Winged Odyssey – Bar-headed Goose

They don’t train or acclimatize. They could walk on the top of Everest and have no problem at all. They achieve physiological feats that seem impossible – flying at extreme altitude, where there is less than 10% the oxygen found at sea level.  They never stop flapping their wings and one or two of theContinue reading “Winged Odyssey – Bar-headed Goose”

Tufted Duck

The next in the list of Winter Migrants to the City Beautiful is Tufted Duck. Like every year, this year also Tufted Ducks started arriving in the month of October 2021 and likely to stay here till March 2022. I had spotted Tufted Duck at Dhanas Lake on 23rd October and a flock of TuftedContinue reading “Tufted Duck”

Common Pochard

The next winter visitor, which has already arrived at the water bodies of City Beautiful this winter and can be easily spotted is Common Pochard. We can easily spot Common Pochards either at Sukhna Lake or more closely at Dhanas Lake. These are likely to stay here till March. The feature image was clicked atContinue reading “Common Pochard”

Red-billed Blue-Magpie

The red-billed blue magpie  is a colourful bird known for having one of the longest tails in birds. They were named magpies primarily for the fact that they consume almost everything – they are omnivores. Red-billed blue magpie have already arrived at Chandigarh in this winter season and can be seen at Nature trail behindContinue reading “Red-billed Blue-Magpie”

Ruddy shelduck ( Brahminy Duck )

The Ruddy shelduck, known in India as the Brahminy duck, is a winter visitor to Chandigarh. These ducks have already arrived at Sukhna Lake. It has orange-brown body plumage with a paler head, while the tail and the flight feathers in the wings are black, contrasting with the white wing-coverts. It may be due toContinue reading “Ruddy shelduck ( Brahminy Duck )”

Great Cormorant

The Great cormorant is a large, long-necked, beautiful black waterbird with an oily Plumage which is usually black with an iridescent sheen.  It is often seen with its wings spread for drying after it had been diving for fish. After fishing, cormorants go ashore and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun. CormorantsContinue reading “Great Cormorant”

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 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”

Woodpeckers – Black-rumped Flameback

A common, “small-billed” golden-backed woodpecker with four toes. It is one of the few woodpeckers that are seen in urban areas. It has an undulating flight and characteristic rattling-whinnying call “ki-ki-ki-ki-ki,” which steadily increases in pace and ends in a trill. Propped against the side of a tree trunk, they rapidly hammer against the bark. ThisContinue reading “Woodpeckers – Black-rumped Flameback”

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”