Bangalore Nature Trails

Friday, December 27, 2013

Portland Oregon Backyard Boidies

It has been a while since I updated this blog, mostly because I don't get to bird in Bangalore anymore, now that I've temporarily shifted my residence halfway across the world to Portland, Oregon, USA. Being in graduate school I definitely let birdwatching slip into the recesses of my mind where that long growing list of things I want to do once I graduate end up getting dusty and forgotten like most of my to -do-lists these days. To rejuvenate my love for our feathered friends, I signed up for a winter bird count through the Feathers of Color listserv. I also started putting sunflower seeds out in our frontyard for tasty bird treats this winter. I blogged about the experience here thinking that I would put the more "technical" bird descriptions back here on a blog I maintain along with felly Bangalorean bird enthusiasts - Ruthie and Chiku. I am usually in Bangalore visiting family during December and have quite homesick this holiday season. But nothing like rekindling an old passion to bring back many memories of time spent chasing after spot-billed ___, or black-cheeked ___, and red-rumped ___. :) Hehe. Here's a Portland Winter 2013 special.

*Disclaimer
All pictures in this post are copyleft attribute only taken by the author.
All of the text information in itallics has been copied from wikipedia articles.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Harlur Lake Diaries: Part III

Date: 7th August, 2010
Place: Kasavanahalli Lake [Lake 1] and Kudlu Dodda Kere [Kudlu Big Lake] [Lake 2], Bangalore
No. of species of birds sighted: Lake 1 - 5; Lake 2 - 7. *

Bonelli's Eagle
Field note: Sighted at Lake 1
Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post for picture and information
Common Black Kite
Field note: Sighted at Lake 1
Eurasian Coot
Field note: Sighted at Lake 1
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part III

Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post for information
Greater Coucal
The Greater Coucal or Crow Pheasant (Centropus sinensis) is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. They are weak fliers, and are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. This is a large species of cuckoo at 48 cm. Juveniles are duller black with spots on the crown and there are whitish bars on the underside and tail. The Greater Coucal is a large bird which takes a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates (including Saw-scaled vipers. They are also known to eat bird eggs, nestlings, fruits and seeds. In Tamil Nadu they were found to feed predominantly on snails Helix vittata. They are also known to feed on the toxic fruits of Thevetia peruviana (Yellow Oleander).They sunbathe in the mornings singly or in pairs on the top of vegetation with their wings spread out. They are most active in the warm hours of the morning and in the late afternoon.he calls are a booming low coop-coop-coops repeated and with variations and some duets between individuals. When duetting the female has a lower pitched call. Other calls include a rapid rattling "lotok, lotok ..." and a harsh scolding "skeeaaaw" and a hissing threat call.Greater Coucals are monogamous, and the courtship display involves chases on the ground and the male brings food gifts for the female. The female lowers her tail and droops her wings to signal acceptance. The flesh was once eaten as a folk cure for tuberculosis and pulmonary ailments.
Field note: Sighted at Lake 1
Little Grebe
The Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis), also known as Dabchick, is 23 to 29 cm in length. It is the smallest European member of the grebe family of water birds Little Grebe is an excellent swimmer and diver and pursues its fish and aquatic invertebrate prey underwater. It uses the vegetation skilfully as a hiding place.Like all grebes, it nests at the water's edge, since its legs are set very far back and it cannot walk well. The young leave the nest and can swim soon after hatching, and chicks are often carried on the backs of the swimming adults.
Field note: Sighted at Lake 1
Indian Roller
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part III

Field note: Sighted at Lake 2
Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post for information
Pied Kingfisher
The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a water kingfisher. This kingfisher is about 17cm long. This kingfisher feeds mainly on fish, although it will take crustaceans and large aquatic insects such as dragonfly larvae.^[6] It usually hunts by hovering over the water to detect prey and diving vertically down bill-first to capture fish. When not foraging, they have a straight rapid flight and have been observed flying at nearly 32 mph.They can deal with prey without returning to a perch, and so can hunt over large water bodies or in estuaries that lack perches that are required by other kingfishers. Unlike some kingfishers, it is quite gregarious, and forms large roosts at night.
Field note: Sighted at Lake 1
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part III
Pied Bushchat
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part III

Field note: Sighted at Lake 2
Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II post for information
Red wattled Lapwing
The Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus) is a lapwing or large plover, a wader in the family Charadriidae. It has characteristic loud alarm calls which are variously rendered as Did he do it or Pity to do it leading to colloquial names like did-he-do-it. Red-wattled Lapwings are large waders, about 35cm long. They are said to feed at night being especially active around the full moon. Is uncannily and ceaselessly vigilant, day or night, and is the first to detect intrusions and raise an alarm, and was therefore considered a nuisance by hunters. The local names include titeeri (Hindi), tateehar (Sindhi), titodi (Gujarati), hatatut (Kashmiri), balighora (Assamese), yennappa chitawa (Telugu),^[2] aal-kaati (Tamil, meaning "human indicator").The eggs are often collected by people and used in traditional remedies for asthma and typhoid. In parts of India, a local belief is that the bird sleeps on its back with the legs upwards and an associated Hindi metaphor Tithiri se asman thama jaega ("can the pee-wit support the heavens?") is used when referring to persons undertaking tasks beyond their ability or strength.
Field note: Sighted at Lake 2
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Field note: Sighted at Lake 2
Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II post for picture and information
*Shikra
The Shikra or Little Banded Goshawk (Accipiter badius) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This bird is a small raptor (26–30 cm long)The normal flight of this species is a characteristic "flap –flap– glide". The adult Shikra has pale grey upperparts and is white, finely barred reddish below. Sexes are similar except that the female is larger than the male. The juvenile is brown above and white, spotted with brown below. It has a barred tail.The call is a bi-syllabled whistle titu, often resembling one of the calls of the Black Drongo.
Field note: Sighted here at a small garbage pile off Sarjapur Road :S
Common Stony Bushchat
Field note: Sighted at Lake 2
Paddyfield Pipit
Field note: Sighted at Lake 2
Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II post for picture and information

Photo credits: Ridhi D'Cruz

*Disclaimer: All photos are original and taken on the date mentioned.
All information has been compiled from Wikipedia and can be inaccurate. If there are discrepancies, please write in and let us know.

Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

Date: 10th July, 2010
Place: Kudlu Dodda Kere [Kudlu Big Lake], Bangalore
No. of species of birds sighted: 10

Asian Koel: Female
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

Read more at the Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post
Ashy Prinia
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

Read more at the Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post
Bonelli's Eagle
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

Read more at the Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post
Common Myna
The Common Myna or Indian Myna (Acridotheres tristis) also sometimes spelled Mynah, is a member of the starling family. An omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct, the Myna has adapted extremely well to urban environments. The Myna has been introduced in many other parts of the world and its distribution range is on the increase to an extent that in 2000 the IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN) declared it among the World's 100 worst invasive species, the other two invasive birds being Red-vented bulbul and European Starling. The Myna is one of only three birds in this list of invasive species.hey are believed to mate for life. The Asian Koel is sometimes brood parasitic on this species. Like most starlings, the Common Myna is omnivorous. It feeds on insects and fruits and discarded waste from human habitation. It forages on the ground among grass for insects, and especially for grasshoppers, from which it gets the generic name Acridotheres, "grasshopper hunter". The Common Myna is a hollow-nesting species; that is, it nests and breeds in protected hollows found either naturally in trees or artificially on buildings (for example, recessed windowsills or low eaves)Compared to native hollow-nesting species, the Common Myna is extremely aggressive, and breeding males will actively defend areas ranging up to 0.83 hectares in size (though males in densely populated urban settings tend to only defend the area immediately surrounding their nests). In Hawaii, where the Common Myna was introduced to control pest armyworms and cutworms in sugarcane crops, the bird has helped to spread the robust Lantana camara weed across the islands’ open grasslands.

Field note: Whenever we've visited this lake, we've noticed the mynas squabbling with the rose-ringed parakeets who are also hollow-nesting.
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II
Indian Roller
The Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis), also called the Blue Jay in former times is a member of the roller family of birds. They are found in southern Asia from Iraq to Thailand and are best known for the aerobatic displays of the male during the breeding season. It is not migratory, but undertakes some seasonal movements. The Indian Roller is a stocky bird about 26–27 cm long The breast is brownish and not blue as in the European Roller. The crown and vent are blue. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a band of pale blue. The tail is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green. The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white shaft streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in colour. The feeding behaviour of this roller and habitat usage are very similar to that of the Black Drongo. During summer, they may also feed late in the evening and make use of artificial lights and feed on insects attracted to them.The display of this bird is an aerobatic display, with the twists and turns that give this species its English name. The call of Indian Roller is a harsh crow-like chack sound. It also makes a variety of other sounds, including metallic boink calls.Being very common in the populated plains of India it is associated with legends. A local name is neelakant (meaning "blue throat") a name associated with the deity Shiva (who drank poison resulting in the blue throat). During former times, a captive roller would be released by the local ruler during festivals such as Dussera. The Indian roller has been chosen as the state bird by the Indian states of Bihar, Karnataka, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II
Green Bee eater
Read more at the Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post
Paddyfield Pipit
Paddyfield Pipit (Anthus rufulus) is a medium-sized passerine bird which is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Pakistan and India eastwards to Indonesia and the Philippines.It is found in open habitats, especially short grassland and cultivation. It builds its nest on the ground. Like other pipits, this species is insectivorous. This is a large pipit at 15cm.
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II
Rose ringed Parakeet
The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri), also known as the Ringnecked Parakeet, is a gregarious tropical parakeet species that originated in South Asia and is popular as a pet. This non-migrating species is one of few parrot species that have successfully adapted to living in 'disturbed habitats', and in that way withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation. In the wild, this is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. As is the case with all Psittacula (Afro-Asian Ringnecked Parakeet) species, the Rose-ringed Parakeet is sexually dimorphic. The adult male sports a black neck-ring and pink nape-band while the hen and immature birds of both sexes either show no neck rings, or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck-rings and light (lighter coloured than surroundings) nape-bands. The Asian subspecies - Indian-ringnecked (aka IRN) Parakeet (P. krameri manillensis) originates from the southern Indian subcontinent and has feral and/or naturalized populations worldwide. In Australia, Great Britain (mainly around London), the United States, and other western countries, it is often referred to as the Indian Ring-Necked Parakeet/Parrot. In the wild, Rose-ringed Parakeets usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries and seeds. Wild flocks also fly several miles to forage in farmlands and orchards causing extensive damage. They have been found to feed extensively on pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan ) during winter in India.Rose-ringed Parakeets are popular as pets and they have a long history in aviculture. The ancient Greeks kept the Indian subspecies P. krameri manillensis. Both the males and females of this species has the ability to mimic human speech. First it listens to its surroundings and then it copies the voice of the human speaker. Some people hand-raise Rose-ringed Parakeet chicks for this purpose. Such parrots then become quite tame and receptive to learning.
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II
Pied Bushchat
The Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata) is a small passerine bird The iris is dark brown, the bill and legs black. The female is drab brown and slightly streaked. Juveniles have a scaly appearance on the underside but dark above like the females.The whistling call is somewhat like that of an Indian Robin and has been transcribed as we are tea for two with tea at higher note. Brood parasitism by the Common Cuckoo (race bakeri) has been noted to be common in the Shan State of Burma, with the cuckoo visiting the nest at dusk and removing an egg before quickly laying its own.The female has dark brown upperparts and rufous underparts and rump. She has no white wing patches. Juveniles are similar to females. Males display during the breeding season by splaying the tail, fluttering and puffing up the white scapular feathers.This species is insectivorous, and like other chats hunts from a prominent low perch. Adult birds have few predators although bats (Megaderma lyra) and wintering Asio flammeus have been noted.
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II
White breasted Kingfisher
From Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

Read more at the Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I post

Harlur Lake Diaries: Part I

Date: 16th May, 2010
Place: Kudlu Dodda Kere [Kudlu Big Lake], Bangalore
No. of species of birds sighted: 10

Bonelli's Eagle
The Bonelli's Eagle (Aquila fasciata) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae.The Bonelli's Eagle is a species of wooded, often hilly, country with some open areas.This is a small to medium - sized eagle at 55–65 cm in length. The upperparts are dark brown, and the underside is white with dark streaks. The wings are relatively short and rounded. The long tail is grey on top and white below and has a single broad black terminal band. The feet and eyes are yellow.
From Bangalore Nature Trails
Cattle egret
Refer to earlier post
Green bee eater
The Green Bee-eater, Merops orientalis, (sometimes Little Green Bee-eater) is a near passerine bird in the bee-eater family.They are mainly insect eaters and they are found in grassland, thin scrub and forest often quite far from water. It is about 9 inches (16–18 cm) long with about 2 inches made up by the elongated central tail-feathers. The sexes are not visually distinguishable.Like other species in the genus, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and ants, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. Before swallowing prey, a bee-eater removes stings and breaks the exoskeleton of the prey by repeatedly thrashing it on the perch. These birds are somewhat sluggish in the mornings and may be found huddled next to each other on wires sometimes with their bills tucked in their backs well after sunrise. The sand-bathe more frequently than other bee-eater species and will sometimes bathe in water by dipping into water in flight.A study suggested that Green Bee-eaters may be capable of interpreting the behaviour of human observers. They showed an ability to predict whether a human at a particular location would be capable of spotting the nest entrance and then behaved appropriately to avoid giving away the nest location. The ability to look at a situation from another's point of view was previously believed to be possessed only by primates.
From Bangalore Nature Trails
Eurasian Coot
Refer to earlier post
Little Cormorant
The Little Cormorant (Microcarbo niger) is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. This is a small cormorant, 55 cm in length. Its rectangular head profile and short bill are distinctions from the somewhat larger Indian Cormorant. The Little Cormorant can dive to considerable depths, but usually feeds in shallow water. It frequently brings prey to the surface. A wide variety of fish are taken.
From Bangalore Nature Trails
Purple Heron
Refer to earlier post
Purple Swamphen
Refer to earlier post
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
The Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae) is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family. They are found in dense scrub to forest habitats.The Tickell's Blue Flycatcher is about 11–12 cm long.Females are duller, and the red is reduced in intensity and extent.Apart from flying insects they have been noted to occasionally glean crawling insects.The Tickell's Blue Flycatcher breeds in dry forest, scrub, bamboo and gardens.The metallic song of the bird includes a series of clicks followed by five or six notes that end abruptly. The metallic song consists of short clicks followed by five or six notes resembling that of the White-browed Fantail-flycatcher. Alarm calls include churr and clicking notes.They feed mainly by capturing insects in flight but their prey include other insects such as termites and earwigs that may be gleaned or picked from the ground.
From Bangalore Nature Trails
White breasted Kingfisher
The White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis) also known as the White-breasted Kingfisher or Smyrna Kingfisher, is a tree kingfisher. It can often be found well away from water where it feeds on a wide range of prey that includes small reptiles, amphibians, crabs, small rodents and even birds. During the breeding season they call loudly in the mornings from prominent perches including the tops of buildings in urban areas or on wires.This is a large kingfisher, 28 cm in length.The call of this kingfisher is a chuckling chake-ake-ake-ake-ake.Local names include Sindhi: Dalel; Hindi: Kilkila, Kourilla; Himachal Pradesh: Neela machhrala; Punjabi: Wadda machhera; Bengali: Sandabuk machhranga; Assamese: Masroka; Cachar: Dao natu gophu; Gujarati: Kalkaliyo, Safedchati kalkaliyo; Marathi: Khandya; Tamil: Vichuli; Telugu: Lakmuka, Buchegadu; Malayalam: Ponman; Kannada: Rajamatsi; Sinhalese: Pilihuduwa.Predation of small birds such as the Oriental White-eye, chick of a Red-wattled Lapwing, sparrows and munias have been reported.The White-throated Kingfisher begins breeding at the onset of the Monsoons.
From Bangalore Nature Trails

10. Pied Kingfisher
Refer to Harlur Lake Diaries: Part II

Photo credits: Ridhi D'Cruz

*Disclaimer: All photos are original and taken on the date mentioned.
All information has been compiled from Wikipedia and can be inaccurate. If there are discrepancies, please write in and let us know.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I

Date: 19th June, 2010
Place: Madivala Lake, Bangalore
No. of species of birds sighted: 10

Ashy Prinia
Also known as the Ashy Wren-Warbler (Prinia socialis), it is a small warbler. The prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent. These 13–14 cm long warblers have short rounded wings, a longish tail usually held upright, strong legs and a short black bill. The crown is grey and the underparts are rufous in most plumages. In breeding plumage, adults are ash grey with a black crown and cheek with no supercilium and rufescent wings. In non-breeding season there is a short and narrow white supercilium and the tail is longer. Like most warblers, the Ashy Prinia is insectivorous. The song is a repetitive tchup, tchup, tchup or zeet-zeet-zeet. It also makes a sound like "electric sparks" which is said to be produced by the wings.

From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Asian Koel
It is also known as the Rain bird (Eudynamys scolopaceus) and is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. The Asian Koel is a brood parasite and lays its eggs in the nests of crows and other hosts, who raise its young. They are unusual among the cuckoos in being largely frugivorous as adults. They are very vocal during the breeding season (March to August), with a range of different calls. The familiar song of the male is a repeated koo-Ooo. The female makes a shrill kik-kik-kik... call. Calls vary across populations. They show a pattern of moult that differs from those of other parasitic cuckoos.

Female
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I

Male
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Cattle Egret [NBR: Non-breeding]
It (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae).The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Unlike most other herons, it feeds in relatively dry grassy habitats, often accompanying cattle or other large mammals, since it catches insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. During the breeding season, adults of the nominate western subspecies develop orange-buff plumes on the back, breast and crown, and the bill, legs and irises become bright red for a brief period prior to pairing. The sexes are similar, but the male is marginally larger and has slightly longer breeding plumes than the female; juvenile birds lack coloured plumes and have a black bill.
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Eurasian Coot
Fulica atra, also known as Coot, is a member of the rail and crake bird family, the Rallidae. The Coot is 36–42 cm long, and is largely black except for the white facial shield (which gave rise to the phrase "as bald as a coot", which the Oxford English Dictionary cites in use as early as 1430). As a swimming species, the Coot has partial webbing on its long strong toes.The juvenile is paler than the adult, has a whitish breast, and lacks the facial shield; the adult black plumage develops when about 3–4 months old, but the white shield is only fully developed at about one year old.This is a noisy bird with a wide repertoire of crackling, explosive, or trumpeting calls, often given at night. They are much less secretive than most of the rail family, and can be seen swimming on open water or walking across waterside grasslands. It is an aggressive species, and strongly territorial during the breeding season, and both parents are involved in territorial defence. During the non-breeding season they may form large flocks, possibly related to predator avoidance.
Grey Heron [Immature]
The Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Asia. It is a large bird, standing 90-100 cm tall, with a 175-195 cm wingspan and a weight of 1-2 kg. It has a powerful, pinkish-yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranesspoonbills, which extend their necks. The call is a loud croaking "fraaank".
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Indian Pond Heron [br]
The Indian Pond Heron or Paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a small heron. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when the stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when the roost close to human habitations. They are however distinctive when put to flight, the bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body. The camouflage is so excellent that they will often allow humans to approach very close before taking to flight, and this has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Purple Heron
The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is a wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae. The Purple Heron is a large bird, 80-90 cm tall, with a 120-150 cm wingspan, but slender for its size, weighing only 0.5-1.3 kg. It is somewhat smaller than the Grey Heron, from which it can be distinguished by its darker reddish-brown plumage, and, in adults, darker grey back. It has a narrower yellow bill, which is brighter in breeding adults. The Purple Heron breeds in colonies in reed beds or trees close to large lakes or other extensive wetlands. It builds a bulky stick nest. It feeds in shallow water, spearing fish, frogs, insects, small mammals, reptiles and small birds. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim. It tends to keep within reedbeds more than the Grey Heron, and is often inconspicuous, despite its size. It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. The long neck of Purple Heron looks particularly snake-like, with more of an S-shape in flight. The call is a loud croaking "krek".
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Purple Swamphen
The Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio), also known as the African Purple Swamphen, Purple Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, Purple Waterhen or Purple Coot, is a large bird in the family Rallidae (rails). From its name in French, talève sultane, it is also known as the Sultana Bird. The species has a very loud explosive call described as a "raucous high-pitched screech, with a subdued musical tuk-tuk". It is particularly noisy during the breeding season. Despite being clumsy in flight it can fly long distances, and it is a good swimmer, especially for a bird without webbed feet. They are generally seasonal breeders, but the season varies across their large range, correlating with peak rainfall in many places, or summer in more temperate climes. They breed in warm reed beds. The male has an elaborate courtship display, holding water weeds in his bill and bowing to the female with loud chuckles. In the western parts of the range the pattern of social behaviour tends to be monogamy, but cooperative breeding groups are more common in the eastern parts of the range. These groups may consist of multiple females and males sharing a nest or a male female pair with helpers drawn from previous clutches.
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Spot-billed Pelican
The Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the pelican family. They are a relatively small pelican but are still large bird. being 125–152 cm (49–60 in) in length and weighing 4.1–6 kg (9-13.2 lbs). In breeding plumage, the skin at the base of the beak is dark and the orbital patch is pink. The main habitat is in shallow lowland freshwaters. They are very silent although at their nests they can make hisses, grunts or snap their bills. This species was once used by fishermen in parts of eastern Bengal as decoys for certain fish. These fishermen believed that an oily secretion from the bird attracted certain fish.
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I
Indian Spot-billed duck
The Spotbill, Anas poecilorhyncha, also known as the Spot-billed Duck, is a dabbling duck. It is a bird of freshwater lakes and marshes in fairly open country and feeds by dabbling for plant food mainly in the evening or at night. It nests on the ground in vegetation near water, and lays 8-14 eggs. Both the male and female have calls similar to the Mallard.In the Japanese manga and anime One Piece, there is a "Super Spotbill" named Karoo which is owned by Nefertari Vivi. Also, the Farfetch'd species in the Pokémon series is possibly based on the spotbill.
From Madivala Lake Diaries: Part I

Photo credits: Ridhi D'Cruz

*Disclaimer: All photos are original and taken on the date mentioned.
All information has been compiled from Wikipedia and can be inaccurate. If there are discrepancies, please write in and let us know.

The Day of the Coucal

A few of us avid birdwatchers have been frequenting lakes around Bangalore to watch our feathered friends.

And today we celebrate the Day of the Coucal. Red-eyed and Copper-winged, you are a treat to watch dear friends :)