Birding Jo

Tag: birds_of_india

  • Birds of India: Portraits, Raptors and Owls

    Birds of India: Portraits, Raptors and Owls

    A broad field collection of Indian birds—from familiar garden visitors to birds of prey and the elusive owls of forests, wetlands and open country.

    Bird portraits

    “Wherever there are birds, there is hope.” – Mehmet Murat Ildan

    Ranking amongst top 10 most biodiverse countries (yeah, be proud of it and protect it), India is home to about 1211 species of birds of splendid variety, shapes, colors and equally diverse habits and habitats.

    A comprehensive, well structured list of Indian birds can be found on Wikipedia at
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_India

    Here are some observations without going too far or exclusive to find them, except a few. Bear with the poor quality of some pictures, I am basically a birder trying to learn photography both for its own charm and keeping records.

    If you have any queries / suggestions / feedback – please leave them in the comments. Will revert.

    Tailor Bird : Bamboo Fence and Lantana. Clicked at home. Saugor, MP, India 2013. Tailor birds stich leaves together to build their nest – that is why the name !
    Red Wattled Lapwing (Titihiri in Hindi). Lays a clutch of 3-4 eggs on a shallow pit on the ground and there after defends the territory with a fierce force. Doesn’t hesitate in attacking even humans wandering too near its nest.
    Yellow Wattled Lapwing: Not as common as its cousin Red Wattled Lapwing.
    A male Paradise Flycatcher. Grow upto 50 cm tip to tail. Fully mature adult males turn white. In flight, the tail follows the bird like a ribbon in flow. Collects spider web to strengthen the nest.
    Female Paradise Flycatcher. Does not have the long tail like male and stays in this colour throughout. Both parents share the parenting duties.
    Male Indian Magpie Robin. Female is dull grey. One of the most common songster – very melodious calls. Common around human habitats.
    Crimson Breasted Barbet aka Coppersmith. Named Coppersmith as its repetitive high pitch call notes are similar to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer (tunk tunk tunk….). The female excavates a hole in the tree trunks / branches for making a nest.
    Indian Roller / Neelkanth. Earlier name Blue Jay. Beautiful bird, specially in flight. Sadly, owing to mythology, many are captured during festive season of Dushhera as people consider it lucky to see one. Hence, they are caught and paraded for a fee outside temples. Most end up dead due to starvation. Rollers eat insects and their human captors try to feed them Rice / Roti.
    Brown Fish Owl. 55 – 60 cm. A big owl, this one was sitting pretty in the shade over a stream flowing below. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhyapradesh. 2016.
    A Collared Scops Owl. Mediun size. It took my wife and me more than an year to locate this beauty. We would hear its extremely soft call – a single ‘wut’ and wonder, what is it and where is it? Absolutely thrilled to discover it finally. Witnessed the pair raise a family of two chicks.
    A Jungle Owlet. Common in India, found in habitats ranging from scrub forest to deciduous and moist deciduous forests. Active during dawn and dusk, known to bask in sunlight as seen here. Shot near Dharamsala, 2017.
    Spotted Owlet. Smaller in size. One of the most common owlets found in the country. Commonly seen fluttering about and calling around the human habitats during the dusk. Notice the difference between the Jungle and Spotted Owlet.
    Virditer Flycatcher. An exquisite, old world bird with unique colours and equally unique metallic calls. Female, slightly dull and displays some patterns too. Clicked in our house garden, Saugor, Madhya Pradesh.
    Do NOT assume that this is a Virditer female. This looks similar, but is a different bird altogether. This is a Blue Rock Thrush.
    An Indian Jungle Nightjar. Nocturnal, sleeping in a typical habitat during the day, blending in effortlessly with the branch below. Not easy to spot, especially during daylight hours due to their excellent camouflage pattern. Bandhavgarh, 2016.
    Indian Skimmer. Lower mandible is bigger than upper, used to skim the water as the bird s flies low over the water. Classified as Endangered list by IIUCN. Clicked near Chambal River, South of Agra.
    A Eurasian Spoonbill. Feeds by wading in shallow waters, moving its broad bill side ways, snapping it shut if any small fish, insect or crustacean comes in contact. Breeds in reed beds. Clicked on the banks of River Chambal, South of Agra. 2016.
    A small Bee-Eater. Catches insects (specially bees) while on the wing, displaying swift maneuvers and acrobatics. Beats the insect dead on the branch / wire before swallowing it. Nests in shallow holes excavated in mud walls. Common in India.
    Crimson Sunbird. A medium sized sunbird found in the Northern and NE parts of India. Spreads upto Indonesia. Female is dull olive-yellow overall with brighter underparts. Clicked in Palampur, HP, 2017.
    A Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher (male). Female is less intensely coloured. Found all over India. Very pleasant calls (metallic clinks at times). Clicked in home garden. It visited regularly to drink from the water bowl. Saugor, Madhya Pradesh. 2014.
    A Purple Sunbird (male). Female is dull brown in colour. Male turns Purple during breeding season. A commoner around gardens and human habitats. Found all across the country.
    A Yellow Breasted Greenfinch (male). Female is duller in colours. Seen in pairs / flocks. Distributed along the Himalayan foothills in Northern to NE India. Clicked in Palampur, 2017.
    A Common / Siberian Stonechat. Quite like European Stonechat. Clicked in Manali, Himachal Pradesh.
    Special Mention : A male Shrike (left in the image) is feeding a cuckoo chick considering it as his own. Notice the chick has grown larger than its foster parents. We have all heard about cuckoos engaging in parasitic breeding i.e., they lay their eggs in other species nests. This is the evidence. For me personally, this was thrilling, I saw the (poor) Shrike pair constantly working to satisfy this chicks hunger, which is at least 3 times their size. Another interesting fact, different species of cuckoos, target different birds to raise their young. They all have different size / shapes / colours of the eggs which match their targets. Most cases, the cuckoo females, just toss out the host’s eggs and lay their own in hosts nests. You can see the unaware victim performing its parental duty in full earnst. I sometimes wonder that there is nothing un-natural in Nature (its all part of the game / circus called Life). PS – I wish I could remove that branch, but then the Shrike would have fallen down 😉

    Hope you liked the short exposure to our own natural heritage. I intend covering Indian Birds of Prey in a separate chapter – they definitely deserve a special post.

    Happy birding !!

    Birds of prey

    “when they prey, others pray” – birdingjo

    Fierce, powerful, and ruthless rulers of the skies, the raptors have long fascinated humans. History is replete of records displaying the reverence these birds of prey have attained over thousands of years in all parts and cultures of the world.

    India too is home or a pit stop for many a raptors. Great variety and diversity is found all across the country. Here is a humble collection of a few that my friends and I have been lucky to observe and capture some memories.

    • Sitting pretty, in the falling Sun, a Black Shouldered Kite. Mhow, MP, 2016.
    • A Brahminy Kite : generally found near water bodies. Found in Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. It is primarily a scavenger, feeding mainly on dead fish and crabs, especially in wetlands and marshland,[13] but occasionally hunts live prey such as hares and bats. In Hinduism, it is considered as the contemporary representation of Garuda, the sacred bird of Vishnu.
    • A Common Kestrel (male). One of the best shots I have ever seen. Clicked by an ace birder and photographer Rohit Gupta. The story behind the shot in his words “One of my favourite bird images since I spend almost an hour taking this series of images, when I stumbled upon this Common Kestrel in Dec 2010, on the banks of the Chenab in Akhnoor. The bird was perched on this boulder and had finished a prey, it had been feeding on. I was in a military gypsy & stayed inside, the bird was also fairly bold & did not fly away. This firmed my belief that birds are most confiding if you approach them in a vehicle and till they aren’t exposed to the familiar human silhouette of a head on shoulders (A birding hat is worn to break that silhouette when on foot and approaching a bird)!”
    • Crested Serpent Eagle. Saw it sitting on a branch. I was still fumbling with my camera when it swooped down on the ground – on I did not know what. On crawling closer, found it clobbering this snake. It started swallowing it head first, but on detecting my presence, flew off with its catch into the thickets. Clicked at Saugor, MP, 2014.
    • A White Bellied Sea Eagle. The female is slightly larger than the male, and can measure up to 90 cm (35 in) long with a wingspan of up to 2.2 m (7.2 ft), and weigh 4.5 kg. Mainly feeds on fish, but also opportunistic, it does’nt mind carrion. Distributed along coastal areas from India to Australasia. Clicked in Andaman Islands, India, 2016.
    • White Eyed Buzzard. The most common buzzard with distinctive white iris and dark mesial stripe. Widely distributed in South Asia, throughout India in the plains and extending up to 1000 m in the Himalayas. Resident in Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Feed mainly on locusts, grasshoppers, crickets, and other large insects, as well as mice, lizards, and frogs. Occasionally, hunts larger prey as hare. Barmer, Rajasthan, 2013.
    • An Oreintal Honey Buzzard. A slender raptor with a smaller head resembling a pigeon (though larger). Two species are found in India, One resident and another migratory. Specialist hunter, it primarily feeds on the larva of wasps and bees, honey and wax. Also feeds on other insects. Contribution by Gaurav Kamboj. Clicked in Faridkot, Punjab. Jan 2021.
    • Bonelli’s Eagle – Eagles are among the largest birds of prey & the apex predator in the avian world. 60 different species occur in the Eagle family worldwide, of which12 are found In India. Large hooked beaks for tearing prey, strong muscular legs, powerful talons & sharp eyesight are characteristic of Eagles. In the image, the uncommon Bonelli’s Eagle can be seen perched at Middle Lake, College of Military Engineering, 24 Jan 21.  In culture & religion, besides flight, eagles are symbolic of power, vision, freedom, grace & heraldry, and have also given rise to idioms such as eagle eyed, legal eagle, etc. The national bird of the US is an eagle – a Bald Eagle. Closer home, the Eagle adorns the formation signs of many a divisions in our Army. In fact, one of the largest and highest flying eagles – the magnificent Golden Eagle forms the crest of the Indian Air Force too! .
      Image and write up – Rohit Gupta
    • Tawny Eagle, a large raptor from the family of booted eagles (see the covered legs). Distributed in African, Indian sub-continent and occasionally Southern Middle East. Avid Hunter, mostly takes down live prey but also scavenges. Prey is mostly ground based, including small reptiles, rodents, hare, small deer / young gazelles, sometimes birds in flight like flamingoes. Reported to be facing a population decline. Clicked outside Bikaner, Rajasthan, 2012.
    • Another large raptor, Steppe Eagles also belong to the booted eagles. Widely distributed (see inset map, credits – Wikipedia), it migrates long distances during winters. Different hunting and dietary habits in breeding and non-breeding ranges. Actively hunts ground squirrels and mammals like marmot sin the former, while it is lazier in the latter and preys on insects, scavenges and occasionally hunts live prey. Credits : Gaurav Kamboj. Clicked in 2019, at Lansdowne, Uttarakhand, India.
    • A Peregrine Falcon. One of the most widely distributed raptor, It can be found anywhere in the world except New Zealand (Islands). At top speeds of 325 kmph, it is the fastest bird and fastest member of the animal kingdom. A typical bird eating raptor, hunts by swooping down on its prey at high speeds. Sometimes hunts, small mammals, reptiles or insects. A favourite as a falconry bird, due to its skills & hunting prowess.
      Picture contributed by Akash Chinche.
    • Shikra – The Shikra is a small hawk & the apex predator in the urban avian world.  Derived from the urdu word Shikari meaning hunter, the name is an embodiment of the bird’s chief talent! In pre-independence era, this bird was a favourite amongst falconers, & used for hunting smaller birds. Though illegal now, falconry is still practised in Pakistan & the Arab world. A common resident of Indian subcontinent, in the picture above, it is seen perched silently on a leafy tree, in wait for prey or soaring overhead with its typical sequence of rapid wing flaps and glide. The bird in the image, with a yellow iris,  is an adult female while the male is a tad smaller & has a red iris. Its prey comprises lizards, small birds & mammals, often taken by surprise from a concealed perch. I observed a pair closely, build a nest on a eucalyptus tree & raise two fledglings, and the female dive-attacked me. Well, that birding tale is for another day! Image taken at College of Military Engineering, Pune, Jan 2021
    • A Shikra Juvenile. See the three different avatars of the same bird – a deadly hunter and a thriving bird. Commonly found living amongst the humans even in the din of busy metro-cities like Delhi and Bengaluru. This one was clicked in Saugor, MP, 2014.
    • Amur Falcons make special appearance in India – we must be conscious, lest they too become a part of history like the Siberian Cranes (Amur is hunted for food in Nagaland). See the migration route inset. It breeds in Northern China / South-Eastern Siberia, migrates over Indian Subcontinent, Arabian Sea to spend winters in Southern Africa. Migrates on a broad front and wanders about, have been observed in UK, Italy and other parts of Europe. It primarily feeds on insects, takes other birds and small mammals sometimes. Contribution by Akash Chinche.
    • Shaheen, a sub-species of Peregrine Falcon. Medium sized raptor, distributed from South Eastern Iran, Afghanistan, Indian Subcontinent to Myanmar. Earlier a common bird, like many other falcons, their numbers have declined too, due to heavy use of pesticides and hunting. Credits – Akash Chinche.
    • A Lammergeier or Ossifrage – a bearded vulture, as unique as its name. It is an old world vulture. It is the only vertebrate whose diet (70 to 90%) consists of bone. Wide spread, from Europe, Caucasus, Africa, India and Tibet, it lives and breeds on crags in remote high mountains. The picture above was clicked by a friend and keen birder, Akash Chinche, 04 Feb 2020, Eastern Ladakh (above 15000 feet), India.
    • An anecdote from Akash deserve a mention. Once, while in remote Ladakh region, after a futile attempt of finding any birds / wildlife and walking for more than an hour, he sat and then lied down to catch a breath. (those who have walked the heavenly plateaus above 15000 feet will know). Within 10 minutes he had this Lammergeier and an Eurasian Griffon emerge high above him and start to move in circles. Akash learnt a new skill in attracting raptors (scavengers) that very moment – playing dead. Clicked by Akash Chinche, Eastern Ladakh, March 2020.

    This is just a humble account of some fabulous raptors which can be found and observed in India. The list is far from complete, but that was never the idea – the idea was to just share what we have been fortunate to witness in diverse landscapes and corners of our vast country. As raptors, Indian owls are equally unique, intriguing and fascinating – they deserve a dedicated post (coming soon).

    You would agree that we are blessed on many accounts in terms of diversity of landscapes / habitats and their occupants. I hope that my friends and I have managed to ignite some curiosity and sense of association with our natural heritage.

    Happy hunting (only with eyes or cameras) !!

    Owls of India

    “Then nightly sings the staring owl, Tu-whit, Tu-who, a merry note.” – William Shakespeare

    Owls are fascinating in more than many ways. Equally revered and feared as they were obscure from the observation of common people compared to other diurnal birds, owls have a strange spookiness and strings of myths attached with them across continents and cultures. Following scientific studies since the eighteenth century, the owls have found some relief from the perception of belonging to the evil camp.

    Personally, I am intrigued by these birds. Differently equipped and skilled, they are masters of their craft – highly efficient in hunting in low light. Some of them are active during the day as well. Finding them is always a pleasure, especially the not so common ones. Many a times, one can hear them around for months, yet never be able to see them, leave aside taking a picture.

    Here is a modest collection of some owls found in India, put together by a group of friends who share a common passion for wildlife.

    Brown Wood Owl (strix lectogrammica). A medium-large (45-55 cm) owl with a typical solemn look. Widespread in the Indian sub-continent, Indonesia, Taiwan and South China. Inhabits lowland and montane broadleaf forests or fringes thereof. Diet consists of small mammals, birds and reptiles. Highly nocturnal, maybe spotted during the day when discovered and mobbed by smaller birds. Picture Credit – Vinit Bajpai, Lansdowne, Uttrakhand, March 2021.
    Earlier known as Eurasian Eagle Owl, now ‘Rock Eagle Owl’, This was one of the most fascinating sightings I have ever had. Was driving through scrub / bush in the midst of the desert. I suddenly, saw a big bird take off just in front of the vehicle to avoid being run over (It wasn’t visible to me or the driver). I leapt out of the vehicle and ran after the bird, not to lose sight of it. Found it again after a little chase and hastily clicked few record shots. It was the first time that I was seeing this big marvelous owl in the wild. Well distributed across Europe and Asia, has many variant sub-species. Female (larger) incubates and cares for the young, male feeds her and the young ones. Parental care goes on upto 5 months. Mainly active at night, sometimes during dusk. Size – upto 75 cm tall, wing span – upto 6 feet. Call – a deep loud ‘oohoo-oohoo-oohoo’. Clicked somewhere deep in the Thar desert, Rajasthan, India, 2013.
    Dusky Eagle Owl. A large owl (upto 53 cm in hieght), well distributed in South and South-East Asia. Preferred habitat is wetlands with trees. Builds a large nest in the trees (unlike the Eurasian Eagle Owl) near water bodies. Nocturnal, emerges from its roost, just before sunset. Photo credit – Gaurav Kamboj. Shot at Bharatpur, Rajasthan, 2017.
    Brown Fish Owl. Another large owl, upto 60 cm tall, wingspan upto 140 cm. Habitat – forests / woodlands near water bodies, streams / canals / rivers and lakes. Mainly nocturnal, sometime semi-diurnal and seen hunting during the day as well. Perches above / near water (like the one above, was sitting over a stream) or wades through water. Glides over the water and grabs its prey with its claws. Feeds on fish, frogs, and aquatic crustaceans. Clicked at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, MP, 2016.
    Another Brown Fish Owl. Kalagarh Division, Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve. April 2021.
    Photo Credit – Vinit Bajpai.
    PS – Please ignore the hazy picture, it was almost dark, when we found this innocent fellow.
    A Jungle Owlet. Small size owlet, Round head and fine horizontal bars across the breast are typical. Active during dawn & dusk, also known to bask in the early morning Sun. Dharamsala, HP, 2017.
    Lets bust another myth – owls can see very well during the day and (some) owls are also active during the day.
    In the frame is another Jungle Owlet. Picture Credit – Vinit Bajpai. Lansdowne, Uttrakhand. Feb 2021
    Indian Scops Owl. Formerly part of a wide spread species ‘Collared Scops Owl’. It is the largest scops owl. Nocturnal, may be found snoozing in its hideout during early morning / evening. It took me more than an year to figure out who makes the soft ‘Whuk’ call in the night in the forest around my house. Saw the pair finally raise three chicks in 2014, Saugor, Madhya Pradesh, India
    Snoozing in the early morning Sun – Another Indian Scops Owl.
    Short Eared Owl. Quite wide spread across the world, it is a medium sized owl (36 to 42 cm). It is diurnal (active during day) and crepuscular (more active during dawn and dusk). It is typically a grassland owl. Primarily hunts small rodents / mammals, also known to prey upon smaller birds and insects. Photo credit – Gaurav Kamboj
    Barn / Screech Owl. One of the most common owl, a companions of the humans (other than Spotted Owlets). A medium sized owl (40 – 45cm). Typical heart shaped facial disc. Pale, orangey with grey spots. Mainly nocturnal, resides around human habitat, at times cohabits in same buildings. There is a pair residing in my apartment building in Entebbe. The one in the frame was living in the Senior Command Wing office Building in Army War College, Mhow. The name bears the linkage – it used to be found living in the barns. A great friend of famers, it helps keep the rodent populations in check. Call is a bone-chilling rising shriek, reason for the other name – The Screech Owl.
    Spotted Owlet. The cutest of them all. It turns into a clownish activity of bobbing up and down when it is detected. I guess it tries to assess the intruder / threat. Can be easily found perched / snoozing around the human habitat during the day, active during dusk and night. In our growing up years, it was common to spot / hear their squabbles along the electricity poles / wires during dusk. These owlets would descend on to the road to collect their prey (insects) and return to their perch. In the cities, they are around but less visible due to ever increasing din of human activity and traffic. Still very common in rural areas. Mhow, MP, 2016.
    A pair of Spotted Owlets. They made themselves a comfortable home in our home (Yes, we had some broken walls !). I have met quite a few educated people still carrying the old myths where owls are considered harbingers of bad news / death / illness. Aren’t they beautiful !! Lets cut the crap and enjoy their company.
    Little Owl (thats the name !!), Found in a very narrow range of higher altitudes in India’s Northern and North Eastern parts. Mainly nocturnal, sometimes can be found perched in the open during the day as well. Mainly inhabits open countryside. 2017, Tsokar, Ladakh.
    Collared Owlet. A small stout owl with a longer tail (compared to other smaller owls).. Photo Credits : Vinit Bajpai, Shot at Lansdowne, Uttrakhand, Feb 2021.
    A pair of Himalayan Wood Owls. Courtesy Vinit Bajpai.
    A Himalayan Wood Owls. Courtesy Vinit Bajpai. Clicked in Lansdowne, India


    Did you know that a group of owls is called a ‘Parliament of Owls’.
    I am sure you know that Owls deliver postal mail only in ‘Harry Potter’ movies.

    If you think that you are interested in spotting your own owls – feel free to reach out and see how best can we assist you to find the wise ones around your home. Believe me, they are out there.

    Happy hunting (only with eyes or cameras) !!