Nature Magnified

Download Free eBooks on Indian Birds

2012-01-31T02:12:31-08:00

Apart from the physical copies of bird field guides that I own, I frequently consult a number of free ebooks that I have downloaded from the internet, while writing the birding articles on this blog. I often get queries about the source of these bird books and most people are surprised to know that they are available for free on the web.

Most of these are Indian government work done before 1947, and is public domain under the Indian Copyright Act 1957. It is available under a Creative Commons Public Domain License.

I have put together a list of books below which have proved very useful to me, providing more information on birds, their habits, distribution and habitats than is commonly available in the field guides that I use. These may not be “up to date” ( especially regarding current nomenclature and classification), but information such as this does not get out-dated.

The books are available to read online or download in a variety of formats such as PDFs or in EUPUB, Kindle etc, which are suitable for a number of ebook readers. If you are downloading the PDF version, I would suggest using the “PDF with text” link, as these will make the files searchable.

Please use the links provided below to access the books on Archive.org - a digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form, which provide free access to researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public.

If my readers are aware of more useful, freely available ebooks that are worth sharing, please leave a link in the comment section.

The Birds of Southern India including Madras, Malabar, Travancore, Cochin, Coorg and Mysore. By Baker, HR and C M Inglis (1939) - Here

Popular handbook of Indian Birds by Hugh Whistler (1949) - Here

The Book of Indian Birds, by Salim Ali (1941) - Here

The Fauna of British India (includes Ceylon and Burma). E C Stuart Baker

Birds – Vol 1

Birds – Vol 2

Birds – Vol 3

Birds – Vol 4

Birds – Vol 5

Birds – Vol 6

Birds – Vol 7

Coppersmith Barbet

2012-01-24T02:27:51-08:00

The Coppersmith Barbet is also known as the Crimson-breasted Barbet or Coppersmith (Megalaima haemacephala). It is distinctive in the crimson coloured forehead and breast patch along with a yellowish eye ring.

The bird gets its name from the call, which resembles a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer.

They are fruit eating birds, and are found solitary, in pairs or in groups, usually on fruit trees or sunning themselves on the branches of tall trees.

They are cavity nesting birds and compete with other cavity nesting species. The breeding season is from February to April, but they breed most throughout the year. They are known to excavate nests in tree cavities. Three to 4 eggs are laid.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Sarjapur, Karnataka
Date:	27th Mar 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:50 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning
Other Details:	A lone bird flew into a tree and sat there quite a while. It seemed to be feeding and something is present in its beak.

Black Ant-spider

2012-01-17T23:11:16-08:00

I`ve featured several spiders on this site which are mimics of ants. Featured here is another convincing candidate.

This spider also appears to be a mimic of the Polyrhachis species of ants. If you didnt look too closely it would be easy to dismiss this fellow as another foraging ant.

Ants and Ant-lions

2012-01-11T22:56:03-08:00

I`m sure a lot of you have come across this innocent looking pit while exploring outdoors and have passed by it without giving it a second glance. The more exploratory among us, especially as kids couldn't just help but pour some mud into it!

But hey, what is this? Who made this pit and why is it so perfectly conical? Look a little closer and you may get a clue.

Hang on…its so perfectly camouflaged but there seems to be some creature at the bottom of the pit!

Zoom in …and there’s definitely something there!

Zoom in further…and uh oh…are those claws I see in there? They look evil!

Yes, those are definitely claws and it seems to be attached to something too! Now its really caught my attention.

But hang on, I`m not the only one who is curious here. There’s an ant come along who seems to be equally curious!

It is a small ant, too small to move the sandy soil as it walks. It pauses by the ledge of the pit and looks in.

Luckily for it, the soil doesn't budge and it doesn't fall in. It’s not sure what is there at the bottom of the pit. It could be food.

But it wisely decides against exploring further and moves away. An ant’s daily life is full of such decision making and taking the wrong one could mean the difference between life and death!

I look in another pit nearby and that should give me an indication of the fate of ants who were too curious around this pit. There’s an empty shell of a dead ant embedded in the soil just around the rim of the pit.

As I`m looking at this, along comes another ant. This one is far lager in size and is equally curious as to what lies in the pit. He bends inward at the rim to investigate further and then things begin to happen quickly... too quick for my photographic reflexes!

The soil gives way beneath its feet and the ant slides down to the bottom of the pit. It struggles on its way to the bottom, but each futile attempt to move up releases the loose soil around the walls of the pit and carries the ant further down to the awaiting jaws. Yes these are jaws not claws!

The creature with the jaws itself makes the situation worse by flicking soil upwards from the centre, causing something of a controlled mudslide bringing the ant closer towards the centre.

Then as soon as the ant is within grasp. the jaws lock on to the helpless ant and pull it down into its muddy deathbed.

The ant struggles while it can, desperately trying to release itself, but the grip is a death grip and it knows its fate is sealed.

The creature slowly drags the ant inwards and soon nothing is seen at the pit bottom. No ant and no jaws… The creature will soon suck the ant dry and cast its body out of the pit.

So, what exactly are we dealing with here? What is this creature? If you haven't already guessed by now, it is called an Ant-Lion. The ant lion is the larval stage of the ant lion fly.

The claw like protrusions are actually its jaws, attached to the creature’s head. The ant lion is also sometimes called the Doodlebug.

The above and below 2 images, were taken in reverse order and actually show the creature digging itself into the mud although it appears as if it is emerging from the mud.

This is because, the ant lion cannot walk forward. It can only move backwards! Thus, its posterior is used to push itself into the sandy soil, while the feet are use to flick sand upwards and help build the conical pit/trap, with the insect placed in the centre.

Below is the insect removed from the pit , highly magnified. Notice the toothed jaws and hairy body.

While the jaws make it hard for insects (ants) to escape their death grip, the hairs alert the ant lion about any movement within the soil around its pit, and prepare them for the possible feast!

When outside the pit, it is an amusing sight to see the ant lion walk backwards. A lay person will almost be convinced that its head its on its abdomen and is likely to thing that the head and jaws are the tail/abdomen.

The larva, will soon pupate and from the pupa will soon emerge the ant-lion fly. But that's another story which I hope to feature another time!

Extreme macro images of a butterfly head

2012-01-04T22:07:30-08:00

Butterflies are not easy to approach and hence getting close-up images of them are a difficult task. However, even if an opportunity should present itself, getting a close-up of their eyes is still hard.

I was lucky to find this Common Emigrant butterfly (Catopsilia pomona) sitting still on a dry branch. It appeared as though it had just emerged out from its pupa but something had gone wrong and it couldn't fly.

I assumed it would be easy enough to get a few close-up shots of its eyes, but for some reason, focusing on a butterflies eyes never works for me.

Unlike flies, dragonflies and wasps, whose extreme macro head-shots turn out awesome due to their compound eyes, the eyes of butterflies, which are also compound eyes, never turn out be as good. I suppose this is due to differences in the type and structure of different compound eyes in insects.

On another note, did you realise how hairy a butterfly is? These hair-like structures are sensory in function, but also come in handy for picking up pollen when they dip their heads into deep flowers and help in pollination.

PS: Here`s wishing all my readers a very happy 2012. I havent been very active in the past few months, but I hope to rectify that and will keep up with the regular posts henceforth.

Peek-a-boo!

2011-10-10T00:43:11-07:00

This Ground Skimmer dragonfly (Diplacodes trivialis) male was rubbing its face with its legs when I took this image. I dont know if it was due to the flash, but the resulting image makes it appear as though it is covering its eyes and playing peek-a-boo with me!

Indian Eagle-Owl or Rock Eagle Owl

2011-09-26T02:06:19-07:00

The Indian Eagle-Owl is also called the Rock Eagle Owl or Bengal Eagle Owl (Bubo bengalensis). It is a species of large horned owls.

It is a large bird with conspicuous horn-like tufts over large orangish eyes. The head and neck are a twany-buff and heavily streaked with dark brown.

It has a white facial disc, edged with a blackish brown.

The bird is usually seen sitting motionless among rocks or ravines by the daytime.

It is the commonest of the larger owls of India, and lives in hollows in rocky cliffs, ruined buildings, ravines etc, but often take refuge in trees.

They feed on frogs, lizards, snakes, mammals birds and insects.

The breeding season is from December-May. No nest is made and eggs are laid in a hollow scraped in the soil, generally on a cliff or bank face.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Sivanahalli, Bannerghatta
Date:	18th Sept, 2011
Time:	Morning; 9:40 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning
Other Details:	Spotted sitting in a tree. Flew away and sat on another tree for a while where it was not too concerned with us as long as we kept our distance.

Time-lapse video of a caterpillar feeding

2011-09-11T04:57:43-07:00

It’s been a while since I`ve done any macro photography, so when this caterpillar showed up on one of the potted plants, I just had to do something. Unfortunately it didn’t stay long enough..but here’s what I got – a time lapse series of it decimating a few leaves and shoots.

Shot using my Sony A550 + Minolta 100mm f2.8 lens with a Aputure intervalometer.

Painted Storks in Flight

2011-08-12T00:14:25-07:00

Skywatch

Tickell’s Flowerpecker

2011-07-15T04:45:44-07:00

Tickell's Flowerpecker or Pale-billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos) is one of the smallest birds occurring in South India.

It is ashy-olive on its upper parts and buffy white on its under-parts.

The bill is pale, fleshy coloured and is slightly curved. The iris is brown and the leg is dark greyish in colour.

This bird can be easily confused with the Nilgiri flowerpecker (Plain flowerpecker), but that bird is darker with a dark beak.

These birds are thought to be intimately connected with the spread of the parasitic plants of the genus Loranthus, whose berries it feeds on. The seeds which are very sticky are spread by this bird, which when excreted, stick to the vent of the bird. In order to get rid of the sticky seeds, the bird rubs its vent against the branches, thus getting the seed stuck onto the branch from where it grows.

It is a very restless bird, flying from tree to tree and hopping from flower to flower while uttering its incessant chik-chik-chick call:

…..the call may also extend into a twittering.

The bird tests each berry with its mandibles before eating the ripe ones. Digestion is extremely rapid, and the sticky seeds pass out within 3-4 minutes and the seeds are extruded after feeding on every three or four berries consumed.

The breeding season is from February to May and the nest is very similar to those of the sunbirds – a pear shaped structure, constructed from fibres, cobwebs etc. suspended from its stalk from a twig. When the female sits in the nest, its head can be seen looking out through the entrance which is on one side. One to three eggs are laid.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Bannerghatta
Date:	19th June 2011
Time:	Morning; 7:40 AM
Weather:	Overcast morning after overnight rains
Other Details:	A pair of birds seen, hopping about on a teak tree, restlessly jumping from branch to branch.

Asian Openbill

2011-07-18T00:43:13-07:00

The Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, (Anastomus oscitans) is a large stork found in South Asia.

The entire plumage is white except the end of the wings and tail which are broadly tipped with black. In most birds the white is sullied by a smoky grey which is also thought to represent the breeding plumage.

The most distinguishing feature of this bird is its bill. Both the upper and lower mandibles are slightly curved, leaving a slight gap in the centre, giving it an “open bill”.

These are among the most common of Indian Storks, occurring in the vicinity of rivers, lakes marshes and irrigated lands.

It is a social bird and is often found in considerable flocks. It is also a strong flier and can be seen soaring for long periods in the air.

It mainly feeds on freshwater molluscs, fish and crabs. Frogs and insects may also be part of its diet.

The breeding season is between July and August. They are colonial and each colony may consist of about 400-500 pairs and sometimes includes other birds such as Ibises and Herons.

Nests are often in large trees and consists of a circular pattern of sticks with a depression, lined with grass and leaves.

A clutch consists of 4-5 eggs.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Ranganathittu bird sanctuary
Date:	23rd April 2011
Time:	Morning; 7:00 AM
Weather:	Overcast morning after overnight rains
Other Details:	Seen in a large flock along with Herons, Ibises, Pelicans and Painted Storks on an island colony.

Pied Crested Cuckoo

2011-07-12T04:20:13-07:00

The Pied Crested Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) is also known as the Jacobin Cuckoo or Pied Cuckoo. It is the 5th species of Cuckoo to be featured here.

It is a black and white bird, easily distinguished by its crest. The upper plumage is all black, including the street. There is a broad white band running through the wing. The under parts are all white. The long tail is graduated and tipped with white.

The bill is black, feet bluish black and the iris is reddish brown.

This bird is distributed across India and Africa. The East African population migrates to India during April. The resident population in India is thought to be found only in South India.

They prefer dry open woodlands, groves and gardens. It never descends to the ground. They feed on hairy caterpillars and fruits.

It is a noisy bird and birds can be heard calling from prominent perches and while chasing each other:

Like most other Cuckoos it is a brood parasite on babblers and crow nests, destroying one or two of the owners eggs before laying two or three of its own. Majority of the eggs are laid in June. The young birds have darker plumage than their parents, evidently in order to deceive their foster parents. The nestlings do not evict the eggs of the host from the nest.

There exists great enmity between these bids and crows and the latter can often be seen chasing the former.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Yerppanahalli, Bannerghatta, Bangalore
Date:	12th June 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:00 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning after overnight rains
Other Details:	One bird seen on the same tree with an Asian Koel, feeding on hairy caterpillars. It did not seem to mind me until I got too close.

Pompadour Green Pigeon

2011-07-11T03:13:10-07:00

The Pompadour Green Pigeon (Treron pompadora) is a species of forest dwelling pigeons. This species has at least 5 sub-species.

The head is greenish-yellow with a grey patch on the forehead. The back and the wings have a maroon chestnut colour. In the females this maroon mantle is replaced by greenish grey.

The wings also have a distinct yellow edging. The legs may be red in some species. It is the sub-species axillaris which have the greyish legs pictured here. The iris is a dark reddish , the beak whitish-grey with a greenish or bluish tinge.

They are usually seen single or in small groups, usually in the forests. They almost never descend onto the ground and are mostly seen in the branches of trees.

They are frugivorous and are quite quarrelsome when feeding together as a group. Wild figs are especially favoured. They are very wary of humans except when feeding. The call is a soft whistle as they clamber among the branches:

They have a very fast and strong flight.

It breeds between March to June, sometimes extending into August. The nest is a platform of twigs, placed in bushes or small trees. Only 1-2 eggs are laid. Both sexes share all duties.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Gudalur
Date:	29th May 2011
Time:	Morning; 7:15 AM
Weather:	Overcast morning after overnight rains
Other Details:	Seen sitting solitary on the topmost branches of a tall tree at a distance of approx 50 m from us. Appeared undisturbed by humans. A similar spotting 1 hr later in another location.

Paddyfield Pipit

2011-07-07T02:24:04-07:00

Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus) is a small dull brown bird, with a streaked breast. The pipits are quite hard to distinguish and their taxonomy is complex.

The upper plumage is a fulvous-brown, streaked with patches of black. There is a fulvous streak over the eye. The tail, legs and beak are rather long. The iris and bill is brown, while the legs are a distinctive flesh colour. Another distinct feature is that the claw of the hind toe is longer than the toe itself (see below). This distinguishes it from the Tree Pipit. Unlike the latter, this species does not settle on trees.

This bird is usually seen running about on the ground and when disturbed flies up with a flash of its white tail and settles down again not too far away.

It is seen in open habitats, such as bare grounds or grasslands, short crop cultivated lands etc. It especially favours sandy margins on rivers and streams.

Their call is a "chip-chip-chip" which is quite different from usual calls of othe Pipits:

The breeding season is from March-July and two broods are raised. The nest is a cup of grass and roots that is placed on the ground among tufts of grass. Three to four eggs are laid.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Kadagrahara, Sarjapur, Bangalore
Date:	27th March 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:00 AM
Weather:	Bright Sunny morning.
Other Details:	Seen as a solitary bird sunning itself in the morning sunshine.

The Hoopoe

2011-07-06T03:16:29-07:00

The Hoopoe (Upupa epops)is the only living species of the family Upupidae.

This remarkable bird is easily identified by its fan-shaped crest with the feathers increasing in length from front to back. It has a fawn coloured plumage, with the crest tipped with white and black. The crest can be lowered or raised freely.

The back, shoulders and breast is also the same fawn colour. The back and the wings are banded with black and white. The tail is also banded across with a characteristic white shape.

The iris is reddish brown and the beak black. Legs are a dull grey colour.

This bird is widely distributed across Asia, Europe and Africa and a number of subspecies are recognized.

The Hoopoe avoids thick forests and frequents open countryside, especially in thin scrub forests and outskirts of villages. It feeds entirely on the ground, probing for insects. It has the ability to open its bill even after it is inside the ground.

It methodically covers the open ground, walking and running while searching under grass or in crevices for insects. It is also known to feed on small reptiles, frogs and plant matter. Insects on the surface as well ass in the air have also known to be taken.

Their song is a characteristic "oop-oop-oop", which gives them their name:

The Hoopoe is monogamous although the bonding may only last for one season. They are also territorial. The breeding season extends between February to July.

Nests are holes in trees, walls or roofs, the main requirement being darkness. The nest may be barely lines, with a rough collection of hair, leaves or feathers. Three to ten eggs may be laid.

The female and the fledglings produces a foul smelling liquid from their uropygial gland, which resembles the smell of rotting meat. This is thought to deter predators as well as parasites. The female stays in the nest throughout the incubation and is fed by the male. The nest is never cleaned and the fledglings also direct streams of faeces at intruders. Together, all this makes the Hoopoe nest an offensive and smelly affair!

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Kadagrahara, Sarjapur, Bangalore
Date:	27th March 2011
Time:	Morning; 10:30 AM
Weather:	Bright sunny morning
Other Details:	At least 3 birds were seen with food in their beak, sitting on a rooftop, waiting to feed nestlings inside the nest in a tree, next to the house. I suspect there could have been more than one nest.

White-bellied Drongo

2011-07-05T05:54:05-07:00

The White-bellied Drongo (Dicrurus caerulescens) is the 4th species of Drongo to be featured here.

It is black overall on its upper parts like the Black-drongo, but the belly and breast are whitish in colour. Juveniles that are less than a year old have less white and more greyish under parts. The tail is less forked than that of the Black-drongo.

The young Black-drongos too have whitish underparts and can be confused with this species.

This species is a resident breeder in India. They are usually found in dry scrubs or in open forests.

These birds are often seen singly or in groups. The call of this species is superior to all the other species of drongos.

Like other drongos, they catch insects in the air with short aerobatic sallies. Larger insects may be captured using their claws. They are also known to catch small birds. They also imitate the calls of other birds and animals, including squirrels and cats. The general habits are similar to the Black-drongo.

The breeding season is from February to July and the nest and nesting habits are similar to that of the Black-drongo.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Shivanahalli
Date:	19th June 2011
Time:	Morning; 11:30 AM
Weather:	Overcast windy morning
Other Details:	Seen sitting singly on tree-top on two separate occasions in the same area.

Black Drongo

2011-07-05T04:38:25-07:00

The Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) is a glossy black bird with a forked tail. It has a white rictal spot at the base of its beak. The iris is brown. The juveniles are brownish and may have white on their underparts, sometimes resembling the white-bellied drongo.

They are highly territorial and will attack bigger birds in their territory and thus are called King Crows. They are very manoeuvrable and acrobatic in flight. They are capable of producing a wide range of calls but a common call is a two note tee-hee call :

They are mostly aerial predators, catching insects in flight but also feed off the ground and on trees. They are active very early at dawn and roost later than many other birds. They associate themselves with other birds that share the same food and are even known to rob prey of such birds, using false alarm calls to frighten them off! They are also known to feed on Milkweed Butterflies that other birds avoid due to its toxic nature.

They breed mostly in February and March. The courtship displays involve aerobatic chases. Nests are built in foks of branches. Three – four eggs are laid. Their habit of driving away predators within the nesting area encorages other birds to nest in close proximity.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Karimanoor
Date:	20th Dec 2009
Time:	Morning; 7:30 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning
Other Details:	Part of a larger group including Orioles, Minivets and barbets.

Scaly-breasted Munia

2011-07-01T05:43:33-07:00

The Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) is also variously known as the Spotted Munia, Nutmeg Mannikin or Spice Finch

These birds are easily recognised by their distinctive plumage and stubby bill. The upper parts including the head are a chocolate brown colour. The under parts are white with dark scaly markings.

The heavy conical bill is a bluish black colour, legs are blackish. Tail is pointed. The sexes are alike although the male has darker markings.

The bird occurs mostly in open countryside where it may be found in large flocks or in pairs. They are gregarious birds, seen feeding on seeds off the ground or small herbs and grass.

When a feeding flock is disturbed the whole flock is seen to fly like a swarm of bees. The song is a series of high notes followed by a croaky rattle and ending in slurred whistle:

The breeding season is usually during the rainy season of July – August . The nest is a clumsy structure – a large dome made loosely of grass with a hole on one side and lined with fine grass and roots, wedged into the forks of trees or bushes or even in wedges or creepers. The clutch consists of 4-10 eggs.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Bannerghatta
Date:	19th Jun 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:06 AM
Weather:	Overcast morning
Other Details:	A pair of Munias sitting upon a wire descended onto the herbs on the ground, possibly collecting nesting material or looking for seeds to feed on.

Yellow-eyed Babbler

2011-06-30T05:30:02-07:00

The Yellow-eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinense) is actually not a babbler and is closer to the warbler family.

The upper plumage is a rufous brown, changing to a more cinnamon colour on the wings. There is a white patch in front of, above and below the eyes. The whole of the lower plumage is whitish in colour.

As the name suggests, the iris is yellow and the eyelids are a deep orange. The bill is black and the feet are yellow. The tail is long and graduated.

It is a small bird, usually seen in pairs or in groups. It usually avoids forests and prefers open country having tall grass and bushy patches.

Like a babbler, it often stays within thick cover and is not inclined to visit the ground. Like the babblers a group of this species move from stem to stem, feeding on insects, caterpillars and eggs from leaves.

Single birds can be seen sitting on the top of trees for a short while, sunning itself and singing, before it plunges back into the cover, only to be replaced by another member of the flock:

These birds are known to feign injury.

The breeding season is from June to September and the nests are built in hedges or trees or suspended in thick grass stems like that of the Warblers. It is made of grass and bark. The normal clutch is around 5 eggs.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Bannerghatta
Date:	19th Jun 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:40 AM
Weather:	Overcast morning .
Other Details:	A single bird flew out of the scrub alighting onto the wire where it sat sunning itself and singing before flying away into the bushes.

White-rumped Shama

2011-06-29T09:18:50-07:00

White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) was formerly classified as a member of the thrush family and was called as the White-rumped Shama Thrush or simply Shama Thrush.

Males are black with a chestnut coloured belly with a white feathers on the rump and the outer tail. The female resembles the male but the black is replaced by a a slaty brown and the chestnut by rufous. The iris is dark brown, bill black and the feet is flesh coloured.

It is a forest bird and is found in thick jungles and ravines. It is well known for its song, for which it has been kept as a cage bird and introduced into far off places such as Hawai.

Their typical habitat is in bamboo undergrowth. They are shy birds and are active during twilight – dawn and dusk (crepuscular).

It feeds mostly on the ground, searching for insects, worms and fallen fruit, but flies up into the trees when disturbed.

The breeding season is from April to June. The nest is a cup of dead leaves lined with grass and placed in the base of bamboo clumps. It is built entirely by the female while the male stands guard.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Mudumalai
Date:	29th May 2011
Time:	Afternoon; 12:30 PM
Weather:	Overcast
Other Details:	Seen on the roadside in a bamboo clump in the forests of Mudumalai national park, singing away.

Green Bee-eater

2011-06-24T05:27:51-07:00

The Green Bee-eater, (Merops orientalis), is also known as the Little Green Bee-eater. It is an abundant bird found across India and is most likely to be encountered sitting on an electric wire.

The plumage is bright green, tinged with blue in some places, especially under the chin and throat. The crown and upper back are a golden rufous colour. A prominent black line runs through the eye.

The two central tail feathers are elongated and are long and pointed. Juveniles, though lack this elongation (below). The iris is blood-red, the beak is long, slender and curved and black and the feet are a blackish brown.

These birds avoid heavy forests and frequent open countryside. They have feeble feet and cannot walk or hop and therefore they rarely visit the ground.

They can usually be seen perched on wires, bushes and trees. From its perch it sets out on a sally to catch insects and returns with its prey to the same spot. The insect is then battered to death before being eaten.

They are usually seen in small groups and also roost socially. Their call is a monotonous treee-tree-tree called on the wing:

The breeding season lasts from middle march until June. The eggs are laid in a chamber in the ground reached by a long tunnel, usually in the a perpendicular face of a bank or cutting. The egg is laid in the chamber without additional nesting material. Three to five eggs are laid.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Various – Bannerghatta, Kanakpura, Yerppanahalli…
Date:	March – June 2011
Time:	7:30AM-12:00PM
Weather:	Sunny Mornings
Other Details:	Seen in flocks of at least 3 or more birds.

White-headed Babbler or Yellow-billed Babbler

2011-06-22T06:41:27-07:00

The Yellow-billed Babbler or White-headed Babbler (Turdoides affinis) is endemic to southern India and Sri Lanka. It is distinctive in having its head and neck a dingy greyish–white.

The rest of its plumage is an ashy brown colour. The tail has a broad dark tip. The eye is a bluish white. The bill, eye patch and legs are a whitish yellow.

It is very similar to the Jungle babbler, and lives in flocks or about 10 or more birds. They can be seen in noisy excitable parties, feeding on the ground but flying up into the trees when disturbed, hopping from branch to branch and flying singly in extended file.

They can be associated with larger groups including the Rufous tree-pies, Drongos etc. Their call is a loud whispering chatter, more musical than that of the Jungle Babbler .

They feed mostly on insects and nectar but are also known to take larger prey such as lizards. They are not strong fliers and usually glide from the top of trees to another or to the ground.

They have an extended breeding season lasting most throughout the year but the majority of the eggs are laid from March to July. The nest is a large clump of root twigs and grass built low in thorny shrubs and bushes.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Yerppanahalli, Bangalore
Date:	12th June, 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:30 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning.
Other Details:	Seen in a flock close to a flock of Green Bee-eaters.

Baya Weaver Bird

2011-06-16T03:09:27-07:00

The Baya Weaver bird (Ploceus philippinus) is a sparrow sized bird known best for its long hanging woven nests. In spite of the nests being well know, its occupants are rarely recognised.

In the non-breeding plumage, the male and female resemble the common house sparrow. In breeding season though, the male is completely transformed. It acquires a bright yellow cap and a blackish brown face-mask. The bill is also transformed from a horny colour to black.

The breast becomes yellow and the rest of the upper plumage is blackish brown, streaked with white and yellow on the upper parts. The under parts are a creamish buff colour. The bill is heavy and conical.

The females in breeding season are still dull in their plumage (below).

These are social birds and are often noticed after the nest is spotted. When not breeding they are easily dismissed as sparrows. They occur in open grasslands and open cultivations.

They feed on seeds of different kinds and are known to damage seed crops. However, it also feeds on pests such as caterpillars and locusts. They are also known to catch small frogs and molluscs, especially when feeding their young.

Their call is a continuous chit-chit ending with a high pitched cheeeeee with the males in chorus:

This bird breeds during the monsoons, in colonies of 20-30, close to sources of water, food and nesting material. The nest is a long graceful retort-shaped made of woven grass, with the mouth pointing downwards, suspended from the outer boughs of trees or bushes, often built over open water.

It is the males which build their nests, stripping long grass and paddy, and weaving them into place between numerous trips. The strips are green when new and recent structures can be recognized by the greenery. Once the nests are built, the females arrive and chooses a male whose nest she likes, and occupies the nest, while the male only then completes the entrance to the nest. (you can see in the above pictures that the entrance has not been built yet). Many partial nests may also be built.

As soon as the nest is complete, the female lays 2-4 eggs. The male then starts to build another nest to attract another female! If all goes well he repeats the attempt a third time too. However, females are polygamous too.

Nests are known to be destroyed by crows or lizards and may also be taken over by the Indian Silverbills.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Near Yerppanahalli, Bangalore
Date:	12th June 2011
Time:	Morning; 7:30 AM
Weather:	Bright sunny morning.
Other Details:	The males had a colony of nests inside an old dried up well, built on a lantana bush growing on the side wall. Nests were yet to be occupied by females.

Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike

2011-06-13T03:51:04-07:00

The Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike (Hemipus picatus) is a small member of the Shrike family. It is a black and white coloured bird. It has also been called the Pied shrike.

It has a white body, with a black cap and black wings. A white streak across its wings and , white tipped middle tail feathers and a white rump are the distinguishing features.

The female is similar to the male, except that it is a sooty black or brown, depending on the sub-species, of which there are many. Like all shirkes it has a beak that is hook-tipped and nostrils are covered by rictal bristles. The bill is black and the iris is a yellowish brown.

It can often be seen in birding parties in trees, hoppong among the branches or flying into the air to catch insects, resembling both woodshirkes and flycatchers in their habits . Their sallies demonstrate great flying agility and are accompanied by a little trill call:

They are largely confined to forests. They move through the forest, not staying long in one location. They are strictly arboreal.

The nesting season is from march to may, their nest being placed in the fork of branches in trees, covered with moss. Two-three eggs are laid. The chicks are known to sit motionless in the nest, with their heads raised in the centre, giving the appearance of being a part of the branch.

	Sighting Information:
Location:	Gudalur
Date:	29th May 2011
Time:	Morning; 8:00 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning after overnight rains
Other Details:	Seen in a busy birding party. Sitting in trees and flying up and down catching insects.

Vernal Hanging Parrot or Lorikeet

2011-06-08T04:52:12-07:00

The Vernal Hanging Parrot, formerly known as the Lorikeet, is India’s only parrot species (the rest are all parakeets). It is a small bird, the size of a sparrow, that is a resident breeder but having local migrations depending on the availability of food.

It has a grass-green upper plumage, with wings and tail darker. The upper side of the tail covert are a crimson colour, while the lower is yellow. The male has a patch of blue on its throat, that is absent in the female. The bill is coral red with a yellow tip. Feet is yellowish to pale orange.

It gets its name from its ability to hang upside down during roosting. It also uses its beak to climb with.

It food consists mainly of fruits and berries as well as bamboo seeds. They are known to be fond of the nectar of some flower, especially that of the coral tree. Interestingly, they are also known to raid toddy pots and end up drunk!

They feed as a flock on trees and can be quite difficult to spot due to their camouflage. Unlike parakeet, they do not make a racket while feeding. They utter a twittering warble:

The breeding season is from February to May, depending on the locality. Nest are constructed in natural hole in trees and the clutch consists 3-4 in number.

	Sighting information:
Location:	Gudalur
Date:	29th May 2011
Time:	Morning; 7:40 AM
Weather:	Sunny morning after overnight rains
Other Details:	Seen in a flock along with yellow-browed bulbuls, Wood-shrikes, scarlet minivets, Gold-fronted leafbirds, barbets etc.