This lovely south-east Asian mystery bird is unique because it is the only Jacana to have different plumages for the breeding and non-breeding seasons — unique in its taxonomic family. Jacana is also called a lily-trotter or lotus bird. The seven or eight species of the genus Jacana include the American jacana; the African jacana;Continue reading “Mystery bird: Pheasant-tailed jacana”
Author Archives: Lalit Mohan Bansal
Oriental Magpie Robin
The Oriental Magpie-Robin is the national bird of Bangladesh, where it is known as Doyel/doel and appears on their currency notes as well. The Oriental Magpie-Robin is a medium-sized robin (19-20 cm) with a broad white wing-bar running from the shoulder to the tip of the wing, and a long tail with white outer-tail feathers.Continue reading “Oriental Magpie Robin”
White – throated Kingfisher
A brilliant turquoise blue Kingfisher with deep chocolate brown head, neck and under parts, a conspicuous white ‘shirt front’ and long heavy , pointed red bill. A white wing patch is noticeable in flight. It is perhaps the most familiar of our kingfishers and also known as white-breasted kingfisher. It is also the state birdContinue reading “White – throated Kingfisher”
Indian Roller – An auspicious bird
Indian roller also popularly known as Blue Jay, is one of the most colourful birds of India whose colours are visible during flight. Found across the plains in India, it is the state bird of three Indian States, Telangana, Karnataka and Odisha. The bird gets its name from the wonderful acrobatics the male displays duringContinue reading “Indian Roller – An auspicious bird”
Ashy Prinia – The Ashy Wren Warbler
Eleven species of Prinia are found in India, but this write-up focuses on the species most commonly found in cities and human-dominated habitats , Ashy Prinia. It is a common inhabitant of gardens and backyards. The Ashy Prinia is a small sociable bird that’s easy to spot. Prinias are sometimes called long tail warblers orContinue reading “Ashy Prinia – The Ashy Wren Warbler”
Purple Sunbird – The tiniest bird in ours garden
The Purple sunbird is a small bird and one of the common and most beautiful birds in our gardens. Its name, purple sunbird, comes from the male, some of whose feathers acquire a metallic purple shade under soft sunlight. In harsh sunlight, it appears to be a shiny black although it is a combination ofContinue reading “Purple Sunbird – The tiniest bird in ours garden”
The Spotted Owlet
Do you know, a group of owls is called a Parliament. This could be because owls are typically considered to be quite intelligent and wise. In ancient Greek mythology, the owl was seen to accompany or represent Athena, the goddess of wisdom. In Hindu mythology the owl is a vahan (mode of transport) of Lakshmi, goddessContinue reading “The Spotted Owlet”
Harbingers of Monsoon – Pied Cuckoo
As the countdown to monsoon arrival starts, so starts the scouting for Pied Crested Cuckoo by birders. I was also looking for this bird for the last two weeks, and today I was lucky to spot at least two of them and click some shots. A bird with black and white plumage ( pied )Continue reading “Harbingers of Monsoon – Pied Cuckoo”
The Flying Architect – Baya Weaver
Baya Weaver is a small sparrow-sized bird known for its amazing nesting skills. It is monsoon again, and bayas (or the weaver birds) are back using their artistic skills in building nests and bringing up families. We can easily notice helmet shaped nests hanging from the Palm Trees, which is one of the favored treesContinue reading “The Flying Architect – Baya Weaver”
Indian Grey Hornbill – State bird of Chandigarh
The Indian Grey Hornbill, as its name suggests, the bird has a unique casque (or horn) on its grey-coloured bill. Apart from being the State Bird of Chandigarh, it is common across the city these days, especially in areas where there are large and contiguous tracts of trees. The male sports a blacking bill, narrowContinue reading “Indian Grey Hornbill – State bird of Chandigarh”
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