More ››

India's varied environment is the home of the vast range
of animals and some rare species of birds like Rufous-
chinned and white crested laughing thrush, rufous-
breasted accentor, greater yellow-naped flameback,
blue whistling thrush and red-billed blue magpie.

Darters
Darters are the most highly specialized of underwater fishers. They swim with the body submerged, the small head and sinuous neck resulting in its other name of Snakebird. Fish are speared with a sudden straightening of the neck, the curiously formed neck bones acting like a trigger. Darters are less sociable than Cormorants, and often seen singly. They are strong fliers, frequently soaring, the long tail fanned out. They breeds colonially in the lowlands.

Little Cormorant
Little Cormorant is the most abundant of its family. It gathers in huge numbers at some waterside breeding colonies and also nests in trees in village compounds some way from water. It constantly consorts with the Shag in a jostling, splashing throng to hairy shoals of fish. It flies strongly, the neck outstretched, the wing beats interspersed with short glides. The nestlings are ugly and scrawny, and noisily pester their parents to regurgitate the food in their crops, plunging their bills in to feed.

Bar – Headed Goose
Bar – Headed Goose are common in winters in northern and central India, but rarer further south. Usually in large, wary flocks on jheels or by rivers, it is frequently shot owing to its depredations on crops. The flocks fly in a long, strung-out V formation, and the wild musical honking is best heard when the birds are fighting to or from their feeding ground. It is known to fly at very high altitudes when on migration over the Himalayas.

it is nevertheless a familiar figure whether by lowland pond or hill stream. A skilled and patient fisherman, its gawky shape is distinctive when poised with neck outstretched at the water’s edge, or when beating slowly across the sky on broad wings. The large stick nests are usually placed in tall trees, or by the water in reed beds or mangroves. The scraggy nestlings are fed on regurgitated food, which they solicit by tugging at the parent’s bill.

Painted Stork
Painted Stork can be seen at inland waters in the plains, it is mainly a fish-eater, and often wades along with the half-opened bill ploughing the water. Usually seen in small numbers, except at the teeming breeding colonies.

White Stork
White Stork is a winter visitor to India, rarer in the south than the north and west. Usually in small parties by jheels, marshes or wet fields where a variety of food is taken, including frogs and grasshoppers. Migrating flocks make use of rising hot air currents – “thermals” – to soar and gain height.

Adjutant Stork
Adjutant Stork is an impressive bird, whether stalking over marshland, or soaring on its huge wings, often in company with vultures. An avid scavenger of any refuse, offal or carcase, it also feeds on fish, frogs or snakes. The function of the curious inflatable neck pouch is not known, although it is certainly not capable of storing food as might be imagined. Nesting in Bangladesh and Assam, this stork wanders widely across northern India.

Greater Flamingo
Like the Spoonbill, the Greater Flamingoes have a specialized beak for sifting small animal matter from shallow water, but does this by curving the long neck so that the bill is upside down, pointing back at the feet, and moving it from side to side. The only birding area known in India is in Kutch, where many birds congregate to build their mud-pie nests on the salt flats. In winter the birds may be seen on jheels throughout the area; rarely in the east.

Cotton Teal
Cotton Teal is the smallest duck in the world. It is widespread in the better watered areas of India except in the south-west, although nowhere really abundant, Usually in pairs or small flocks on weedy thanks or jheels, where it feeds on water plants. The nest is placed in a hole in a tree. Although not adapted at either diving or walking, it flies fast.

Monal
Monal, the magnificent pheasant haunts the upper valleys of the Himalayas, rarely descending below about 2000 m, even in winter. It is especially partial to the rocky alpine meadows where they are interested by clumps of fir or rhododendron, and here the birds dig for bulbs and roots with their powerful beaks. They tend to keep in small parties, and are very shy, shooting off down-hill when disturbed, with a loud whistling call. When displaying, the cock fans and raises his rufous tail, droops his wings to reveal the white back – patch, and fluffs out the brilliant iridescent neck feathers.

Kalij Pheasant
Kalij Pheasant are the most familiar Himalayan pheasants, being less restricted to high or remote areas. It occurs from Kashmir to Bhutan and Assam in several different races, being distinguished by the amount of white in the plumage. The white – crested bird illustrated is from the west Himalayas, the darker bird from Nepal. It is fond of the thick undergrowth of jungle ravines. But also frequents cultivation around hill villages. It is more active at dawn and dusk, and can then sometimes be seen in clearings or along tracks. Small parties keep in touch with a low clucking call, and the cock makes a deep drumming noise when displaying by vibrating his wings rapidly.

often fluffing the back feathers and secondary up while pressing the primaries stiffly down. One bird of a pair always answers the other’s call. In the nuptial display the two birds dance round each other with little jumps and bows, the whole performance lasting several minutes. It is widely distributed across northern India from Pakistan to Assam.

Common Crane
Grey cranes found in winter in flocks are likely to be of this or the next species, both being migratory. The sight of a large flock in flight to most impressive, being enhanced by the loud resonant trumpeting calls. Found on flooded meadows or jheels, cranes are constantly on the alert, and feed mostly in the mornings and evenings in crops, where they can do much damage. They visit the plains country of northern India between October and March.

Demoiselle Crane
Breeds over a smaller area of Eurasia than the Common Crane, but visits India in perhaps even larger numbers. Most common in the north-west, becoming rare in the south and Bangladesh. It prefers rather more arid and stony habitats to the larger bird, although both species may often be found together.

Great Indian Bustard
Now becoming rare in the dry, open grasslands of north-west India, it was once common and ranged through Pakistan and Peninsular India. The spread of cultivation is one adverse factor, but it is still shot from vehicles despite the evident need for its preservation, as it occurs nowhere else in the world. It is usually seen in small flocks, but they are very shy and wary, and often prefer to run rather than fly when disturbed. The male has an elaborate display when the neck feathers are fluffed out and an inflatable pouch of skin expanded, the tail is spread and elevated, and the wings dropped, while he pirouettes around an apparently uninterested hen. The male is about a third larger than the female, and weights up to 14 kg.

Bengal Florican
Found in the grassland areas north and east of the Ganges. The cock has a distinctive display flight, watched by several hens, when he jumps into the air and floats slowly down again. He also displays on the ground, strutting round the hen with expanded tail. Although best adapted for funning or walking, bustards have large powerful wings, and are strong, steady fliers, holding the neck stretched out. Owing to their good eating qualities, both this bird and the Likh are extensively shot.

Purple Moorhen
It is fascinating to see this apparently heavy and clumsy rail clambering about easily in reed-beds, grasping the stems with its long toes. Rarely seen in flight, it spends most of the time durking in thick, swampy vegetation, often in small parties. It shares the family habit of flicking the tail up to display the white coverts underneath. Found throughout the area south of the Himalayas, but uncommon in Kashmir.

Common Sandpiper
Breeding by hill streams in the western Himalayas, Common Sandpiper is a common winter visitor throughout the rest of the area. Often seen singly on rocky or sandy river banks, creeks, tank margins or the coast, it bobs nervously as it moves about. When it flies out low over the water, the wings look bowed, and are beaten shallowly to give a flickering appearance.

Spotted Dove
Very widely distributed in southern Asia, Spotted Dove is found throughout our area, frequenting rather lush wooded countryside. It is a popular cage bird, and is familiar around villages and gardens, where it walks about on the paths picking up grain. It has a longer series of cooing phrases than the Collared Dove.

Blue Rock Pigeon
Abundant around cities and towns throughout the area, there are still wild populations of this pigeon, which live around ruins or cliffs, feeding in nearby fields. The rich throaty coo, and strutting, neck-swelling display of the cock are well known to all.

Common Kingfisher
Perhaps less shy than is larger relatives; this kingfisher is found throughout the area. It is often to be seen perched on a stick or branch overlooking a ditch or pool, watching intently for fish. It nests in a tunnel by the waterside.

Great Pied Hornbill
Great Pied Hornbill occurs in small parties in forest in the Himalayan foothills, North East, and South-west India, but is declining in numbers as a result of de-forestation and shooting. In flight, the wings make a loud droning sound – often the only indication of the bird as it flies over tree-tops in heavy forest, and it also has a loud, deep cackling note. It is shy, and keeps much to the trees, only rarely descending o the ground, and feeds largely on fruit.

Indian Pipit
Indian Pipit is common throughout the area, on short grass, cultivated or fallow land. Generally in pairs or small parties, it runs quickly over the grass to snap at a small moth or beetle, then stretches upright to survey the surroundings. Has a thin, double call-note.