Why is the Asian koel unique?


 



          The Asian koel is better known by its voice than by its looks. The Asian koel stays almost completely atop trees and never comes down to ground. It is as big as a crow, but is leaner, with a longer tail. The famous koel song actually belongs entirely to the males. Females do not sing. Young male birds make harsh, crow-like sounds. But even the adults do not sing during winter.



          The Asian koel is also a brood parasite. It leaves its eggs, which are slightly smaller, but similar to crow’s eggs, to be raised in crow’s nests. These birds feed on berries, banyan and peepal figs and hairy caterpillars.



          Apart from the Indian sub-continent, these birds are also found in China and Southeast Asia. Earlier these birds were popularly raised in cages as pets. 


What are the features of the Indian cuckoo?

            The Indian cuckoo is a medium-sized bird found in forests and open woodlands. Its lower parts are grey in colour, while the upper parts show broad black bars throughout. The tail is also barred, but the tip is white and is preceded by a broader black band. The young birds have a dark face, but the top of their head and chin are contrastingly white in colour.



            The major diet of these birds includes hairy caterpillars and other insects. They are usually found on top of the upper leaf cover of trees, where they search for insects to prey upon. They may catch flying insects in the air, during which they may fly to lower heights too.



            One notable habit of these birds is to leave their eggs for some other bird to rise. They are therefore, called brood parasites. They’ll go to the nest of some other bird to lay their single egg. But before that, they will eat one egg from the host’s nest. The poor host bird will look after the cuckoo egg as its own.



            In India, drongos and crows are the common victims of the cuckoos’ brood parasitism. The Indian cuckoo is very common in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Russia and Sri Lanka. 




What are the differences between the common myna and the bank myna?

The common myna and the bank myna are different in many ways. The common myna is comparatively larger with a brownish purple plumage. It has a black head. But the bank myna is smaller and bluish-grey in colour. It has some bare skin behind its eyes, which is brick red in colour. In the common myna, this skin is yellowish.

          The common myna is a bold and adventurous bird, mostly found in towns, villages and cultivation lands. They are courageous enough to enter even houses. But bank mynas are milder in their manner.



          The common mynas build nests in holes and they roost communally in tall grasses. They eat invertebrates, fruits, nectar from flowers and even garbage. But bank mynas dig holes in earthen banks of rivers and build their nest in them. Common mynas are found in almost all parts of India. Bank mynas tend to be concentrated in the northern and central regions of the country. 


What are the features of the wire-tailed swallow?


            The most notable feature of a wire-tailed swallow is its tail, as its name indicates. It has two long feathers extending from the tail, called tail streamers. This is a small, lean bird with a blue-and-black plumage all over. The cap of its head is chestnut coloured.



            These birds prefer living near water and human settlements. They are found in pairs or in small scattered groups. They do not like to live in colonies, but build their nests individually, choosing a particular territory. But they roost with other varieties of swallows in tall grasses and bushes.



            Insects are the major diet of these birds. They catch their preys in the air, using their superior flying skills. These birds are commonly found perching on wires.



            These birds are very common in India, except in the Northeastern states and in the extreme south. The birds in northern India have been observed migrating towards the southern regions during winter. 


What makes the house sparrow unique?


               The house sparrow is unique, because almost everyone in the world is familiar with this little bird. It is below 20 cm in length, with a feather cover of grey and brown shades.



               These birds can live in mountainous and plain terrains alike. They are very social by nature and roost communally. They build nests in holes in walls and ceilings, with straw and garbage.



               They basically eat seeds and grains, randomly collected from the ground. But these birds can assemble in large numbers and can raid crops, causing very serious damage to cultivations. They do this especially during winter seasons.



               Also, due to their habit of destroying flower buds and vegetables they are often a headache to people cultivating kitchen gardens. They have a large number of enemies including cats and owls. 


Why is the tailor bird so called?


            As the name suggests, the tailor bird is a ‘professional tailor’. They are excellent architects, skilled in building a well-engineered nest from raw materials like leaves and fibres. First they construct a funnel, by stitching the edges of a broad leaf. If the leaf is not broad enough, they will manage it by sewing more leaves together. The stitching will be done with cotton or twisted vegetable fibres and the ends will be cleverly knotted so that they do not get loose. Once the leafy basement is strong and ready, they build a cup-shaped nest in it with soft fibres, hair, cotton wool or vegetables.



            These birds have a green upper body and rusty brown forehead and crown. Found in pairs or singly, they are well-adapted to living in scrubby forests, gardens, villages and busy towns. They feed on insects and caterpillars. They also like the nectar of certain flowers and can be found circling the blossoms for it.



            The tailor birds can be found almost anywhere in India.



 


Why is the red-vented bulbul considered as a common bird?


            The red-vented bulbul is the most common variety of bulbul. It is dark brown in colour. The feathers are such that the dark brown colour ends in paler shade at the edges. This gives a scale-like appearance to the breast and back. The back of its body is white in colour and is normally concealed under the wings and is noticeable while flying. The region under the tail, called the vent, is red which gives it its name.



            These birds are mostly found in gardens and light scrub jungles. Their major diet is berries. But they also eat moths and caterpillars. When the winged termites come out from their underground holes after the first rain, the red-vented bulbuls will be the first to reach the spot. Either they will catch the insects as they exit the ground or they will spring up with them and catch them in air.



            These are very noisy birds. These birds build their nests at a height of around 3 m. They are found in pairs or as small groups. These birds are native to India and Sri Lanka. 


What are the features of the Indian robin?


               The Indian robin is a very familiar, lively bird in our villages. It is notable by its permanently cocked up tail. The male birds of the species are brown and shiny black in colour. The under parts of the tail are in a deep chestnut colour. There is a white patch under the wings, which is normally hidden when the bird is at rest. The female bird is ash-brown in colour and the chestnut colour under the tail is slightly paler, when compared to that of a male bird.



               These birds are found in stony, grassy, shrub forest environments. They prefer living in dry regions. They like human presence and are commonly found perching on rooftops. Once settled, they don’t migrate anywhere. They feed on insects and caterpillars. They have a special liking for white ants and are found lingering around anthills. These birds are very common in India.


Why is the Eurasian collared dove different?


            The Eurasian collared dove is a medium-sized bird with a pinkish grey plumage.



            It gets its name from the black collar found on the back of its neck. It is more than 30 cm in length and its wing span can extend up to 55 cm in width.



            These birds choose to live in open woodlands, cultivated lands, villages and urban areas alike. They generally keep away from dense forests. They nest near human settlements, where food is easy to get and trees are available. They are found perching on wires and feeding on the ground. Seeds constitute their major diet.



            During flight, just before landing, they produce a harsh loud screeching sound which lasts for a few seconds. They tend to stay where they live and are not migratory.



            These birds are very common in India. Outside India, they are also found in Europe and other parts of Asia. They were introduced in North America in the 1980s.


What are the features of the laughing dove?


          The laughing dove is a small, thin bird with a brown and grey plumage. It has a patch of square speckles in black and reddish-brown colour on its neck, like a necklace. It also has a long tail and its call is quite different from that of other kinds of doves.



          These birds can be found in dry, rocky and bushy terrains. But they are also well adapted to living in cultivated lands, villages, parks and urban areas. These birds are so used to humans, but their nature does not attract much attention. They eat seeds in pairs, usually from the ground. Generally, these birds like to live in a particular locality. But sometimes, they are also found moving from place to place. Some of these birds that had tags attached to them for identification were discovered to have moved from Gujarat to Pakistan. They covered more than 200 km and were landing on ships in the Arabian Sea, when they were exhausted.



          Laughing doves are very common in India, where they are also called little brown doves. Sometimes, these birds are also called palm doves or Senegal doves.



 


What are the features of the spotted dove?


            The spotted dove is also known by various other names like the mountain dove, pearl-necked dove or lace-necked dove. It is a medium-sized bird with a pink and brown plumage. The back and hind neck are black with white spots on them.



            These birds are found in pairs or in small scattered groups in open forests and cultivated lands, near to water.



            The nests are built on low branches of trees or in bushes. They feed on grains; seeds etc. from dusty paths and straw fields and often eat grit on roads and tracks. The way they fly up from the ground is with an explosive flutter and they glide down before perching somewhere.



            The spotted doves are common in almost all parts of India. They have also been introduced in many other parts of the world, like the United States of America, Mauritius, Australia and New Zealand. 


Why is the blue rock pigeon one of the most familiar birds?

          The blue rock pigeon is a common bird, as familiar as a crow or a house sparrow to us. It is bluish-grey in colour, with a shining metallic green, purple and magenta shades on the neck and upper breast. The wild variety of birds is pale grey in colour and their wings will have two black bars on them. The domesticated and stray birds have varying colour patterns on their plumage.



          One peculiarity of the rock pigeon is the way it drinks water. These birds can actually dip their bill in water and simply drink water, continuously. But often, what they do is to take a small sip and tilt the head backwards to swallow the water. Most birds do this repeatedly when drinking.



          These birds can be found in cultivations, rocky and urban areas. They feed on grains, often in large numbers, as a flock. If a group of pigeons are disturbed, they will fly up together, producing a noisy clapping sound which our movies have often pictured on screen dramatically. They build nests using twigs and straw, often in cavities or on tall rocks. They tend to live in colonies. These birds are abundant in India. It can also be seen in Europe and Africa. 




What are the features of the black-headed jay?


The black-headed jay is a lean, light-pink coloured bird with a black head and a thick, short bill. There is a notable small tuft of feathers on its head.



It is found in wooded country with large areas of open ground rather than dense forest. It also found in some cultivated areas and even near villages as long as there are enough trees nearby. They have a wide range of food items that they eat, including plant and animal food like eggs and baby birds. They build nests in the low branches of trees. Their call is a loud screech, with long pauses in between.



In India, these birds are seen in the Himalayas. Outside, countries like Afghanistan, and Bhutan also hosts them. 


What are the features of the Indian tree pie?

          The Indian tree pie is a small bird, with mainly chestnut coloured plumage. But its head and neck are black in colour. Although it is only as big as a mynah, it has a long tail of about 30 cm.



          These birds can live wherever there are trees, like in open forests, city parks and gardens. They have a diverse menu, including insects, reptiles, small birds, fruits, nectar and even garbage. Stealing eggs from other nests is a weakness of these birds. But since they are efficient at searching for and trapping pests, they are considered to be of great help to farmers cultivating palm trees. Their nests will be situated high on tree branches. They like to stay hidden in leaf cover, but are adventurous and curious. They often follow one another while moving through branches.



          These birds are found in almost all parts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand. 




What makes the common raven a familiar bird in India?


            The common raven is a large bird found in dry or mountainous deserts and grasslands. It is totally glossy black in appearance and has a thick bill. They are exceptionally intelligent birds that can be seen flying very high in the air, with outstretched wings.



            This bird has lived along with humans for a long time past. Sometimes, these birds were so large in number that they were literally considered as pests. Dead, decaying flesh of animals is the favourite food of ravens. At the same time, they lead a ‘thug’s life’, stealing eggs or little birds, from other nests. They may even prey upon other adult birds, if they get a chance. They have an average lifespan of around 21 years.



            In India, common ravens are found in Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh. They are also found in Europe, North Africa, Central America and other regions of Asia.