends from the bottom of the chest to the undertail coverts. The colors and markings on the abdomen may vary from the chest and flanks, making it a good feature to check for identification.

Flanks: The flanks (sides) of a bird are located between the underside of the wings and the abdomen. In many bird species, the flanks have unique colors or markings, though depending on how the birds carry their wings, the flanks may be difficult to see.

Wings: Birds’ wings are their upper limbs used for flight. Wing bars or patches are useful field marks. Structure of wing has been described bellow.

Rump: A bird’s rump is the patch above the tail and low on the back. For many birds, the rump does not stand out, but some species show unique rump color patches that are useful for identification.

Tail: The length, shape and colors of a bird’s tail are important for proper identification. The tail can be held in different positions when the bird is perched or flying, however, and watching for different markings can help distinguish different birds.

Undertail Coverts: The short feathers beneath the tail are the undertail coverts, and these feathers often show unique colors or markings that can distinguish bird species.

Legs: Birds’ legs vary in length and color, both of which can be useful field marks for proper identification. The thickness of the leg, while difficult to see on many species, can also be a clue, as can any feathering. Some raptors, for example, have heavily feathered legs that can be used to identify the birds.

Feet: Many birds’ feet are the same color as their legs, but not always. The orientation of the toes, the size of the talons and how a bird uses its feet are also useful identification characteristics.

Wing Structure

Observation of the structure of wings which is fully visible when a bird in flight is a good way for identifying a bird. Here are some main structural parts of wing of a bird.

Wingtip

Wingtips are easily visible on flying birds, and determining if they are rounded or pointed can help with proper identification. Another clue can be the splay of the primary feathers (how wide the spaces are between each individual feather on the wingtip). Some birds hold these feathers close together, while others spread them widely.

Wrist

The bend of a bird's wing is its wrist—the first joint down from the wingtip—and how that wrist is held can distinguish different species. As with wingspan, it is best to make this judgment when the bird's wings are fully extended and the bird is gently soaring so that the wing is in a rest position. Check to see if the wrist joint is relatively straight or shows a stronger bend, and how that bend compares to the position of the head. At the same time, check for any markings, such as a dark patch or comma-like shape at the wrist.

Patagium

The leading edge of the wing is the patagium, and its color can help identify a bird, such as the dark patagium on the red-tailed hawk pictured above. Check to see if the whole patagium is colored or if it is simply splotched or speckled.

Wingpit

A bird's wingpit is the equivalent to the human armpit, the area close to the body on the interior of the underside of the wing. This area can show distinct colors or markings vital for bird identification. Look for streaks, barring, or color patches on any in-flight bird you're trying to identify.

Wing Feathers

While the structure of the wing is often more immediately useful for field identification, field guides often refer to different types of feathers when listing key field marks. Understanding how those feathers look on a wing can help you be prepared to identify each bird you see.

Primary Feathers

The primary feathers are the "fingertip" feathers of the wing and are found at the wingtip.

Secondary Feathers

Secondary feathers make up the back edge of the wing closer to the body. They are generally shorter and closer together than primaries, and birds do not manipulate them as much as they do their primary feathers.

Coverts

Covert feathers make up the wingpit as well as the upper side of the wing, and they cover the base of the primary and secondary feathers. They may be called primary coverts or secondary coverts, depending on which feathers they are aligned with.

Crested Hawk-eagle

2021-05-16T07:36:00.004-07:00

Crested Hawk-eagle

Introduction of Crested Hawk-eagle

The Crested Hawk-eagle (Scientific Name :Nisaetus cirrhatus), is a bird of prey belongs to the family Accipitridae. Previously,they were in the genus Spizaetus. But now they are separated and placed in Nisaetus.

How to identify Crested Hawk-eagle

The Crested hawk-eagle is a raptor. Length of this bird is about 60-82 cm. and wingspan from 100 to 160 cm (3 ft 3 in to 5 ft 3 in). It is a relatively slender forest eagle with some subspecies (especially limnaetus) being dimorphic giving the name of "Changeable".

Body of Crested Hawk-Eagle is slender. Color of the body is normally brown above and white below with black streaks on throat, on breast and on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail. There is a long narrow crest projecting behind the head. It has rather short wings, a quite long, thinly-barred tail and long feathered legs. Crested Hawk-Eagle tends to perch “bolt” upright, When perched, their wings reach only about one-third to halfway down tail. Colors of eyes of adults are yellow to orange yellow, while those of the juvenile are grey-brown to pale greenish. Cere of adult are grey to pale greenish yellow and juveniles’ ceres are dull greyish. Feet of Crested hawk-eagle of all ages are yellow. Male and female looks alike. But female is larger than male. Head of young Crested hawk-eagle's varies from buff with white-tipped black crest through entirely whitish, but almost always the young birds are spotted and streaked with black or dark brown about the rear crown and nape

The species tends to fly with a fast agile flight, showing powerful shallow beats interspersed with glides on flat or bowed wings with their carpals well forward (above level of bill) and primaries swept back.

Distribution

Crested hawk-eagle may be found anywhere from sea level to 2,200 m (7,200 ft) but mainly live below 1,500 m (4,900 ft).Crested hawk-eagle are found much in the Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia such as Sri Lanka, southern Nepal and Bhutan east through Myanmar, Burma, western Laos, southern Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and peninsular Malaysia. In India, they are found almost continuously from the peninsular tip north to Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha and Himalayan foothills (Garhwal to Assam)

Crested hawk-eagle on perched
(Photo by: Mrs Anu Kadri)

Habits and Habitats

Natural habitats of this species are savannah woodland, cultivation with trees, timbered watercourses, tea plantations, forest villages and even suburban edge. Beyond these, they are often found into fairly open or less dense parts of undisturbed vast evergreen or deciduous forests. This species are primarily ambush predators who use concealing foliage to still-hunt from hidden branch or open branch with a leafy background, pouncing fast to take most of their prey on the ground.

Food

The Crested hawk-eagle have a slight preference for birds as their food, but various mammals, reptiles and some other vertebrates are also in their food list.

Call

The Crested hawk-eagle is mainly silent but in breeding season it may readily call. Their calls are a form of high-pitched scream. The shrill ringing and loud call of the changeable hawk-eagle is various described in pattern of yeep-yip-yip-yip, rising kwip-kwip-kwip-kwee-ah and penetrating klee-leeuw . Ascending kri-kri-kri-kree-ah and kreeee-krit with much stress on the elongated first syllable are similar. From western birds from India and Sri Lanka, the call is a slightly different ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-keee, beginning short, rising in crescendo and ending in long, drawn-out scream.

Breeding and Nesting

The Crested hawk-eagle is mainly solitary bird but form pair during breeding and often mate for life. Each pair engages in a courtship display. This aerial display is usually engaged in by a male but sometimes the female or both members of the pair will engage in displays. Courtship often start with their wings and tail arched upwards in exaggerated poises. During the display, the shoot up vertically and nose-diving or stooping. They fly at each other doing a complete loop-the-loop turn in air. They often call loudly throughout the display.

The breeding season of Crested hawk-eagles is from November to May in southern India, and from January–April in the more temperate climate of the Himalayan foothills. This species builds a large nest with sticks. Dimensions of their nest is 37 to 41 in. and depth can range from 14 to 47 in. Nests are lined with green leaves. Both male and female of the pair participate in building new nests and take part in repairs. Nests are often solidly built and resilient, more so than those of other medium-sized eagles, against high winds and monsoons. Crested hawk-eagles build their nest usually at height of 39 ft 82 ft in the crown or high fork of a large tree. Nests are generally build near a stream or near a ravine. But sometimes varies from deep forest to isolated trees on village edges also.

Female lays only one egg. The egg is coarse and glossless, mainly white but have sparely and faintly blotched with light reddish. Egg sizes is 2.57 to 2.87 inch in height. Mainly the female alone incubates the egg. Estimated incubation period is about 40 days. After the nestling hatches, the female will brood intensively for about 25 days. After a couple weeks, prey is delivered to nearby branches rather than to the nest and the parents encourage the young eaglet to come out of the nest. By 52 days of age, the eaglet is fully-grown but does not fledge until about 60–68 days.

Jacobin Cuckoo

2020-10-17T23:36:00.001-07:00

Jacobin Cuckoo

Introduction of Jacobin Cuckoo

The Jacobin Cuckoo also known as Pied Cuckoo or Pied Crested Cuckoo (Scientific name : Clamator jacobinus) is a member of the order cuckoo and belongs to the family Cuculidae. In India it is known as "Chatak" and there is a myth that the bird waits for rains to quench its thirst.

How to Identify Jacobin Cuckoo

Jacobin Cuckoo is a medium sized bird. Length is around 31–34 cm and weight approx 66 g. Upper part of adult Jacobin Cuckoo is glossy black with a black crest. There is white patch on black wings and white tips to black tail. Underpart is white, brown iris and bill is black. Feet are slate-grey. Upper part of juvenile Jacobin Cuckoo is brown to sooty black. whitish below with fulvous or grey on breast, tail spots is buff instead of white and eye ring yellow. It has three sub-species and races differ in plumage and size. jacobinus jacobinus is smaller and jacobinus pica is larger and both are unstreaked below. serratus is also larger, with two colour morphs, one variably greyish white to white below with streaked throat, the other, mainly in coastal S Africa, all glossy black with white wing patch and no white in tail.

Habits and Habitats

Natural habitats of Jacobin Cuckoo are open woodland and scrub, dry thorn savanna, thorny jungle, plains. In India, Jacobins are found mainly in lowlands, plains and hills up to 2000 m, on migration to 4200 m in Himalayas.

Distribution

In the south of India, there is a population that is resident year-round. But in central and northern parts, Jacobin Cuckoos are seen only from just before the monsoon to early winter. It have three sub-species as belows:

Clamator jacobinus jacobinus: Found in South India and Sri Lanka.

Clamator jacobinus pica: Found in Sub-Saharan Africa; north-west India to Nepal and Myanmar.

Clamator jacobinus serratus: Found in South Africa.

Food

Insects, mainly hairy caterpillar, grasshoppers, mantids, termites; forest snails and also the eggs of host birds, berries are in the food list of Jacobin Cuckoo . This bird is primarily arboreal which means that it mostly lives on trees and feeds mainly in trees and bushes. But also descends to ground and hops in search of food.

Call

Loud ringing “kleeuw, kleeuw, kleeuw”, each note descending, repeated in series, by both sexes; males often follow with faster series of short rising notes, “kwik-kwik-kwik...!”, and call “kweek!”. Often calls at night.

Breeding and Nesting

Jacobin Cuckoo breeds in rainy season. In North India , breeding time is Jun–Aug and in S Nilgiris Jan–Mar. This bird is a brood parasite i.e. it lays its eggs in nests that belong to other birds. In India, Jacobins prefers to lay eggs in the nest of Common Babbler (A. caudata), Jungle Babbler (T. striata) and Large Grey Babbler (A. malcolmi). Color of eggs are blue in India, Sri Lanka and Africa N of 14° S, Size of the egg is 24 mm × 19 mm (India). Incubation period are 11–12 days and fledging period are 17–18 days.

Red Avadavat

2020-07-12T05:42:00.003-07:00

Male Red Avadavat (With Breeding Plumage)

Introduction of Red Avadavat

Red Avadavat (Scientific name: Amandava amandava) also known as Red munia or Strawberry finch, is a sparrow-sized bird and is popular as a cage bird due to the colourful plumage of the males in their breeding season. It belongs to the family Estrildidae. These birds were exported long before From the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India hence The species name of amandava and the common name of avadavat are derived.

How to Identify Red Avadavat

Red avadavats are about 3 to 4 inches long. Males look like females during non breeding season. The color of the underpart ranges from a creamy tan to creamy yellow and there are black streaks under the eyes. The crown, back, wings and tail are dark brown with fewer white spots than males in breeding season. During non breeding season, the male can be distinguished by the white spots on his uppertail coverts. Female's uppertail coverts remain unspotted or only have a few small indistinct white spots.
During the breeding season males have a deep red crown and back, and there are white streaks under the eyes. The sides of the head, down the breast and the undersides are scarlet. The wings, tail overfeathers, and flanks are dark red with white spots. Feathers of tail are black and underside of the tail feathers are edged in white. The beaks of the males are red. Into the breeding season the chest and underbelly of female become a brighter yellow-orange.
Juveniles of this species are dull grayish brown all over. They have two pale wing bars due to buff-colored feather tips on their median and greater wing coverts.This is the first molt from the nestling stage. Nestlings are marked by dark skin and down, and have markings around the mouth.The beak is black which turns pink as they mature.

Habits and Habitats

Red avadavats are found in the open fields and grasslands of tropical Asia such as sugarcane fields, gardens, marshes, medows and areas near bodies of water. Red avadavats are accustomed to tropical temperatures and it lose intensity of plumage color in cool or dry environments.
Red avadavats stay in large groups during the non-breeding season. They move their tails from side to side and at a down angle when they are alarmed and use a shrill call to warn other group members.
Males and females when make pair during breeding season show aggression towards other pairs. Red avadavats can perch upright between two vertical posts as they have a large grip and have ability to extend the legs in opposite directions.

Distribution
Red avadavats are found throughout southern and southeastern Asia, from India to the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands.
It has three sub-species
A. a. amandava - This subspecies is found in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan;
A. a. flavidiventris - This subspecies is more reddish-orange on his underpart when in breeding plumage, with a pale orange belly and lacks black on the lower belly. It is found in South-West China, Myanmar and Lesser Sunda Islands,
A. a. punicea - This subspecies is slightly brighter. It has smaller white spots and has a reduced or absent black lore. It is found in South-East Thialand, South-East Kampuchea, South-East China, Vietnam, Java and Bali.

Food
Red avadavats feed on a variety of food sources. In captivity red avadavats prefer seeds from sprouting millet. When feeding young, they prefer ant larvae and pupae, centipedes and caterpillars. They collect food mainly from ground.

Call
Red avadavats have long vocalizations used as location calls. Females have a shorter, softer version of the call. When red avadavats are displaying aggressive behaviors they will use a shrill call. A higher pitched call is used when members of the species perceive danger to their young. Young learn songs from their fathers while in the nest.

Female Red Avadavat

Breeding and Nesting

Breeding season occur from January to April though it varies regionally.At the start of the breeding season, males change their plumage from brown to red. During courtship, male red avadavats use their bright red plumage in addition to a mating dance to attract females. Males dance with a grass stem or feather in their mouth.They deeply bow with feathers erect. Usually the birds sing and hop between bows. Both males and females use voclizations during mating display.
When the birds have paired, they separate from the larger group to build a nest. Red avadavats are monogamous within a breeding season.
Both males and females participate to make a nest. Globular Nests are made of grass and sticks and is lined with soft feathers, cotton and grass. Number of eggs are between 4 to 6 in a clutch. The incubation period of eggs are around 11 days. Fledging period is around 20 days.
The eggs are incubated by both parents during the day. But Females only hatch at night. Both parents feed nestlings. Males take responsibility of feeding the young if females produce another clutch before the first set of young are able to care for themselves.

Yellow-footed green pigeon

2020-07-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

Introduction of Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

The yellow-footed green pigeon (Scientific Name:Treron phoenicoptera) of Family: Columbidae is a common species of green pigeon. In India it is known as Hariyal. The scientific name Treron phoenicoptera explains both its character and physical attributes of this bird. Meaning of the word "Treronis" in Greek is pigeon or dove, which also mean shy or timid. The word "phoenicopterus" derived from the Greek word phoinikopteros, mostly refers to the lilac patch on the shoulder. So the name mean a shy pigeon with a lilac patch on the shoulder.

How to Identify Yellow footed green pigeon

Size of adult Yellow footed green pigeon is between 29 to 33 cm. The length of the tail is between 8 to 10 cm. Weight of adult is between 225 to 260 g. and the wingspan is 17 to 19 cm.
Color of the body is yellowish olive-green which is duller above and the crown is blue grey. Forehead and lores are pale olive-green. There is lilac patch on the shoulders and a conspicuous yellow bar in the blackish wings.
Neck dark golden olive-yellow tinged greenish, mauve shoulder patch, bright yellow fringes to the wing coverts.
Mantle and scapulars dull grey green, the mantle bordered above with a distinct blue grey band. Abdomen dull green with greyer flanks and bright sulphur-yellow lower belly and leg feathers.
Bright yellow legs always diagnostic for this species.
Lesser coverts are olive and those near the bend of the wings are mauve. Median and greater coverts are grey with olive tinged, with pale yellow fringes to the apical halves of the outerwebs. Outer greater coverts are blakish. Tail is slaty grey tinged olive basally, especially on the centeral feathers. Upper tail light greenish with broad, dark grey terminal bar. Under tail black basally, apical half ashy grey. Under wing pale grey tinged olive on the leading edge.
Outer ring of iris are pink-red and inner are pale blue. The bill is silver grey with light green color.
Females are slightly duller than male with a more restricted mauve shoulder patch.
Juvenile birds are paler and duller than the female and the mauve shoulder patch is lacking or almost lacking.

Habits and Habitats

Yellow footed green pigeon is a shy bird. It is almost entirely arboreal and rarely seen on the ground. They are social birds and forage in flocks. They found in pairs or small groups consisting of 5 to 10 birds but sometimes in large groups. The flight is swift, strong, and direct and wings make a distinctive winnowing whistle when they takes flight.
Semi evergreen forests, dry and moist deciduous forest, wooded habitats and secondary forests up to 800 meters of elevation are it's natural habitats. They are commonly found in agricultural land, villages road side trees particularly Banyan and Peepal trees.

Distribution
They found in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indochina except Sind, Baluchistan and the desert tracts of the North-West.
This species has four recognized sub-species. They are as bellows
T.p phoenicopterus: This sub-species are found in East Pakistan and North India to Assam and Bangladesh
T.p phillipsi: This sub-species are found in Sri Lanka
T.p chlorigaster: This sub-species are found in Peninsular India south of the Gangetic Plain
T.p viridifrons: This sub-species are found in extreme South-west China (Yunnan) to Myanmar and north-west Thailand

Call
The call is a series of about ten beautiful, mellow, musical whistles which sounds like "Wheet-wa-hoo" and "hoo-hoo".

Food
Yellow footed green pigeon is frugivorous. It loves figs from the banyan and peepal trees.They feed on various fruits, berries and crops. They also feed on buds, shoots and various grains.

Nesting and Breeding

The breeding season of Yellow footed green pigeon is between March to June. During the courtship the male puffs out his throat and breast, lowers his wings, ruffles out his feathers, then prances solemnly up and down the branch, continually bowing his head and whistling softly as he makes his way backwards and forwards to and from the female. Sometimes the female responds with a similar but less intense version of this display.
Nest is a relatively slight platform of twigs in a tree or shrub. Clutch consists of 1 to 2 eggs. Eggs are white and glossy. Incubation period is between 13 to 15 days. Both the male and female incubate and feed the cheeks.

Stork-billed Kingfisher

2020-07-05T00:40:00.000-07:00

Stork-billed Kingfisher

Introduction of Stork-billed Kingfisher

The Stork-billed Kingfisher (Scientific Name: Pelargopsis capensis) belongs to the Order: Coraciiformes and it's Family is Halcyonidaeis. This kingfisher is widely but sparsely distributed in tropical south Asia from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia. The average life span of the kingfisher is two years.

How to Identify Stork-billed Kingfisher

It is a very large kingfisher typically measuring 25 to 38 cm in length and weight is between 140 and 200 grams.
Head of the adult bird is grey, back is blue- green, wings and tail is blue. Color of underparts and neck are orange-yellow. Bill is very large measuring 18 to 20 cm in length, and legs are small and bright red. Males and females look alike.
Juvenile birds are similar in appearance to the adult but have narrow dusky fringes on the collar, lower throat and breast, giving it a scaly appearance. They also have buff-green fringes on the upper tail coverts. Juveniles also have a duller bill and less prominent red eye-ring in comparison to the adult.

Habits and Habitats

The Stork-billed Kingfisher is quite solitary, less noisy and less visible. When perched it sits motionless for long periods which make it difficult to find out.
It is a highly territorial bird and can chase away other large predators to prevent it's territory.
Stork-billed Kingfishers like to live in wooded habitat near to water. Suitable perches along rivers, coasts and mangroves are their main natural habitat. They also found near artificial aquatic and terrestrial areas like plantations, water storage lakes, canals, drain canals and large water holding pits and ditches.

Distribution
The Stork-billed Kingfisher is found throughout the South Asia subcontinent and Southeast Asia from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. It is a non-migrant sedentary bird but move locally for feeding and breeding within their range. These species are found within altitudes from 0 to 1200 meters.
There are 13 recognised subspecies:
Sub species P.c. capensis – found in the Indian subcontinent from the base of the Himalayas and South Nepal to Assam and Bangladesh and southwards from Southeast Gujarat and Southwest Bengal to Sri Lanka.
Sub species P.c.osmastoni – found in the Andaman Islands
Sub species P.c.intermedia – found on the Nicobar Islands
Sub species P.c.burmanica – found in Myanmar, Thailand and south to the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula
Sub species P.c.malaccensis – found in the Malay Peninsula, south of the Isthmus of Kra to the Riau and Linnga Archipelagos
Sub species P.c.cyanopteryx – found in Sumatra, Bangka and Belitung
Sub species P.c.simalurensis – found on the Simeulue Islands, off Northwest Sumatra
Sub species P.c.sodalis – found in Banyak, Nias, Batu and Mentawai Islands off Northwest Sumatra
Sub species P.c.innominata – found in Borneo
Sub species P.c.javana – found in Java
Sub species P.c. floresiana – found in Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa and Flores
Sub species P.c.gouldi – found in northern Philippines (Lubang, Mindoro, Calauit, Culion, Palawan and Balabac)
Sub species P.c.gigantea – found in central and southern Philippines and the Sulu Archipelago.
Most racial variations are due to differences in plumage. P.c.gigantea differs the most from other subspecies in having a white head, neck and underpart

Call
The call of this noisy kingfisher is a low and far reaching peer-por-por repeated every 5 seconds. In flight the call is a loud cackling “ke-ke-ke-ke-ke-ke”.

Food
Frogs, fish, crabs and shrimp are the primary food of stork-billed kingfisher. But lizards, rodents, young birds, large insects and several terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates are also in their food list.
It is able to hover above the water while searching for fish and their heavy body weight gives them enough power to swoop down fast on a fish that is close to the water surface.

Nesting and Breeding

Stork-billed Kingfisher digs its nest in a river bank, decaying tree, or a tree termite nest. These stork-billed kingfisher species are monogamous.
The breeding season varies according the range they inhibit. January to September is the breeding season in India. The breeding season is from January to May and also from August to September in Sri Lanka. The breeding season is found to be in April in Philippines and Nicobar Islands.
Eggs of Stork-billed Kingfisher is round, white and glossy. The clutch consist of two to five eggs. Both the male and female incubate the eggs during the day. During the night, only the female incubates.

Common Kingfisher

2020-06-22T19:12:00.003-07:00

Common Kingfisher

Introduction of Common Kingfisher

Common kingfisher (Scientific Name : Alcedo atthis ) is a small kingfisher belonging to the Family- Alcedinidae and of Order- Coraciiformes. Common kingfisher has seven recognized subspecies. The average lifespan of Common Kingfisher is 7 years though can live for 15 years.

How to Identify Common Kingfisher

The Common kingfisher has colorful plumage. Its upperparts, wings and head are bright blue and underparts is rich chestnut-red or orange. It is a small kingfisher of 17 cm long with a wingspan of 25 cm and weighs 34–46 grams. This small bird has a short blue tail but large head. On the head, crown and malar stripe are blue which are finely spotted with paler blue and black. Bill is long, sharp and strong. Wings are darker blue and finely spotted with turquoise on greater coverts.The chin, throat and a small part of the side of the neck is bright white. Eyes are dark brown and there is a black eye-stripe. Feet are small and red in color. Male and female are almost looks alike but they can be differentiate by their bill. Bill of females have a chestnut colored base and bill of males, the base is completely black. Color of Juveniles are similar but have duller and greener plumage with greyer legs.

Habits and Habitats

Common kingfisher is a territorial bird and they defend their territory very well. Individuals live alone for most of the year. Fights occasionally occur when a kingfisher enter in other's territory. During fight, one bird grab the other one’s beak and try to hold opponent under water. Common kingfisher fly very fast.
It likes to lives in near quiet waters with vegetation on the shores such as reeds and shrubs for perches. Shores of lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands are its common roosting place. Common kingfishers used to perch several centimetres to several meters above the water for hunting or when a perch is not available they hover above the water in search of prey. They dive into the water when they see a prey and fly back out on the perch after grabbing the prey. Whenever they catch a fish, Common kingfishers hold the fish by its tail and whack it against the perch to stun or kill it and swallows it head first. It regurgitate indigestible bones after consuming a fish. Common kingfishers' eye have the ability to polarize light or to reduce the reflection of light off of water and they can compensate for refraction and their eyes are covered by a membrane when diving for prey. All these ability help them to catch prey more effectively.

Distribution
Common kingfisher is found throughout Europe and Asia as far east as Japan. They are also found in Africa, south of the Sahara. There are seven subspecies which differs in the color intensity. Size also varies little bit across the subspecies.
A. a. ispida- This subspecies are found from Ireland, Spain and southern Norway to Romania and western Russia.
A. a. atthis - This subspecies are found from northwestern Africa and southern Italy east to Afghanistan, Kashmir region, northern Xinjiang, and Siberia; It has a greener crown, paler underparts and is slightly larger.
A. a. bengalensis - This subspecies are found in southern and eastern Asia from India to Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan and eastern Mongolia. It is smaller and brighter than the European races.
A. a. taprobana - Resident breeder in Sri Lanka and southern India. Its upperparts are bright blue instead of green-blue and it is of the same size as A. a. bengalensis.
A. a. floresiana - This subspecies are resident breeder from Bali to Timor. It looks like A. a. taprobana but the blues are darker and the ear-patch is rufous with a few blue feathers.
A. a. hispidoides - This subspecies are resident breeder from Sulawesi to New Guinea and the islands of the western Pacific Ocean. Colors of Plumage are deeper than in A. a. floresiana. The blue on the hind neck and rump is purple-tinged and the ear-patch is blue.
A. a. solomonensis - This subspecies are resident breeder in the Solomon Islands east to San Cristobal. It is the largest subspecies which are found in southeast Asia. This subspecies has a blue ear-patch and is more purple-tinged than A. a. hispidoides.

Food
Fish and small crustaceans such as prawns and crabs is its main food. It also catches insects in flight.

Call
The Common Kingfisher utters short, shrill, high-pitched “seep-seep” when flying. The alarm call is a harsh “tjiii”. When threatened, it gives grating “kritritrit”. We can hear other kinds of calls such as “tei titi titi titi” as advertising call.

Nesting and Breeding

Mating season of Common Kingfisher start in April and ends sometimes as late as October. At the beginning of the mating season, males chase females through the trees, producing a loud whistle as a courtship ritual and the female is given food by the male before mating. Common kingfishers search for a new partner each year. The male and female together, dig a hole between 15 and 30 cm long into a sandy bank along a water source. Sometimes it also use a hole in wall or in rotten tree stump or in termite mound. 2-3 clutches of eggs are laid yearly, 1st one in April, 2nd one by July and the 3rd in early October. Clutches consist of 6 or 7 white eggs. Incubation period is around 19 to 21 days. Both the male and female incubate during the day and only the female at night.Young are given food by both their parents and they fledge at about 23-24 days and leave the territory where they were born.

Indian ring-necked parakeet

2020-06-22T07:44:00.000-07:00

Male Indian ring-necked parakeet

Introduction of Indian ring-necked parakeet

The Indian ring-necked parakeet also known as Rose-ringed parakeet (Scientific Name: Psittacula krameri) is native to southern Asia and central Africa. It belongs to the Order: Psittaciformes and to the Family: Psittaculidae. It has been kept as a pet for centuries and remains a favorite companion bird today.

How to Identify Indian ring-necked parakeet

Indian ring-necked parakeet is a medium sized bird. Length is about 38-42 cm and weight about 135 g. These birds have grass-green plumage with a short, hooked reddish beak. They have a long pointed tail which is more than half of the body's length. This tail can be up to 25 cm long. This bird is dimorphic, that means there are visible differences between male and female. The male Rose-ringed parakeet has a distinct red and black color ring around the neck once they reach sexual maturity at about the age of three. This species is considered to be a long-lived bird. Average life span in captivity is around 35 years.
Indian ring-necked parakeet has well developed eyes. Retinas of Rose-ringed parakeet have two major aspects. The first is a pigmented retina which is beside the choroid layer of the eye. This layer is a relatively simple layer with cells that contain large amounts of melanin. The second major aspect of the retina is a neural retina which is beside the vitreous body in the eye. This part contains rods and cones, as well as seven other layers.

Female Indian ring-necked parakeet

Habits and Habitats

Ring-necked parakeets are mainly found in urban environments due to greater ambient temperatures and greater food availability. They inhabit deserts, savanna and grasslands, forests, and rainforests. It is also found at wetlands like marshes, swamps or in agricultural fields as well as all of these other environments.

Food

Ring-necked parakeets are granivore. Their primary diet is seeds and grains. But this parakeet also eats insects, fruits, and nectar.

Call

Adult Rose-ringed parakeet has three distinctive calls to communicate with other birds of the same species. It has a distinctive, rapid ‘kew-kew-kew’ call. Another call is deep ‘krrrr’ call which they use when they feel threatened. They also have a rather soft ‘purr’ call that they use as an aggregative sound.
The calls of the young are different from the calls of an adult bird. Young rose-winged parakeets call sounds like a ‘yak yak yak’.

Nesting and Breeding

Rose-ringed parakeets use holes already dug out by other species to build their nests in. Nests are, on average, 640.08 cm off the ground and about 37.8 cm deep.
The rose-ringed parakeet is monogamous. This means there is one male that mates with one female. This parakeet shows typical courtship. In this species, the female actually attracts the male and initiates the mating by rubbing her head against the males head repeatedly.
Breeding season of Rose-ringed parakeets is December and January and lays eggs in February and March. Female lays an average of four eggs per clutch. Once the eggs are laid, they incubate for about three weeks until the young are hatched. Both the male and female take part in caring, protecting, and feeding the young birds for up to 2 years.
Fledging occurs in about seven weeks after hatching. They are considered to be independent once these birds reach the age of two years.

Scarlet Minivet

2020-04-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Scarlet Minivet (Male)

Introduction of Scarlet Minivet

Scarlet Minivet (Scientific name : (Pericrocotus flammeus) is a small passerine bird as it belongs to the Order Passeriformes. It is included in the family Campephagidae.

How to identify Scarlet Minivet

The Scarlet Minivet is 20-22 cm long and its weight is around 29 gm. It has a strong black beak. Wings of this bird are long and each feather sticking out from the next. Male and female are easily distinguishable.

Male: The male has bright black head and upper back. Lower back and rump are deep scarlet . Wings and tail have patches of black and scarlet.Throat is scarlet below with black upper parts.

Female: Forehead and supercilium of female minivet are rich yellow and upper part is grey-yellow. Color of tail is yellow and black. Wings are also blackish with two yellow bars . Lower part is bright yellow .
The juvenile male also have the same coloration like the female until it reaches maturity.

Habitats and Habitats

Minivets is an arboreal bird, keeps to canopy of tall trees and forage in pairs or small groups which may sometimes contains several dozen together. The Minivet catches insects while in flight or while perched. It scares insects out of foliage by beating its wings hard and fast flushing out the prey. Natural habitat is broadleaf evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, and peatswamp-forest, gardens and groves.

Food

Main food of minivet consists mainly insects like caterpillars, grasshoppers, green crickets and cicadasinsects, They also eat flower nectar.

Distribution

Scarlet minivets are not a highly migratory bird.The Scarlet Minivet is found from Africa east to the Pacific Islands but the largest populations are found in the Indian subcontinent, southern China, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
It has many subspecies as below

* Pericrocotus speciosus - Found along the Himalayas mountain range
* Pericrocotus speciosus fraterculus- Found in the northeast of India and extends into Myanmar, Yunnan and Hainan
* Pericrocotus speciosus semiruber - Found in southern Myanmar and Thailand
* Andamanensis speciosus - Found on the Andaman Islands
* Pericrocotus flammeus - Found in the Western Ghats, Nilgiris and Sri Lanka
* Pericrocotus fohkiensis - Found in southeastern China
* Pericrocotus flammifer- Found in southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia
* Pericrocotus xanthogaster -Found in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra
* Pericrocotus minythomelas - Found in Simeulue Island off Sumatra
* Pericrocotus modiglianii - Found on Enggano Island
* Pericrocotus insulanus - Found on Borneo
* Pericrocotus siebersi- Found on Java and Bali
* Pericrocotus exul- Found on Lombok
* Pericrocotus novus- Found on Luzon and Negros
* Pericrocotus leytensis- Found on the islands of Samar, Leyte and Bohol
* Pericrocotus gonzalesi- Found in northern and eastern Mindanao
* Pericrocotus nigroluteus- Found in south central Mindanao
* Pericrocotus johnstoniae- Found on Mount Apo in the island of Mindanao, Philippines
* Pericrocotus marchesae -Found in Sulu Archipelago

Female Scarlet Minivet

Food

They mostly feed on insects gleaned from foliage high up in the forest canopy. They are often seen in mixed-species foraging flocks. They catch insects in trees by flycatching or while perched, flushing insects out of foliage by beating their wings.

Call

Their songs consist of pleasant, melodic whistling

Breeding and Nesting

The nesting period for the Scarlet Minivet is Apr–Jun in Himalayas and Feb and Jun–Oct in peninsular India. This bird make their nests high up in the treetops anywhere from 3-12 m (10 to 40 ft) up. Structure of the nest loos like a cup which is closely woven with small twigs and using spider-webs to increase the strength of the nest. The average clutch consists of two or three. The Scarlet Minivet eggs are pale green and spotted. Eggs are incubated by the female alone while the male brings food for the female. Both male and female parents raise the offspring together.

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

2020-04-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Introduction of Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Greater racket-tailed drongo (Scientific name: Dicrurus paradiseus) is a medium-sized Asian bird which is distinctive in having elongated outer tail feathers with webbing restricted to the tips.It is included in the Order Passeriformes and Family is Dicruridae

How to Identify Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

Greater racket-tailed drongo's males and females are look alike. It weighs from 70 to 125 grams and length of body are 31 to 36 centimeters not including their elongated tail feathers. The color of body is glossy black with shades of blue and green. Eyes are reddish-brown. The wings and the tuft on the top of the head are green with a hint of pale yellow on the very tips of the wings. This species are easily identifiable by the distinctive two ‘racket’ tipped feathers that extend beyond the tail and the crest of curled feather that begin in front of the face above the beak and along the crown.
Young birds are duller, and can lack a crest while moulting birds can lack the elongate tail streamers. The racket is formed by the inner web of the vane but appears to be on the outer web since the rachis has a twist just above the spatula.

Distribution

Greater racket-tailed drongos are found throughout Southeast Asia. They are found in India, east of Bangladesh and south of the Himalayas. They are also found in southern China, on the island of Hainan, and in parts of Indonesia.
Subspecies
This widespread species includes populations that have distinct variations and several subspecies have been named. There are 13 recognized subspecies
D. p. grandis – This subspecies found along the  north India through west and north Myanmar and south China to north Indochina. It is the largest and has long glossy neck hackles.
D. p. rangoonensis – Found in Central India through Bangladesh, central Myanmar and north Thailand to central Indochina
D. p. paradiseus – Found in southern India, mainly in forested areas of the Western Ghats and the adjoining hill forests of peninsular India.
D. p. johni – Found in Hainan Island (off southeast China)
D. p. ceylonicus – Similar to the D. p. paradiseus but slightly smaller. Found in Sri Lanka.
D. p. otiosus – This subspecies has shorter neck hackles and the crest is highly reduced. Found in Andaman Islands.
D. p. nicobariensis – This subspecies has a longer frontal crest and with smaller neck hackles than otiosus. Found in Nicobar Islands
D. p. hypoballus – This subspecies found in central Malay Peninsula
  D. p. platurus – This subspecies found in south Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and nearby islands
D. p. microlophus – Crests are very reduced. This subspecies found in islands in the South China Sea (Tioman Island, Anambas Islands and the North Natuna Islands)
D. p. brachyphorus – This subspecies found in Borneo
D. p. banguey – This subspecies  has frontal feathers that arch forwards. It is found in islands off north Borneo
D. p. formosus – This subspecies found in Java

Habits and Habitats

Greater racket-tailed drongos are usually found in pairs or in small groups. But they are also found in mixed hunting flocks specially with Jungle Babbler. They are very territorial. Their flying style are similar to that of other drongos (Dicruridae) which includes a lot of dipping with short spurts of flapping followed by a period of gliding. The ‘rackets’ on the end of the tail make the bird’s flight excessively noisy and make a persistent humming noise.
Having short legs, they sit upright and are often perched on high and exposed branches. Like other drongos, they catch their prey in mid-air or pick them off of surfaces. They are aggressive and will sometimes mob larger birds especially when nesting. They are often active at dusk.
Greater racket-tailed drongos inhabit a wide variety of habitats. They are found in moist deciduous forests, in the low hills of the Himalayas and also in wide-open plains. Populations are most dense in the foothills of the Himalayas extends from the western Himalayas to the eastern Himalayas and Mishmi Hills.They can be found from sea level to 2,000 meters.
Food
Greater racket-tailed drongos feed mainly on insects but also feed on fruits and visit flowering trees for nectar. Insects includes in their food list are ants, bees, beetles, dragonflies, locusts, moths, and termites.
Call
Greater racket-tailed drongos have a large repertoire of calls that consist of bell-like notes, whistles, warbles, and metallic sounding calls that are typical of most drongos. Greater racket-tailed drongos are convincing mimics, which is useful when traveling in the mixed hunting flocks in which they are usually found.
Their calls are extremely varied and include monotonously repeated whistles, metallic and nasal sounds as well as more complex notes and imitations of other birds. They begin calling from early morning often with a metallic tunk-tunk-tunk series. They have an ability to accurately mimic alarm calls of other birds. A special alarm note is raised in the presence of Shikras that has been transcribed as a loud 'kwei-kwei-kwei...shee-cuckoo-sheecuckoo-sheecuckoo'. They have been said to imitate raptor calls so as to alarm other birds and steal prey from them in the ensuing panic. They are also known to imitate the calls of species that typically are members of mixed-species flocks such as babblers.

Breeding and Nesting

Greater racket-tailed drongos form monogamous pairs during breeding season. There is some evidence that young help with raising subsequent broods as well.
Breeding season of Greater racket-tailed drongos are from March to June but there is a variation in the breeding season in different localities. Birds found in the northern parts of their range tend to mate in the season, between June and July. Populations in more southern, tropical regions tend to mate around February.
Their courtship display may involve hops and turns on branches with play behaviour involving dropping an object and picking it in mid air.
Greater racket-tailed drongos build a saucer-like nest on trees at a horizontal fork of two branches. They are made of intricately intertwined roots and leaves with fine materials lining the inside. They are held together with cobwebs and camouflaged with lichens. The usual clutch is three to four eggs. The eggs are creamy white with blotches of reddish brown which are more dense on the broad end.
Both the male and female share the nesting duties, constructing the nest, incubation, and rearing young birds. Parents also continue to watch over their young even after they leave the nest.

Indian Spot-billed Duck

2020-03-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy: Wikipedia

Introduction of Indian Spot-billed Duck

The Indian spot-billed duck (Scientific Name: Anas poecilorhyncha) which is known by many names including the Yellow-Nib, Indian Spot-Billed, Spotbill etc. is a large non-migratory dabbling duck which breeds in tropical and eastern Asia.

How to Identify Indian Spot-Billed Duck

Spot-Billed Duck is around the same size as a mallard. It is mainly grey colored ducks with a paler head and neck. Bill is black but tip of the bill is bright yellow. Wings color are whitish and above the wings have a distinctive white bordered green speculum and have black flight feathers under the wings. The male has a orange red spot on the base of the bill from which the name derived. This orange red spot is absent in female. It is 55 - 63 cm in length and 83 - 95 cm across the wings, and weight is around 790 - 1500 g. The legs and feet are bright orange. The male does not have an eclipse plumage. Juveniles are browner and duller than adults.
Both males and females undergo a complete postnuptial moult, dropping all their wing feathers simultaneously.
Distribution
Indian Spot-billed Duck are native to Asia. It is found in large numbers in Haryana, India, but also in Pakistan, China, southern Japan and the USSR. but the eastern spot-billed duck (A. p. zonorhyncha) is migratory.
Subspecies
It has three subspecies. Indian spot-billed duck (A. poecilorhyncha poecilorhyncha), Eastern spot-billed duck (A. poecilorhyncha zonorhyncha) and Burmese spot-billed duck (A. poecilorhyncha haringtoni).

Habits and habitats

The Indian spot-billed duck is a bird of freshwater. It lives in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers and marshes and are normally found in waters with a depth of 0-1,867 meters or 0-6,125 feet. Except breeding season it lives in small flocks.
Call
Both the male and female have calls similar to the mallard.
Food
It is quite gregarious. It feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night .Wild grain, seeds, shoots of aquatic plants; occasionally water insects, worms, water-snails are main food of the Indian spot-billed duck.

Breeding and Nesting

Breeding season varies according to rainfall and water condition. In northern India breeding season starts from July to September and November to December in southern India. Indian spot-billed duck are monogamous. It build nest on the dry ground on piles of thick moss, grass or vegetation near water. and lays 8-14 eggs. Incubation begins after the last egg is laid and incubation period is about 26-30 days. The chicks are black with a yellow back and almost similar to those of mallards chick but Spot-billed chicks has wider eyestripe. females will lay 7-10 white colored eggs that she incubates for 26-30 days.

How to feed wild birds

2020-03-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

Wild Birds Feeder

How to feed wild birds

Many bird lovers want to know what and how to take care of wild or garden birds. A considerable lot of them identify with the best sort of nourishment to give, or whether specific food sources are appropriate for bird or not. This page shows you what to feed your garden birds - and what to avoid. Always be sure that the food is fresh.
There are diverse blends for feeders and for fledgling tables and ground taking care of. The better blends contain a lot of chipped maize, sunflower seeds, and nut granules.

Little seeds, for example, millet, draw in generally house sparrows, dunnocks, finches, reed buntings and apprehended birds, while chipped maize is taken promptly by blackbirds. Tits and greenfinches favor peanuts and sunflower seeds. Blends that contain pieces or entire nuts are appropriate for winter taking care of as it were. Pinhead oats is magnificent for some fowls. Wheat and grain grains are regularly remembered for seed blends, however they are extremely just appropriate for pigeons, birds and fowls, which feed on the ground and quickly increment in numbers, much of the time dissuading the littler species.

Dodge seed blends that have part peas, beans, dried rice or lentils as again just the enormous species can eat them dry. These are added to some less expensive seed blends to beef them up. Any blend containing green or pink protuberances ought to likewise be maintained a strategic distance from as these are hound roll, which must be eaten when drenched.

Seeds and Nuts for Birds

Different seeds and nuts

Black sunflower seeds

These are an astounding all year nourishment, and in numerous zones are significantly more famous than peanuts. The oil content is higher in dark than striped ones, thus they are greatly improved. Sunflower hearts (the husked pieces) are a famous no-mess nourishment.

Nyjer seeds

These are little and dark with a high oil content. They need an uncommon kind of seed feeder, and are specific top choices with goldfinches and siskins.

These are wealthy in fat and are well known with tits, greenfinches, house sparrows, nuthatches, extraordinary spotted woodpeckers and siskins.

Peanuts

Squashed or ground nuts draw in robins, dunnocks and even wrens. Nuthatches and coal tits may accumulate peanuts. Salted or dry cooked peanuts ought not be utilized.

Peanuts can be high in a characteristic poison, which can murder feathered creatures, so purchase from a legitimate seller, for example, our online shop, to ensure opportunity from aflatoxin.

Bird cake and food bars

Fat balls and other fat-based nourishment bars are amazing winter nourishment.

In the event that they are sold in nylon work sacks, consistently evacuate the pack before putting the fat ball out – the delicate mesh can trap and harm bird.

You can make your own bird cake by:

Pouring dissolved fat (suet or fat) onto a blend of fixings, for example, seeds, nuts, dried organic product, oats, cheddar and cake.

Use around 33% fat to 66% blend. Mix well in a bowl and permit it to set in a compartment of your decision.

A empty coconut shell, plastic cup or tit chime makes a perfect winged creature cake 'feeder'.
On the other hand, you can turn it out onto your bird table when strong.

Mealworms for Birds

Live food and other insect food

Mealworms are savored by robins and blue tits, and may pull in other insect eating bird, for example, pied wagtails.

Mealworms are a characteristic nourishment and can be utilized to take care of birds consistently. It can turn out to be very costly to continually purchase mealworms, and numerous individuals need to become their own. You can culture your own mealworms but effective mealworm reproducing is significantly quite troublesome.

It is significant that any mealworms took care of to birds are new. Any dead or stained ones must not be utilized as they can cause problems, for example, salmonella poisoning.

Waxworms are amazing, yet costly. Exclusive food for insect eating bird, for example, subterranean insect pupae and insectivorous and softbill food are accessible from bird food shop and pet shops. Insect food suitably offered can pull in treecreepers and wrens.

Fats, margarines and oils

Cooking fat

Fat from cooking is bad for birds. The problem with cooked fat from roasting tins and dishes is that the meat juices have blended with the fat and when allowed to set, this consistency makes it prone to smearing, not good for birds' feathers. It is a breeding ground for bacteria, so potentially bad for birds' health. Salt levels depend on what meat is used and if any salt is added during cooking.

Lard and beef suet on their own are fine as they re-solidify after warming and as they are pure fat, it is not as suitable for bacteria to breed on.

Polyunsaturated margarines or vegetable oils

These are unsatisfactory for bird. In contrast to people, bird need significant levels of soaked fat, for example, crude suet and fat. They need the high vitality substance to keep warm in the most exceedingly terrible of the winter climate, since their body saves are immediately spent, especially on cool winter evenings. The delicate fats can without much of a stretch be spread onto the plumes, wrecking the waterproofing and protecting characteristics.

Tips for Feeding Backyard Birds
Below are some tips which can help you to attract the most birds to your feeders.

1) Locate bird feeders at various levels

Sparrows, Doves and towhees for the most part feed on the ground, while finches and cardinals feed in bushes, and chickadees, titmice, and woodpeckers feed in trees. To abstain from swarming and to draw in the best assortment of species, give table-like feeders to ground-taking care of birds, container or cylinder feeders for bush and treetop feeders, and suet feeders well off the ground for woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees.

2) Offer an assortment of seeds in discrete feeders

An assorted blend of seeds will pull in the best assortment of birds. To stay away from squander, offer various seeds in various feeders. Dark oil sunflower seed requests to the best number of birds. Offer sunflower seeds, nyjer (thorn) seeds, and peanuts in discrete feeders. When utilizing mixes, pick blends containing sunflower seeds, millet, and broke corn—the three most well known sorts of birdseed. Birds that are sunflower pros will promptly eat the sunflower seed and hurl the millet and corn to the ground, to be eaten by ground-taking care of birds, for example, sparrows and doves. Blends of peanuts, nuts, and dried organic product draw in woodpeckers, nuthatches, and titmice. A generally barely any animal categories lean toward milo, wheat, and oats, which are included in more affordable mixes.

3) Provide suet during cool climate as it were

Suet (hamburger fat) pulls in creepy crawly eating winged creatures, for example, woodpeckers, wrens, chickadees, nuthatches, and titmice. Spot the suet in extraordinary feeders or net onion packs at any rate five feet starting from the earliest stage keep it out of the scope of pooches. Try not to put out suet during blistering climate as it can turn rotten; additionally, dribbling fat can harm normal waterproofing on winged creature plumes.

4) Mix nutty spread and corn feast

Nutty spread is a decent substitute for suet in the mid year. Blend one section nutty spread in with five sections corn supper and stuff the blend into openings bored in a hanging log or into the cleft of an enormous pinecone. This all-season blend draws in woodpeckers, chickadees, titmice, and infrequently larks.

5) Provide natural product for berry-eating feathered creatures

Natural product authorities, for example, robins, waxwings, bluebirds, and mockingbirds once in a while eat birdseed. To draw in these fowls, absorb raisins and currants water medium-term, at that point place them on a table feeder, or buy mixes with a dried natural product blend. To pull in orioles and tanagers, stick split oranges onto a spike close to different feeders, or supply nectar feeders.

6) Provide nectar for hummingbirds

Make a sugar arrangement of one section white sugar to four sections water. Bubble quickly to clean and disintegrate sugar precious stones; no compelling reason to include red nourishment shading. Feeders must be washed at regular intervals with high temp water and kept conscientiously clean to forestall the development of shape.

7) Store seed in secure metal holders

Store seed in metal trash jars with secure tops to shield it from squirrels and mice. Keep the jars in a cool, dry area; abstain from putting away in the warmth. Clammy seeds may develop shape that can be deadly to flying creatures. Overheating can annihilate the sustenance and taste of sunflower seeds. Consequently, it's best not to keep seed starting with one winter then onto the next.

8) Discourage squirrels from devouring feeder food

Squirrels are best prohibited by putting feeders on a post in an open region. Post mounted feeders ought to be around five feet off the ground and ensured by a cone-formed bewilder (in any event 17 inches breadth) or comparable hindrance beneath the feeder. Find post mounted feeders in any event 10 feet from the closest bush, tree, or other tall structure. Squirrel feeders supplied with mixes that are particularly appealing to squirrels and chipmunks can decrease rivalry for costly nourishments offered at winged creature feeders. Spot squirrel feeders a long way from winged animal feeders to additionally diminish rivalry.

9) Locate feeders to diminish window collisions

Protect bird from collision by putting feeders within three feet of windows, if possible. Mobiles and dark enhancements hanging outside windows likewise help to forestall birds strikes. Or on the other hand connect organic product tree netting outside windows to deflect birds from the glass.

10) Keep cats inside

Cats kill hundreds of millions of birds annually in the United States, often pouncing on ground-feeding birds and those dazed by window collisions. Dependable and caring cat proprietors keep their cats inside, where they are additionally more secure from traffic, ailment, and battles with different creatures. Open air cats are particularly risky to birds in the spring when youngsters are on the ground. Chimes on cat collars are typically ineffectual for dissuading predation.

11) Clean feeders and rake up spilled grain and frames

Uneaten seed can get spongy and develop lethal shape. Vacant and clean feeders two times per year or all the more frequently if feeders are utilized during damp summers.

White-breasted Waterhen

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White-breasted Waterhen

Introduction of White-breasted Waterhen

The White-breasted waterhen (Scientific name : Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a fairly common chicken like marsh bird . It belongs to the family Rallidae. It is widely found across South and Southeast Asia.

How to Identify White-breasted Waterhen

It is a medium -sized (size:32 cm approx.) very common water bird. Adults White-breasted Waterhen have dark slaty upperpart and white underpart. Rusty on vent and under tail-coverts. Forehead and sides of head is white. Both male and female look alike. Juvenile birds are similar to adults but duller in color.

Habits And Habitats

Village ponds and tanks, mangroves, wetlands, riversides, marshes, as well as parks and farmlands is its natural habitats. It is often seen solitary or in small parties foraging for food in the open, reed-covered marshes, ponds, tanks, monsoon cultivation, streams. Jerking of stumpy tail when it walks with long strides is the typical movement of this species.

Three types of foraging strategies are seen in this species. These strategies are foraging and feeding while walking (to capture insects), wading (to consume molluscs and fish) and running. It climbs on trees easily, especially during breeding season.

Food

The White-breasted Waterhen is an omnivorous bird. Insects, worms, molluscs, small fish, shoots of marsh plants are its main food.

Distribution

It is found from South India to Himalayan foothills.

Call

Call of White-breasted Waterhen is a series of loud croaks and chuckles, the commonest call is a harsh krr…khwakk…; often calls through the night.

Nesting and Breeding

Vigorous calls and fights occur among both the male and female birds in the morning and evening during the breeding season and this eventually leads to pair formation. Once the pairs have formed, there is a long courtship period which includes bowing, billing and nibbling displays.

The pair make nests about 5 meters above the ground, and right beside the water body. Egg nests and brood nests are often found near water bodies as water is essential for the breeding and rearing of chicks. This is because adults have been found to feed their chicks only on areas of land that are wet and chicks often dive underwater to escape predation.

In the egg nest, female lays six to seven eggs consecutively in the morning. The eggs has brownish-white shells with reddish-brown spots. The breeding pair is also more aggressive in defending their territory after egg-laying. Both parents participate in incubation of the eggs. Incubation period is between 19 to 21 days, and all eggs hatch on the same day.

After the eggs are hatched, the breeding pair make a brood nest (which is larger than the egg nest) within its territory near the water, either on the ground or above ground. White-breasted Waterhen are extremely careful to the chicks, with one parent always roosting with the chicks in the brood nest. Therefore juvenile survival rate is high in this species.

Little ringed Plover

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Photo courtesy: ebird.org

Introduction of Little ringed Plover

The little ringed plover (Scientific name: Charadrius dubius) is a small plover. It is included in the Order Charadriiformes and it's Family is Charadriidae

How to identify Little ringed Plover

Little ringed Plover is a small bird of length 14-16 cm. Weight is around 40 g and wingspan is 45 cm. Average lifespan is 4 years. Color of back and wings of adult Little ringed plovers is grey-brown, lower parts i.e a belly and breast are white. The male has a black band which is broader on the breast. White chin and throat has extended to white collar above the black one. It has a brown cap, forehead is white and there is a black mask around the eyes with white above. The bill is black and short. The colors of eyes are dark brown and there is a conspicuous bright yellow eyering. Legs and feet are pinkish and the toes are all webbed. Narrow, indistinct whitish wing stripe are visible while in flight . One can differentiate Little ringed Plover (Charadrius dubius) from Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) by bright yellow eyering (adults), only faint wing-bars, long tertials (covering the primaries) and slimmer more elongated body shape. Both male and female are alike. Juveniles has faint wing-bars. Supercilium especially behind the eye is also light. lower portion of "mask" is pointed and it's bill is slimmer in comparison to adults.

Habits and Habitats

This birds are found in small numbers at riverbanks, tidal mudflats, estuaries, lake edges often along with other shorebirds but rarely out on open tidal areas. It Runs on ground, on mud and drying jheels. They walk with characteristic bobbing gait, picking food from ground. When approached close, flies rapidly, low over ground, zigzag flight accompanied by a whistling note.

Distribution

This Plovers are resident and local migrant. They are found throughout area south from Himalayan foothills. It has three recognized subspecies as bellows.
Subspecies
Charadrius dubius curonicus - This subspecies ranges from Eurasia, Russian Fareast, Japan, Korea, China to North Africa. In winter it migrate to Sahara, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and China.
Charadrius dubius jerdoni - This subspecies ranges from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan to South East Asia.
Charadrius dubius dubius - This subspecies ranges from the Philippines, New Guinea to Bismarck Archipelago.

Food
These birds search food on muddy areas. They eat insects and worms and tiny crabs.
Call
Call of Little ringed Plover are a two syllable "krrll-uuit" with a rising pitch or just a sharp, rolling "krrri-krrri". Also a longer rolling "krree-looo" with pitch rising in first syllable and falling in the second. It's call is quite different from Ringed Plover lacking Ringed's soft tone often starts with a rolling "r".

Breeding and Nesting

This bird like open gravel areas near freshwater, including gravel pits, islands and river edges as it's breeding habitat. Little ringed Plover make their nest in a shallow depression in sand or gravel. Nesting material used are Shells, pine needles, straw fragments etc. are used as nesting material.
Breeding season is May. Female lays generally four 4 eggs. Both males and females take part incubating the eggs. Incubation period is 22–28 days. Fledglings learn to fly within 21–32 days.

Shikra

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Shikra

Introduction of Shikra

Shikra (Scientific name : Accipiter badius) is a small, but powerful predator bird. It is included in the family Accipitridae. It is also known as Little Banded Goshawk, Indian Sparrowhawk and Little Banded Sparrowhawk. Family Acciopitridae, also includes Eagles, Hawks, kites and Osprey.

How to Identify Shikra

Shikra is a small raptor bird. Length is around 26-30 cm. Weight of male is 100–193 gm and of female 130–266 gm. It has short broad wings and a long tail that helps them with balance during hunting.Wingspan of male 48–56 cm and of female 56–68 cm. The normal flight of this species is a characteristic "flap – flap – glide". A common, widespread resident across Asia and Africa.
Males and females look alike but female is larger than the male. Adult males have a reddish iris, upperparts are blue gray and underparts has fine brownish-orange barring . Iris of females are yellowish and upperparts are brownish gray . Both the male and female have narrow dark barring on the tail. Shikra have strong legs with sharp talons and a sharp, hooked beak, Young Shikra is browner with a prominent moustachial stripe and white, spotted with brown underparts. The Shikra has a unique flying pattern, rapid wing strokes and a swooping glide below the tree levels and glide up to perch. It hunts for a wide variety of prey in woodland, savannah, and even suburban gardens, dashing out from perches within vegetation to grab its prey.

Distribution

The Shikra has six subspecies which are distributed from India to Africa. The coloring, size and prey varies with the subspecies. Average life expectancy is from 2.5–7 years.
Subspecies of Shikra are as bellow
Accipiter badius sphenurus are found in Senegal, Gambia, E to SW Arabia, S to N Democratic Republic of the Congo and N Tanzania.
Accipiter badius polyzonoides are found in S Democratic Republic of the Congo and S Tanzania to C Namibia and N South Africa.
Accipiter badius cenchroides are available in Armenia, SE Azerbaijan and Iran E to Kazakhstan, W Pakistan, NW India and extreme W Tibet, which migrate farther S in winter.
Accipiter badius dussumieri are found in E Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, much of India (except N & SW) and Bangladesh.
Accipiter badius badius are found in SW India and Sri Lanka.
Accipiter badius poliopsis are found in Myanmar and S China to Thailand, Vietnam and, perhaps mainly in winter, Sumatra.

Habits and Habitats

Shikras are found in woodlands, savannas, sub tropical, tropical areas and even in populated areas. These little hawks attack from the branches of trees or from flight as their vision is very acute, eight times more than the human being. They are found in woodlands, savannas, sub tropical, tropical areas and even in populated areas.
Shikra has a typical flying pattern with rapid wing strokes and a swooping glide below the tree levels and glide up to perch. It hunts only during the day.
Food
The main food of Shikra are lizards, dragonflies, small birds and mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects and squirrels. It's hunting areas are woodland, savanna, and even suburban gardens.

Breeding and Nesting

Shikras are very vocal during breeding season. Their call is a loud warning Ki..Keee...Ki...Keeee. to crows which come close by to the nesting trees. They make the nest with loosely arranged twigs, lined with grass and roots usually in a large Mango or Mahogany tree. Female lays three or sometimes four eggs which are bluish white, speckled or spotted with grey. Both the parents take part in nesting and chick rearing activities. But incubation is done by only the female bird while the male guards any intruders. The incubation is 28-30 days. The fledging period is about 30-35 days. The young birds remain in the parents habitat for the first year of their life.