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”

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”

Bird with a beard – Brown-headed Barbet

A large headed, beautiful bird with dark green feathers present in most residential areas of the city and very easy to locate in these days in the backyard. Its name is derived from the Latin work barba, meaning beard ( also the root of the word “barber” ). This bird has a number of stiff,Continue reading “Bird with a beard – Brown-headed Barbet”