COMMON KINGFISHER

Alcedo atthis

Although called ‘Common’, this little bird, once known as the Small Blue Kingfisher, is far less common than its White-Throated cousin. It has blue-green and turquoise upperparts, orange underparts and ear-coverts, and a white throat. Its blue bill is long and pointed, the tail is short and stumpy, and its feet bright orange. It is usually seen alone at streams, rivers and lakes including Keezhnathur, often perched on a branch, overhanging the water. It is not seen on the Hill or the surrounding farms. As it scans the water for prey it will bob its head and jerk its tail. It is often spotted as a flash of blue and turquoise, flying fast and low over the water, and uttering its shrill chichee, chichee. It feeds on small fish, tadpoles and aquatic insects which it catches by diving off its overhanging perch into the water.

WHITE-THROATED KINGFISHER

Halcyon smyrnensis

The most common kingfisher, seen both near and far from water. It has a deep brown head, neck and underparts, but the throat and breast form a conspicuous white ‘shirt front’. Its upperparts are a brilliant turquoise-blue, and very prominent in flight. Its red bill is long, heavy and pointed. It can be found at most freshwater wetlands, cultivated and forested land, and near habitation, though it is rarely seen on the Hill. It is usually alone or in separated pairs, and often perches on telegraph wires and posts, from which it flies down to pounce on its prey. It feeds on fish, tadpoles, lizards, insects, and occasionally young birds or mice. It has a loud cackling call, usually uttered in flight, and a loud, repeated chattering song delivered from the top of a tree or some other high perch.

16cm Resident

28cm Resident

PIED KINGFISHER

Ceryle rudis

A black-and-white kingfisher with a black, dagger-like bill. The upperparts are barred and speckled black and white. It has a white supercilium below a black and white streaked crest. The underparts are white with black bands across the breast. It can be found at reservoirs and other still freshwaters including Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris, and along slow-moving rivers and streams. It is seen singly or in pairs, usually on a favourite perch near water, flicking its tail up and bobbing its head. It has a spectacular method of fishing: hovering stationary high above the water, then ‘standing on its tail’ before diving at its prey with the wings pulled in. It feeds on fish, tadpoles, frogs and aquatic insects. The call is a sharp chirruk, chirruk uttered on the wing. The nest is at the end of a horizontal tunnel dug into a steep mud-bank on the edge of the water.

31cm Resident

Left: Blue-tailed bee-eater, Right: Chestnut-headed bee-eater

Green bee-eater

GREEN BEE-EATER

Merops orientalis

This is a dainty, grass-green bird - the smallest of the bee-eaters. It has a golden-brown crown, a black eye-stripe above bluish throat and cheeks, which are separated from the breast by a thin black line. The dark bill is thin, sharp and slightly curved. It has two prominent elongated feathers that extend from the green tail. It is widespread and found in open countryside, often close to habitation and cultivation, and in wooded areas in the Park and lower slopes of the Hill, and around wetlands including Samudram and Keezhnathur. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups on telegraph wires and fence posts. It feeds on bees and other insects which it catches in mid-air before gliding gracefully back to its perch on outstretched, motionless wings. It kills the insects by rubbing their bodies on the branches that form their perch. Its call is a jingling tit, tit or a trilling tree-tree-tree constantly uttered at rest and on the wing. It roosts communally in leafy trees.

BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER

Merops philippinus

This has some similarities to the Green Bee-eater, but it is larger in size, and has a chestnut throat, and blue rump and tail. It also is less common, preferring wooded country near water where it can be found in small, loose flocks. It feeds on winged insects, mainly dragonflies, wasps and bees. Flocks can be see flying over forest clearings hawking insects, or perched at the very top of tall trees at the edge of the woodland ready to fly out hunting. Its call is a pleasant tree-tree-tree followed by tit-tit-tit, usually uttered on the wing, but also when perched. They are noisy at roost, and are also late risers, often to be seen in the early morning still perched together on a branch, all facing the same way. Large numbers have been seen to roost in the woodland next to Keezhnathur lake.

CHESTNUT-HEADED BEE-EATER

Merops leschenaulti

As its name implies this bee-eater has a chestnut head, nape and mantle. Its yellow throat is separated from the green underparts by a diffused black line. The rump and abdomen are bluish, and the green tail is shorter than other bee-eaters with a slight fork, without elongated feathers. It is found in deciduous forest and woodland, often on lower slopes near streams. It can be seen in small flocks of up to 30 birds on exposed branches, but larger gatherings may collect for nightly communal roosts. It flies out from its perch to hunt insects, circling back to the same perch with its prey, its flight being fast, with a few rapid wing beats followed by a graceful glide. It likes to drink and bathe on the wing, splashing onto water whilst flying or dropping down from an overhanging perch. Its call resembles that of the Blue-Tailed Bee-Eater.

23-26cm Winter visitor

16-18cm Resident

18-20cm Resident

PIED CUCKOO

Clamator jacobinus

A black and white cuckoo, with a prominent black crest. The white tips of the tail feathers and white patch on wings are visible when the bird is in flight. It is likely to be seen in open, well wooded areas, often near villages and towns. In most parts of India this bird is associated with the monsoons. It migrates into the country with the onset of the monsoons in June, and leaves in September as they end. However, the southern India bird that lives in this area is resident, and makes only short local migrations. During the breeding season the birds can be seen chasing one another from tree to tree, calling excitedly, piu-piu-pee-peepiu…pee-pee-piu. It lives mainly in the trees, but occasionally descends to the ground in search of food: grasshoppers, caterpillars and berries. It lays its eggs in the nests of Babblers.

COMMON HAWK CUCKOO

Hierococcyx varius

Juvenile

33cm Resident

34cm Resident

Adult

This is a bird likely to be heard before being seen. Its well-known ‘brain fever’ call is a shrill and repetitive pee-pee-ah…pee-pee-ah, heard throughout the day and during moonlit nights. It is ashy grey above, and rufous and white below, with barring on its belly and flanks. The broad tail has black and grey bars. It can be found in light forests, gardens and groves near villages and towns. It is usually seen alone or in pairs in the canopy of the trees, where it feeds on hairy caterpillars and other insects, berries and wild figs. It rarely descends to the ground. It lays its eggs in the nests of Babblers, and Large Grey Babblers have been seen feeding and caring for the cuckoo nestlings.

LESSER CUCKOO

Cuculus Poliocephalus

This bird is slaty-grey above, black-barred white below and under parts suffused with buff. Sexes are more or less alike. This bird becomes extensively noisy during the breeding season, with a distinctive husky chattering call of 5 or 6 notes, which sometimes continue day and night, and it seems to sound like ‘That’s your choky pepper … choky pepper’ (accent on the first choky). It lays its eggs in the nests of other birds such as Babblers and warblers during May, June and July synchronizing with the nesting season of the hosts. Eggs are variably coloured, white to terracotta red, usually matching the eggs of normal local hosts, and are unusually large. Locally common and breeding in the Himalayas in summer at elevations between 1500 and 3200 m, it migrates to lower elevations in winter wandering widely south in the peninsula. Found in the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, it was spotted in the Forest Park in early November 2017 and later in Keezhnathur Eri.

26 cm Vagrant

GREY-BELLIED CUCKOO

Cacomantis passerinus

A slim, dark grey bird with whitish underparts, and grey chin and throat. The black tail is white-tipped, and the white patch on the underside of its black wings is prominent in flight. It is usually seen alone in scrub and open wooded country. In flight it is very like a hawk, flying swiftly from tree-top to tree-top over wide distances. It feeds on caterpillars and other insects which it hunts for in trees, occasionally catching flying insects or descending to the ground to pick up caterpillars. Its call is a high-pitched p’teer, p’teer, p’teer, or a whistling song pi-pi-pipeepeepi-pipeepee delivered from an exposed tree-top, with wings and tail drooping. It lays its eggs in the nests of Tailorbirds and Ashy Prinias. These birds all build closed nests with very narrow entrance holes, and it is difficult to see how the cuckoo introduces its egg, other than by using its bill to push it in.

INDIAN CUCKOO

Cuculus micropterus

Spotted in the Hardwickia grove at the base of the Arunachala Hill, this bird is dark slate-grey above with a brownish tinge; pale ashy and white below, cross-barred with widely spaced broad black bands and with a black band on the tail. The female has a pale grey throat and a browner breast with a rufous tinge. Chiefly arboreal, it keeps singly to tree-tops and canopies. It is very vocal when breeding between mid-March and early August and noisy in the early hours before dawn till about 9am and again from dusk till far into or even through-out the night, particularly on moonlit nights. Its ‘song’ is a loud and far-reaching whistle that can sound like ’kyphal-pakka, bo-kotako, orange-pekoe, crossword-puzzle, or what’s-your-trouble in intermittent runs for hours on end. While serenading a female the wings are drooped, the tail often spread out and erected and the bird pivots from side to side. The female makes a warbling call described as ‘water-bubbling’ chiefly in flight. This bird is a brood-parasite mainly on drongos but their young have been observed being fed in the nest of a paradise flycatcher and of a streaked spider-hunter. This bird feeds on hairy and other caterpillars and various insects. It sometimes descends to the ground, hopping about awkwardly to pick insects up from among leaf litter.

23cm Resident

33 cm Vagrant

ASIAN KOEL

Eudynamys scolopacea

A slender crow-sized bird with a long tail. The male is shiny black, with a yellowish green bill and crimson eyes. The female is dark brown with white spots and bars all over. It likes to keep to the seclusion of leafy trees and shrubs, but can be seen in pairs or alone, in gardens, groves and open country with large trees. It is found on the lower slopes of the Hill and in the surrounding farms. It feeds on berries, fruits, caterpillars and insects. Its flight is straight and swift with rapid wing beats. The male’s call can be heard at dawn in early spring, the kuoo kuoo getting louder and more highly pitched all the time. The female has a shrill, quickly repeated call, kik-kik-kik-kik-kik. The Koel lays its eggs in other bird’s nests, usually a crow’s nest. As many as eleven Koel’s eggs have been found in one such nest.

43cm Resident

BLUE-FACED MALKOHA

Phaenicophaeus viridirostris

A greenish, ashy-grey bird with paler underparts. It has a bright green bill and a naked blue patch around the eye. Its long, broad tail has bold white tips to the feathers. It is likely to be seen alone or in pairs in areas of dry scrub-and-bush and thickets. It can be found on the lower slopes of the Hill, particularly in the thick vegetation in the valleys and ravines. It is very like the Coucal in movement, creeping through thickets and clambering among branches. It rarely descends to the ground, but is also a poor flier. It feeds on caterpillars, large insects, lizards and other small animals. It is usually silent, but occasionally makes a low croak, kraa.

SIRKEER MALKOHA

Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii

A sandy and earthy-brown bird, with a heavy tail. It has a red hooked bill with a yellow tip, and prominent white tips to the tail feathers. It is likely to be seen alone or in pairs, in areas of scrub and deciduous forest. It can also be found on the same lower slopes of the Hill as its Blue-faced relative. It is a weak flier and stays on the ground much of the time, stalking amongst thickets searching for food. It can run swiftly through undergrowth, and ascend trees rapidly hopping from branch to branch with great agility. It feeds on insects, lizards, fallen fruit and berries. Normally silent, it does utter an occasional call, a sharp loud kek-kek-kek-kerek-kerek-kerek.

39cm Resident

42cm Resident

Southern COUCAL

Centropus (sinensis) parroti

A large, glossy black bird with chestnut wings and long, broad, black tail. It is territorial and likely to be seen in pairs or alone in deciduous scrub forest, scrub, and shrubbery in and around cultivation and habitation. It is often found in groves, orchards and urban gardens. As it stalks along the ground or clambers and hops amongst shrubs and bushes in search of food it can appear clumsy and reluctant to fly. It feeds on a wide range of food: caterpillars, large insects, lizards, birds’ eggs and young mice. Its call is a deep repeated, coop-coop-coop, and this is often heard in duet; as one bird begins, another within earshot joins in. The Coucal is a ‘non-parastic’ cuckoo and builds its own nest which is a large, untidy structure, oval-shaped and made of twigs and leaves.

48cm Resident

ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET

Psittacula krameri

This pale green parakeet is one of most familiar of birds of India, and is as much at home in the countryside as in towns and villages. It has a short, heavy, deeply-hooked red bill, and a long blue-green tail. Only the male has the rose-pink ring around the neck that merges with a black chin stripe. It is often seen on farms in large, noisy flocks which can be very destructive of crops and fruit which it eats. It is said that if a farmer plants a millet crop, he is bound to play host to parakeets. They will also gather at railway stations and goods sheds, waiting to bite into sacks of grain and groundnuts. Its flight is very swift and direct, with rapid wing beats. Its call is a loud, sharp screaming, keeak, keaak, keaak which it utters both at rest and on the wing. At dusk small groups can be seen most days flying westwards over the town to its communal roost at Rangammal Hospital, a roost it shares with crows and mynas.

42cm Resident

PLUM- HEADED PARAKEET

Psittacula cyanocephala

Seen in the Forest Park and in Samudram Eri in Tiruvannamalai, this is a slender, dainty, grass-green or yellowish green parakeet with a bright bluish red or plum-coloured head, a black-and-bluish-green collar and a maroon-red patch on its shoulder. During its swift arrow-like flight, the broad white tips of its narrow blue central tail-feathers can be seen. The female’s head is duller and greyer and the collar is yellow. This bird prefers light forest, well-wooded areas, and cultivation. This amazingly agile bird has an interrogative, shrill but pleasant tooi or tooi-tooi call and a variety of soft musical conversational notes when at rest with company. It roosts in large noisy groups in bamboo clumps, butea jungle and the like. It eats grain of all kinds, buds, fleshy petals and nectar of flowers like salmalia, butea and bassia. Breeding chiefly in December-January to April, nests are similar to those of other parakeets. Several pairs often nest in a loose colony in the same or adjacent tree-trunks

36 cm Local migrant

ASIAN PALM SWIFT

Cypsiurus balasiensis

A small, rather plain sooty-grey bird with long forked tail (usually closed, but very obvious when the bird is banking in flight) and long slender bow-like wings. It has been spotted around most lake bunds and farms. It is usually seen in scattered groups flying over open country and cultivation where there are toddy palm trees. It is inseparable from these trees in which it roosts and nests. It spends the day hunting tiny winged insects in the vicinity of the palms, turning and twisting in the air, and uttering its shrill triple note call ti-ti-tee. It lays its eggs in a tiny half-saucer of feathers and down stuck together with the bird’s saliva and attached to the underside of the palm leaf. It roosts in furrows on the underside of a leaf, clinging on in an upright position.

little swift

Apus affinis

A small, smoky-black swift with a white throat and rump, short square tail and long narrow wings. It is a widespread, common resident, and although it can be found around ruined buildings and cliffs, it is equally at home in areas of habitation including large cities. It is very gregarious and can be seen flying at high speeds throughout the day, feeding on flies and midges which it catches in its very wide mouth. Swifts cannot perch normally, only clinging to rough surfaces. Except when at the nest, they are in the air continuously, sleeping ‘on the wing’. The flight is very swift – a few rapid beats of the wing, followed by swooping glides, with agile twisting and turning. Flocks may be seen chasing each other or gathering together up in the sky, uttering shrill, joyous screams. The nest is constructed of grass and feathers glued together with saliva, and usually attached under the eaves of houses, arches or bridges. They may be built in colonies, that are repaired and used year after year, with birds returning to the same nest. So-called ‘nest villages’ have been known to be occupied for over 80 years.

13cm Resident

15 cm Resident

BARN OWL

Tyto alba

A medium-sized owl with a large white facial disc surrounded by a ring of stiff feathers. It has golden-buff and grey upperparts, stippled with black and white, and silky white and buff underparts, which are spotted dark brown. It is often to be seen in and around deserted, ruined buildings, either alone or in pairs. It is only active at night (partly to avoid being mobbed by crows and other birds if it shows itself in daylight hours) and spends the daytime dozing upright in a dark corner of a ruin, ancient tree, or roof. It emerges at dusk with a harsh, prolonged screech, then flies silently in search of its food: mainly rats and mice, but also small birds and bats. Its call can be a mix of harsh screams and hissing notes. It nests in hollow trees, buildings and ruins, and will use the same site year after year.

COLLARED SCOPS OWL

Otus bakkamoena

A small owl with distinctive, horn-like ear tufts. It has grey-brown upperparts, spotted with white, and buff underparts streaked with black and brown. It can be seen in forests, and in wooded areas including orchards and gardens, alone or in pairs. It is only active at night and hides in tree hollows and thick foliage during the day. It feeds mainly on beetles and other insects. Its call is a monotonous wut repeated at short intervals throughout the night. It nests in a natural hollow in tree trunks or the disused nest-hole of a woodpecker or barbet. This bird has been seen near the Skandashram trail and near farms.

23-25cm Resident

36cm Resident

EURASIAN EAGLE OWL

Bubo bubo

A very large, dramatic owl with upright ear-tufts, large, round, orange eyes, and fully feathered legs. The tufts were once thought to be horns, hence its previous name, the Great Horned Owl. Its upperparts are mottled dark brown and tawny-buff, whilst the underparts are paler and heavily streaked. It can be found in well-wooded but open country, and avoids heavy forest. In our area it is usually seen alone or in pairs in the bush-covered, rocky hills and ravines of Arunachala. It spends the day at rest under a bush or rocky outcrop, or in thickly foliaged trees, and becomes active at dusk. When it flies out at sunset it utters a deep, resounding double-hoot. It flies down from the Hill, with long glides on outstretched wings, to the surrounding cultivated areas where it can be seen hunting for its main prey, field rats and mice. It will also eat birds, reptiles, frogs and large insects. Like the Mottled Wood Owl it is of great economic value to farmers in killing these rodent pests, although as in most parts of India, large owls are considered to be birds of ill-omen. Its call is a deep, solemn bu-bo with bo drawn-out. Whilst it is not a loud call it has a penetrating and human-like quality.

56-66cm Resident

BROWN FISH OWL

Ketupa zeylonensis

This bird has once been seen in the Hardwickia grove near Kaatu Shiva, while it is commonly found near the Sathanur dam. It is a large rufous-brown eared owl and is heavily streaked above with black. It is whitish below with fine wavy brown cross-bars and bold blackish streaks. It has a large white patch in the throat and upper neck. This bird’s eyes are bright golden yellow. A widespread resident through the peninsula chiefly in the plains, it is seen also at elevations up to around 1400 m, for e.g. in the sholas in the Nilgiri, Palni and other hills. Found in well-wooded, well-watered regions, it prefers old mango groves, densely foliaged trees along forest streams and tanks including those near human habitations. Steep riverbanks are favoured. Usually seen in pairs, it roosts on a sheltered bough in a leafy tree or in bamboo. The bird takes up a position on a stump or rock overlooking a pond or a stream to keep a look-out for prey. Fish are scooped up from near the surface and not by plunging in. It is fond of bathing and will waddle into shallow water at the edge, shuffling itself and then carefully drying and preening its plumage. Its food consists mainly of fish, frogs and crabs, and also rodents, birds and reptiles. Its call is a deep hollow-sounding boom-boom repeated at intervals often creating an eerie effect in a quiet forest. The breeding season is mainly between December and March and the nest is usually in a fork of an old tree, often a mango or ficus with the same site occupied year after year. The nest surroundings are littered with food-pellets and remains of its various victims.

56 cm Resident

MOTTLED WOOD OWL

Strix ocellata

A large, light-brown owl without ear-tufts. It has a whitish facial disc with fine black circles around the eyes. As it name implies its upperparts are mottled, with white, reddish and dark brown markings. It has a white half-collar on its neck, and the whitish underparts have dark-brown and reddish bars. It is seen alone or in pairs, often in open wooded areas, but also in leafy trees and groves, in cultivation and near villages. The most likely place to see the bird in Tiruvannamalai is in the sacred grove of Sonagiritheertham (Sonagiri). During daylight hours the birds sit in pairs dozing on a branch hidden by foliage. It is active in the evening and at night when it is feeding on rats, mice, squirrels, lizards, large insects and birds, sometimes as large as the Rock Pigeon. It is of great economic benefit in killing rodent pests. Its call is a ‘spooky’, quavering whaa-aa-aa-aa-ah.

48cm Resident

SPOTTED OWLET

Athene brama

The commonest and most familiar of our owls. It is a small, squat, grey-brown bird, with a large round head and staring yellow eyes in pale facial disc. It has white spotting on the upperparts including the crown, and diffuse brown spotting and barring on the underparts, with a white collar. It is active in the evening and at night, usually in pairs or family groups. It can be seen in many open habitats, but is particularly abundant in areas where people live. Daytime is spent in a hollow in a tree trunk or huddled together on a secluded branch. When disturbed the owls will bob up and down quite comically. It feeds chiefly on beetles and other insects, but also young birds, mice and lizards. Its call is a variety of chattering, squabbling and chuckling notes; a pair of birds often combining in a duet. It nests in holes in trees and walls, and in the roofs of houses and other buildings.

21cm Resident

INDIAN NIGHTJAR

Caprimulgus asiaticus

A bird with a plumage that is mottled, barred and streaked with grey, rufous, black and white, and gives an overall effect of a complicated, but very effective camouflage. Small white patches on the outer wing are prominent in flight. It is a solitary bird, active only in the evening and at night. It is found in scrub and stony country, and dry overgrown areas near cultivation and habitation, and can be seen on the lower slopes of the Hill. During the day it remains crouched on the ground, usually under a bush or bough, camouflaged by leaves. It becomes active after sunset hunting insects through the night. It feeds on beetles, moths and other insects, and although its bill is short, it has a very wide gape for catching its prey. Its flight is moth-like, silent and wandering, with long sailing glides alternating with leisurely flapping of wings. The call is a familiar chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk-r-r-r (like a stone gliding over a frozen pond), but it also has less rapid, and more mournful variations.

24cm Resident

Nesting on the forest floor

ROCK PIGEON

Columba livia

This is the commonest of the pigeons. It is slaty-grey in colour, with a wide band of metallic, glistening green and purple on its neck and upper breast. The grey tail has a dark terminal band, and there are two similar but narrower bands on the wings. In its wild state the rock pigeon is still found in flocks and colonies on cliffs and rocky hills, but it is more familiar as a domesticated and semi-feral bird living close to humans in villages, towns and cities. Its favourite urban haunts include old and disused buildings, railway stations and grain warehouses. Flocks feed on cereals, pulses, groundnuts etc., and can cause considerable damage to newly sown crops. However, they enjoy a certain amount of protection and are tolerated in temples and mosques. Its call is a deep gootr-goo, gootr-goo, uttered by the male with its head bowed and throat puffed out, while it turns round and round in its courtship or aggressive display.

SPOTTED DOVE

Streptopelia chinensis

This is a slim, long-tailed pigeon with a distinctive black-and-white chequered patch on the sides and rear of the neck. In flight this patch blends in to the spotted upper wing plumage. The head and underparts are pinkish, with pale grey face and lower abdomen. It can be found in pairs or groups in open wooded country and areas of cultivation. It can become tame, entering gardens and compounds, feeding on grain on the ground. It has the swift, strong flight characteristic of pigeons, with vigorous wing strokes, and when disturbed on the ground it takes off with an explosive flutter of wings and a quick, side-to-side rolling action. Its call is a somewhat mournful, repeated kroo-kruk-krukroo.

Left: Spotted Dove, Right: Rock Pigeon

33cm Resident

30cm Resident

LAUGHING DOVE

Streptopelia senegalensis

This is a small, slim pigeon with a long tail. It has sandy brown upperparts, a pinky-brown head and underparts, with black stippling on the upper breast. It is found in areas of dry scrub and cultivation, and is one of the most common birds to be found on the lower slopes of the Hill. It is usually seen in pairs or loose flocks, often close to villages, where it will enter gardens, and nest in roofs and rafters. It feeds on seeds and grain found on the ground. Its call is a soft coo-rooroo-rooroo, and it has an attractive courtship display in which it rises a short distance with flapping wings and fanned out tail before descending in a graceful spiral or arc.

EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE

Streptopelia decaocto

A medium-sized dove with a prominent black half-collar on the hindneck. It has pale grey upperparts and paler head, neck and underparts. The black primaries are visible in flight. It is found in open, dry country with groves and trees which it uses for shelter in the midday heat. It can frequently be seen in areas of habitation and in gardens, usually in pairs. It feeds on seed and grain on the ground. It has a deep kuk-koo-kook call, repeated several times, and an attractive courtship display. The bird flies sharply upwards with wings flapping noisily and the tail fanned out, and it then glides gracefully downwards in a spiral or arc whilst uttering a prolonged koon-koon-koon.

32cm Resident

27cm Resident

RED COLLARED DOVE

Streptopelia Tranquebarica

Spotted a few times in Nedungavadi village near the eri, this is a dainty brightly coloured bird, widely but sparsely distributed and found in open scrub jungles and near cultivation in outlying fields. Usually seen in twos and threes, they can also be seen in greater numbers mixed up with other doves, especially after a harvest. A grainivore, it feeds on paddy, maize and other cereals as well as grass and weed seeds. Its call is a somewhat harsh groo-gurr-goo, groo-gurr-goo quickly repeated several times without interruption. Courtship involves bowing and bobbing to the female and calling with a distended throat - from a distance it may look like the bird is hammering the ground with its bill. Breeding can be anytime during the year. The nest is a skimpy platform or saucer of twigs and grass stems and is made near the extremity of a leafy branch between 3 and 8m above the ground. There may be 2, sometimes 3 eggs, and white in colour. Both parents share in nest-building, incubating and caring for the young.

WHITE-BREASTED WATERHEN

Amaurornis phoenicurus

A slate-grey marshland bird with stubby tail and long yellow legs. The grey upperparts contrast with the white face, neck and breast. It is usually seen singly or in pairs, in reeds and thickets on the marshy edges of ponds, reservoirs, paddy fields and waterbodies like Samudram and Keezhnathur. It can be seen on the fields of farms. As the bird stalks about the tail is jerked up exposing the rufous undertail-coverts. It feeds on insects, worms, molluscs, grain and shoots. It is usually shy and silent but gets increasing noisy in the breeding season when it is often heard at night. The call begins with loud grunts, croaks and chuckles, settling into a monotonous krr-kwak-kwak, krr-kwak-kwak. It can climb up bamboo and shrubs to utter this call, the volume of which is out of all proportion to the size of the bird.

23cm Resident

32cm Resident

Male

RUDDY-BREASTED CRAKE

Porzana fusca

Its forehead, supercilia and sides of the face are chestnut, while the rest of the upper parts are dark olive brown. Its chin and throat are whitish while the throat to lower breast is vineous chestnut. Its abdomen and flanks are olive brown and the under-tail coverts are blackish with white fringes. Both sexes are alike. Its bright red legs are conspicuous during its feeble flight. Typical of the rails, it is a shy and extreme skulker, slipping away at the slightest sound, camouflaging swiftly in the reed stems and flushed out only with difficulty. It is usually very silent, thus easily overlooked. Pairs probably roost together in bushes at night. It feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae as well as the seeds and shoots of marsh plants. Its call is a soft krrrrr, krrrrr, and a metallic tewk repeated every two or three seconds, usually followed by a bubbling note, much like a dabchick, but louder. The breeding season is normally June to September commencing after the break of the South-West monsoons. These birds prefer rice fields and ditches to large jheels, although they have been spotted in Keezhnathur Eri.The nest is a pad of dry grass and leaves of aquatic plants, placed on swampy ground amongst grass reed and rice plants which sometimes bend over to form a canopy over the nest. The eggs are pale and spotted.

PURPLE SWAMPHEN

Porphyrio porphyrio

A large purplish-blue bird with long red legs and large feet. It has a huge red bill which extends back into a red frontal shield. The white patch under its stumpy tail can be seen as it is flicked up at each step. It is fond of climbing up reeds and sunning itself early in the morning. It is usually found in reedy swamps and marshes, where it is seen in pairs or small parties. It stalks or skulks through the vegetation with a jerky bobbing of the head and flicking of the tail. It feeds on shoots and other vegetation, as well as insects and molluscs, and larger parties can be destructive in young paddy fields. The call consists of loud hooting, cackling and hoarse notes. In the breeding season the male has an elaborate if amusing courtship display. He holds up waterweed in his bill as an offering to the female, who he bows to whilst uttering loud chuckles.

22 cm Winter Migrant

45-50cm Resident

COMMON MOORHEN

Gallinula chloropus

A small waterbird with brown upperparts and slate-grey underparts. It has white undertail-coverts and a jagged white line along flanks. Its red bill has a yellow tip and extends into a red frontal shield. The long legs and large ungainly feet are green in colour. It is usually seen in pairs or small groups, but it is not a common bird and is only found on a few freshwater habitats near Tiruvannamalai, like Keezhnathur Eri and Samudram Eri, which aren’t polluted or disturbed too much. When swimming and walking it has a characteristic jerky bobbing of the head, and flicking up of the tail with a flashing of the white undertail. Its flight is usually low over the water, with rapid wing beats and legs trailing behind. It feeds on insects, molluscs and shoots, and will wander away from water into cultivated areas to feed, particularly at dusk and dawn. The call is a sharp and abrupt kirrik-crek-rek-rek uttered from within the reed-beds in the morning and evening.

COMMON COOT

Fulica atra

A black, rather dumpy waterbird, with a very prominent ivory-white bill and frontal shield. It can be found on lakes, reservoirs and rivers, as well as smaller ponds and village tanks. It is commonly found in Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris. A small population was found to be living in Thamarai kulam in the summer. It is a gregarious bird and is often seen in large numbers when the winter visitors arrive. When taking off it skitters along the water, half-running, half-flying, eventually rising with much effort and pattering of feet on the water. It feeds on aquatic weeds, paddy shoots, insects and molluscs. The call is a clear, loud trumpet-like cry, often heard at night. Its nest is a large compact mass of rushes and matted reeds slightly above water level, often built on submerged tree branches.

32-35cm Resident and Winter visitor

36-38cm Resident and Winter visitor

CHESTNUT-BELLIED SANDGROUSE

Pterocles exustus Hindustan

A yellowish sandy grey pin-tailed pigeon-like ground bird found in dry open plains and with a narrow black band across the breast in both sexes, this bird is remarkably well camouflaged especially when squatting. While shuffling along the ground on its short legs it feeds on weed and grass seeds, along with which some grit is also swallowed. In flight it has a stout bullet-shaped body and has a penetrating kut-ro call, which though not particularly loud, is often heard long before the bird comes into view. The Sandgrouse family has the habit of flying to water every morning some 2 hours after sunrise, often over considerable distances. Flock after flock will converge from all quarters on a favourit e drinking place, alight some distance from the water, peck for food for a short while, shuffle to the water, sometimes wading in to their bellies and after a few quick gulps, they fly off again. The breeding season is usually between January and April. The nest is a depression in the bare soil in open scrubland with 2 to 3 greyish to yellowish eggs with specks of brown and grey. Incubation and care of the young is by both parents. They do the ‘broken-wing’ distraction display when there is an intruder a meter or so away. This bird was seen in Nedungavadi.

28 cm Resident

COMMON SNIPE

Gallinago gallinago

A very well camouflaged marsh bird with a long slender bill. Its upperparts are dark brown, streaked with black and buff; and the underparts whitish, streaked with brown and buff. It is very difficult to see it when it is sitting motionless on the ground, and when disturbed it flies off suddenly and at great speed, in a series of rapid zigzags. It utters a harsh note pench or scape as it rises. It is a widespread winter visitor that can be found on soft ground such as swampy marshes and wet paddy stubble. It is usually seen singly or in small groups. It feeds on worms, larvae and small molluscs which it finds by probing into soft mud with its long bill. It is seen at the Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris.

COMMON REDSHANK

Tringa totanus

This winter visitor was spotted in Nochimalai Eri. This large-sized sandpiper is greyish brown above with a white lower back and rump. It is white below, finely streaked with brown on the breast. Its legs are orange-red and slender and the beak is orange-red and black. Its tail is white and barred with brown. Seen often with other small waders, it runs about on the muddy edges picking up tidbits, sometimes wading into shallow water and feeding with the head fully immersed. Its food includes molluscs, crustaceans, worms, aquatic insects and larvae. A lot of coarse sand and grit is usually found in this bird’s stomach. Its call is a shrill, piping tiwee-tiwee-tiwee or tiu-tiu-tiu while taking off or flying. It breeds in the Tibetan Plateau in May to July and both parents tend to the young, using ‘broken-wing’ distraction methods to mislead intruders.

25-27cm Winter visitor

28 cm Winter Visitor

MARSH SANDPIPER

Tringa stagnatilis

A small and dainty sandpiper, once known as the Little Greenshank because of its close resemblance to the larger Greenshank. The upperparts including nape, crown and ear-coverts are grey, and the underparts are white. It has long yellow or greenish legs, and a fine, dark bill. It is a widespread winter visitor, and can be found on the swampy edges of freshwater wetlands including Keezhnathur Eri, usually in groups or flocks with other sandpipers. It feeds on small molluscs and crustaceans, insects and worms. It runs about on marshy ground probing the soft mud with its bill, pivoting from side to side as it feeds, but it will also wade into shallow water, feeding with its head and bill submerged. It utters a shrill che-weep, che-weep as it takes flight.

COMMON GREENSHANK

Tringa nebularia

One of the largest of the sandpipers, the Greenshank is a stocky wader with a long, stout bill and long, greenish legs. Its upperparts are grey, with the nape, head and throat streaked with white. The underparts are white, but in the breeding season the breast is also streaked with grey. It is a widespread winter visitor, and likely to be found on a wide range of freshwater wetlands, from the largest to the smallest areas of water. In Keezhnathur Eri, it is usually seen singly or in small groups. It feeds on insects, and occasionally tadpoles and frogs. When feeding it either runs along in a straight line with neck outstretched and bill underwater, or wades into the water up to its belly. It utters a loud, shrill tiu-tiu-tiu or tiwee-tiwee-tiwee call when it flies off.

22-25cm Winter visitor

30-34cm Winter visitor

GREEN SANDPIPER

Tringa ochropus

A winter visitor and seen in Keezhnathur Eri in its non-breeding period, it has an ashy brown head and neck, with the rest of the upper-parts dark brown glossed with bronze-green. The rump and tail are white, the latter faintly barred with black. It is white below but finely streaked with brown on throat, breast and flanks. In flight the dark upper-parts contrast sharply with the white rump, tail and lower plumage and blackish underside of wings and its shrill ti-tui or twee-twee-twee call confirms its identity. It is found in village tanks, puddles, streams and jheels, and even in tidal creeks, lagoons and salt pans. This bird is less gregarious than most species, keeps to ones, twos or threes and does not voluntarily associate with other species. It runs about and feeds at the edge of water, sometimes wading into the shallows, probing into the soft mud with its bill.

WOOD SANDPIPER

Tringa glareola

The smallest of the sandpipers. A slender bird, with longer yellowish legs, and a prominent white supercilium. The upperparts are sepia brown, faintly spotted with white and the underparts white except for the neck and upper breast which are streaked with brown. In the breeding season the spots are more defined, hence its previous name, Spotted Sandpiper. In flight the white rump and brown and white barred tail are prominent. It is a common and widespread winter visitor to inland wetlands, marshes, and flooded paddy fields. It is also one of the most gregarious of the sandpipers, and can often be seen in flocks of 20 or 30 birds and has been seen in Keezhnathur Eri. It feeds on insects, larvae, and small molluscs and fish. As it runs along the mud picking up tit-bits and probing the mud with its bill, it wags the tail end of its body up and down. It utters a shrill chiff-chiff-chiff as it flies off.

21-24cm Winter visitor

18-21cm Winter visitor

COMMON SANDPIPER

Actitis hypoleucos

A small wader that is a widespread winter visitor. Its upperparts are greyish olive-brown, and the underparts white with a dusky grey breast. The bill is medium length, straight and dark. In flight the thin white wing-bar is prominent as are white outer feathers on the tail. It is found at most wetlands, including Keezhnathur and Samudram Eris and usually seen singly. It is one of the earliest migrants arriving in August from the Himalayas where it breeds near mountain streams and rivers. It has a distinctive horizontal stance and constant bobbing action. It flies close to the water with stiff vibrating wing strokes. It feeds on insects, worms and molluscs which it picks up from the surface of the ground rather than probing. Its calls are a shrill piping tee-tee-tee when disturbed, and a long-drawn trill wheeit, wheeit when at rest.

LITTLE STINT

Calidris minuta

The smallest of the waders, little bigger than a house sparrow. It is a widespread winter visitor. Its upperparts are mottled and streaked grey, and the underparts are white with grey on the breast sides. The narrow white bar on the wings and the paler outer tail feathers are visible in flight. The legs and the short bill are almost black in colour. It is a sociable and gregarious bird that can be found on marshes and other wetlands, and is usually seen in Keezhnathur Eri in flocks mixing with other waders. The flock will spread out over the feeding ground, running about on the mud picking up tiny insects, crustaceans and molluscs. When disturbed the birds fly off swiftly in a compact, orderly flock, turning and twisting in unison, with the white underparts flashing into view. The flock then settles a safe distance away and resumes feeding. Its call is a soft wit-wit-wit or a low tr-rr uttered in flight.

19-21cm Winter visitor

13-15cm Winter visitor

TEMMINCK’S STINT

Calidris temminckii

Spotted in Keezhnathur Eri, this small sparrow-sized winter-visiting wader is very similar to the Little Stint, but greyer brown and less mottled above. It is less white below with the breast light brownish grey and it has olive-green legs. It prefers inland fresh water marshes but can also be seen in tidal mudflats and coastal lagoons. It often keeps in mixed flocks with the Little Stint and other small waders and feeds on tiny molluscs, crustaceans, worms and insects. The birds scatter when feeding, but never stray very far from one another. This bird is constantly on the move scampering about on the mud picking up tidbits. Its call is a high-pitched trilling twitter quite different from the wit-wit-wit of the Little Stint.

GREATER PAINTED-SNIPE

Rostratula benghalensis

A medium-sized, plump wading bird, with a long, slender bill which is slightly curved downwards at its tip. Unusually, the female is more brightly coloured than the male, with the head, neck and throat a rich chestnut-brown colour. The male is paler and greyer. Both have whitish ‘spectacles’ around the eyes, with a white patch behind the eye which extends as a band down the neck. It is usually found in the fringes of reed-beds in marshland, swamps and ponds, and can be seen singly, in pairs or in small groups. It has been seen on muddy wetland at the edge of Adianamalai Eri. Its flight is rather weak, with deep beats of its wings and legs dangling below. When it is alarmed it prefers to run for cover. It is rather shy and skulking, and most active in the evening. It feeds on vegetation, worms and molluscs, probing into the soft ground with its long bill, or moving its head and bill sideways in shallow water. The call is a distinctive deep, hollow oook, rather like the sound made by blowing softly into a bottle.

25cm Resident/local migrant

15 cm Winter Visitor

Female

EURASIAN THICK-KNEE

Burhinus oedicnemus

A sandy-brown, plover-like bird with a rather large head, prominent yellow eyes, and long yellow ‘thick-kneed’ legs. In flight the two narrow white bars on the dark wings are prominent. It is usually seen in pairs or parties, and is found in areas of stony hills, open dry forest and fields. It is mainly active in the evening and at night, remaining rather sluggish during the day. When alarmed it squats down with its body pressed to the ground and neck extended, its plumage giving it perfect camouflage. It feeds on insects, worms, small reptiles. The call, heard mostly at dusk and during moonlit nights, is a series of sharp, clear whistling ‘screams’ pick, pick, pick, pick….pick-wick, pick-wick, pick-wick.

BLACK-WINGED STILT

Himantopus himantopus

A slender, black and white wader. It has a white head, neck, underparts, rump and tail. The wings are black above and below. Its pinkish legs are very long and thin, and the black bill is straight and slender. In flight the black underwings are evident and the legs extend a long way behind the tail. It can be found on marshes, reservoirs, village tanks, salt pans and mudflats, and it is usually seen in pairs and small flocks. It can be seen at Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris after monsoon rain. Its long legs enable it to wade out into deeper water where it probes the bottom mud, the head and neck submerged, and its tail sticking up rather like a duck. It walks in an awkward, high-stepping manner, lifting each foot clear of the water and putting it forward very deliberately. It feeds on worms, molluscs, and aquatic insects. The call is a squeaky, piping chek-chek-chek uttered when it is alarmed and flying off.

35-40cm Resident

40-44cm Resident

PHEASANT-TAILED JACANA

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

A small, wetland bird with a very long, dark tail. In the breeding season the head and throat are white, with a yellow patch on the side of the neck. The underparts and tail are dark chocolate-brown. The legs and feet are pale with spidery, elongated toes. The non-breeding bird has white underparts, a dark crown, with a line extending down the side of the neck to form a breast band, and the tail is much reduced. It is an uncommon bird, but can be found on freshwater wetlands, particularly reservoirs covered with vegetation, where it is seen singly or in flocks. It is seen in Nochimalai Eri. It is gregarious in the winter and may be seen in flocks of 50 to 100. The elongated toes help to distribute the bird’s weight and enable it to walk with ease over floating leaves and vegetation. It feeds on the seeds and roots of aquatic plants, as well as insects and molluscs. The call is a nasal, mewing tewn, tewn.

LITTLE RINGED PLOVER

Charadrius dubius

The smallest of the plovers, with a small round, black and white patterned head, pinkish or yellowish legs, and a very obvious, large yellow ring around the eye. It is widespread and found at most freshwater wetlands, including lakes, rivers, streams, tanks and wet grazing land. It is seen in the shallows of Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris. It is usually seen in pairs, small scattered parties, or small flocks of 6 to 10 birds, and it does mix with other waders. It feeds on insects, worms and small crustaceans. It runs about with rapid steps, head drawn into the shoulders, in short zig-zag spurts. To pick up its prey it tilts it’s body forward in a movement characteristic of plovers. It has a clever way of scattering hidden insects and crustaceans, by tapping the ground with the toes of one foot. When alarmed the birds fly off with a swift, low flight, turning and twisting in the air with rapid beats of their pointed wings. Its call is a single, plaintive whistle, phiuu or pheeoo, constantly uttered in flight.

14-17cm Resident

31cm Resident

YELLOW-WATTLED LAPWING

Vanellus malabaricus

A sandy brown plover, with white belly, black cap and bright yellow wattles above and in front of the eyes. It has a white stripe behind the eye, and bright yellow legs. In flight the white wing-bar is prominent on the black wings. It is found in dry open country and fallow land, where it is seen in pairs or small groups. It runs about in short spurts, dipping forward to pick up food, which includes insects, grubs, and molluscs. It’s call is a sharp ti-ee uttered every couple of seconds, interspersed with high-pitched twit-twit-twit-twit repeated quickly. This bird is often seen near Keezhnathur Eri.

RED-WATTLED LAPWING

Vanellus indicus

A more common plover, with a crimson, fleshy wattle in front of the eye. It has bronze-brown upperparts with black head, neck and breast. A broad white band runs from behind the eye down the side of neck to meet the white underparts. It has yellow legs. It can be found in open, flat country near water, where it is seen in scattered pairs. It runs about and feeds in the same way as the Yellow-wattled Lapwing, feeding on insects, grubs and molluscs. It is always vigilant, day and night, and its call is a loud penetrating did-he-do-it? repeated placidly or frantically depending on circumstances. This bird is seen near all water bodies and farmlands.

26-28cm Resident

32-35cm Resident

GREY-HEADED LAPWING

Vanellus cinereus

The largest of the lapwings. Until now it has been an uncommon winter visitor to our area, but it has now been seen at Keezhnathur Eri on the edge of town. The entire head and neck is grey, with a wide black band across the breast separating the grey from the white underparts. Its legs are yellow, as is the bill, which has a black tip. The black tail-band and black primaries are prominent in flight. It can be found on marshy areas at the edges of lakes, wet grazing land, and river banks. It is a gregarious bird, seen in small groups or flocks of up to 50. It feeds on insects, worms and molluscs, and its feeding habits are similar to those of the other lapwings with which it associates, particularly the Red-wattled Lapwing.

BLACK-HEADED GULL

Larus ridibundus

One of the smaller gulls, it is ‘black-headed’ only in the breeding season. The distinctive dark brown ‘hood’ is lost after breeding, and as a winter visitor its head is white except for the ear-covert feathers which form a darker patch. Its plumage is predominately white, with black on the wing tips. It is gregarious and a scavenger, often associating with other similar gulls such as the Brown-headed Gull. Whilst it is a widespread winter visitor, it is most frequently found at coastal areas, estuaries and harbours where it feeds on dead fish, scraps and offal. Inland it is likely to be seen at larger lakes, such as Keezhnathur Eri where it may feed on insects, worms, and some shoots as well as scraps. It is a loud and raucous bird with a kree-ah scream and a loud wailing ka-yek, ka-yek.

34-37cm Winter visitor

38cm Winter visitor

RIVER TERN

Sterna aurantia

A slender, graceful tern. It has pale grey upperparts and white underparts, and very short red legs. The wings are long, narrow and pointed, and the ‘swallow’ tail is deeply forked. The breeding adult bird has a black cap and the pointed bill is a deep yellow colour. It is a resident but is less common here than other parts of India. It is found at large inland waters, rivers and tanks, and has been seen at Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris after substantial monsoon rains. It flies up and down scanning the water for prey: mainly fish but also crustaceans and aquatic insects. It catches its prey by plunging from a height with wings pulled in, and often being completely submerged before re-emerging with prey in its beak. Its nest is just a shallow scrape in the bare sand on islets and spits.

WHISKERED TERN

Chlidonias hybridus

A widespread winter visitor that breeds in Northern India and Kashmir. By winter it has lost its solid black cap, red bill and black belly, and is mainly grey above and white below, with black flecks on the crown. It can be found on coastal waters such as estuaries and lagoons, and inland waters such as lakes, marshes and flooded paddyfields. It has been seen at Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris (after monsoon rains). It is a gregarious bird and small groups may be seen hunting together, feeding on insects, such as dragonflies and grasshoppers and water beetles. Its call is a sharp kreak, kreak.

23-25cm Winter visitor

38-46cm Resident

OSPREY

Pandion haliaetus

A distinctive fish-eating hawk that breeds in the Himalayas, and is a widespread winter visitor to other parts of India, including our area. Its upperparts are dark brown, with some white streaking on the head and a black band running from behind the eye to the nape. The underparts are pure white with a broad, brown-streaked band or ‘necklace’ across the upper breast. The long wings have brown markings on the underside and the short tail has a number of bars across it. It is not a common bird and is usually found singly or in pairs on large inland waters. It has recently been sighted at Keezhnathur Eri. It is usually seen perched on posts or dead trees in or near water. It feeds only on fish, which it catches in its talons, having spotted the fish from above and hurling itself, talons first into the water. It is capable of catching very large fish which are carried to a perch and eaten.

BLACK-winged KITE

Elanus caeruleus

This is the smallest of the kites, ashy grey above and white below. It has a black line above the eye, and black patches on the shoulders, visible at rest and in flight. When closed the tips of the wings extend beyond the short white tail. It occasionally cocks its tail, jerking it up and down between drooping wings. It is found in areas of open scrub, grassland and cultivation, such as the lower slopes of the Hill, around Keezhnathur Eri and the Farm. It is also found on the outskirts of villages and towns, and can be seen alone or in pairs, perched on the same pole day after day. It feeds on insects and small mammals, dropping onto its prey from its perch or from a hovering position in mid-air, after quartering its territory.

55-58cm Winter visitor

31-35cm Resident

BLACK KITE

Milvus migrans

A very well-known bird of prey, found in all areas of human habitation. It is dark rufous-brown with a variable white crescent on the underside of the wings. It has a shallow tail-fork. It is usually seen alone or in small groups flying low over towns and villages, usually seeking food. In flight it is very manoeuvrable, frequently arching the wings and twisting its tail. It can also be seen in the early hours or at dusk rising up above the Hill on the thermals. It can soar very high and will often be heard calling as it soars upwards. It feeds on almost anything: offal and waste, earthworms, insects, lizards, mice, young birds, and will scavenge rubbish dumps. Groups of crows will frequently bully individual kites and steal food from them. The call is a shrill, musical whistling ewe-wir-wir-wir. Kites have communal roosts, often in trees near habitation.

55-68.5cm Resident

BRAHMINY KITE

Haliastur indus

A bright rusty red raptor with white head, neck and breast. It differs from other kites in having a rounded rather than forked tail. It is usually found in pairs near inland waterbodies: rivers, lakes and flooded rice fields, often near areas of habitation or cultivation. It can be seen in the area of the Marudam Farm and the surrounding fields. It feeds on a wide range of small animals including: fish, frogs, snakes, bats, mice, lizards and insects; but will also scavenge food. It is a relatively timid bird and is often found being harassed by crows seeking to snatch food from it. Its call is a hoarse, wheezy squeal. Locally it is worshipped as a vehicle of Lord Vishnu, and farmers will put out offerings of fish to encourage the bird to visit their land.

SHORT-TOED SNAKE EAGLE

Circaetus gallicus

A brownish, thick-set eagle with distinctive white underparts and under wings. In its dark phase the broad, rounded head and breast are brown, and the pale wings and tail have dark tailing edges. It soars with its long, broad wings flat or slightly raised and tail spread out in a fan-shape. It is found on open, dry plains and hills, as well as cultivated areas, and lakes, and can be seen high up on the Hill. It often nests on lake bunds. It is usually seen alone, quartering the ground and frequently hovering to scan the ground for prey, mainly snakes. It will hunt large and poisonous snakes which it kills by seizing at the head and neck. However, the snakes are not always killed immediately, and they have been seen to wind themselves around the eagle in the struggle between them. Its call is a loud, screaming pieeou, pieeou heard in the breeding season when the pair will display acrobatically, tumbling and darting in the air.

62-67cm Resident

48cm Resident

CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE

Spilornis cheela

A dark brown eagle with a prominent black-and-white crest, and yellow ceres and lores. When alarmed the crest is raised and frames the face. Its paler brown underparts are spotted and finely barred with white. Its broad, rounded wings have two white bands on the underside, and there is a similar white bar across the tail. It soars with the wings held upwards in a pronounced V. It is found in well wooded areas both on hills and lowland, and often seen in pairs soaring in wide circles, calling with a high-pitched screaming whistle of 3 or 4 notes, kek-kek-kek-kek-keee. It feeds on lizards, snakes, frogs and rats. It can be seen in pairs perched bolt upright in the top branches of a tall tree, with a clear view of prey moving about below, waiting to fly down and pounce.

56-74cm Resident

BLACK EAGLE

Ictinaetus malayensis

Our largest bird of prey. Only when seen near a Black Kite, itself a large bird, can its size be appreciated as the kite looks like a crow next to it. It is a majestic eagle with a narrow, grey-barred tail. At rest the wings reach the tip of the tail. In flight the wings are raised in a wide V with the primaries upturned, and the grey barring on the tail and under-wings is visible. The bright yellow ceres and feet are also prominent. It is found all over the Hill and can be seen alone, either soaring effortlessly up on the thermals or gliding gracefully a few feet above the canopy searching for prey. It feeds chiefly on nestlings and eggs and small mammals, but will also eat large insects, frogs, reptiles and small birds. It has been seen flying off with both nest and nestlings held in its claws. Its call is a shrill yelp uttered during the aerial courtship display.

69-81cm Resident

SHIKRA

Accipiter badius

A lightly built hawk that is one of our most common birds of prey. It has pale blue-grey upperparts and pale underparts with rusty-brown barring. The long grey tail has lightly barred central feathers. The female differs in having slightly browner upperparts. It can be found in open wooded areas on the Hill, and is fond of areas of large trees such as palms, near villages and cultivation. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, often circling overhead on the thermals or performing noisy and spectacular aerobatics. Its normal flight is swift with rapid wing strokes and glides. It feeds on lizards, mice, squirrels and birds which it swoops onto from a high leafy perch. It has a loud, harsh call rather like the Black Drongo’s.

30-36cm Resident

ORIENTAL HONEY-BUZZARD

Pernis ptilorhyncus

A widespread resident, but does migrate locally depending on food supply. It can have very varied plumage ranging from dark brown through to white, but often has a dark moustachial stripe and a similar stripe and streaking on the throat. It has a short blackish crest. The male has a grey face, greyish-brown upperparts and two black tail-bands. The female has a browner face and upperparts, and three tail-bands. It is found in well-wooded country, on both hills and plains, and may be found in groves of trees close to towns and villages. It has been sighted in trees on the edge of Kananthampoondi village. It is usually seen singly or in pairs, soaring above the woodland with flat, motionless wings. It feeds mainly on honey and the larvae of bees, breaking pieces off combs in tree hollows or on the branches. Its call is a single, screaming whistle wheeeew, uttered from a perch with its crest raised, or in flight.

57-60cm Resident

INDIAN SPOTTED EAGLE

Clanga hastata

A stocky, medium-sized eagle with short, broad wings, and a rather short tail. It has buff-brown upper-wing and under-wing coverts contrasting the dark flight feathers. Double white carpal crescents on the under wing are prominent in flight. An uncommon resident found in lowland, wooded areas, but can be seen on various parts of the Hill, in pairs, flying fairly low. It is known to have nested in tall Hardwickia trees on the lower slopes of the Hill. It feeds on frogs, reptiles, birds as well as food stolen from other birds of prey such as kites. Prey is largely caught on the ground as the bird wanders about, and is seized in the claws. It has a high-pitched cackling call.

BONNELLI’S EAGLE

Hieraaetus fasciatus

A rather slender, medium-sized eagle with long, broad wings and a long square-ended tail. Its upperparts are dark brown, and the under parts are white or buff with black streaks. The tail is dark grey above and whitish below with a broad, black terminal band. In flight the silvery white body, dark brown under wing-coverts, and the tail band are prominent. The sexes are similar in appearance, but the female is larger. It is a widespread but uncommon resident, found in well wooded country and open forest, and has been sighted near Mathur village. It feeds on large birds and small mammals, and it is a bold hunter, often killing prey bigger than itself. A pair will often hunt together, display and frequently soar and circle high like most raptors.

60-65cm Resident

65-72cm Resident

BOOTED EAGLE

Hieraaetus pennatus

A smaller, dark brownish black eagle, with long wings and a long, square-ended tail. At rest the wings extend to the tip of the tail. It has distinct yellow feet and ceres, and the upper legs are feathered. It is found in broadleaved forests on hills and mountains. It glides and soars with wings raised in a shallow-V and the primaries upturned, and the pale shoulder patches and inner primaries are usually visible in flight. It often hunts in pairs, taking its prey by ambush or from the ground. It feeds on small mammals, birds and reptiles. It usually roosts in small groups in leafy trees, and its call is a harsh kik-kik-kik. Its nest is a platform of sticks with a central depression lined with fresh leaves, and is usually placed high up in a tree, 25 to 30 metres from the ground.

45-53cm Winter Visitor

COMMON KESTREL

Falco tinnunculus

A beautiful, slender falcon with bright plumage. The male has brick-red upperparts with black markings, and a grey head with a dark, moustachial stripe. Its underparts are light buff with brown spearhead spots. The female differs in having a rufous crown, nape, upperparts and tail. The prominent black barring on the upperparts and wing are conspicuous in flight. It can be found in open country, grasslands, and cultivation, and is often seen perched on a post or hovering. It is not common in our area, but has been spotted on the Hill, and near lakes and lake bunds. It can often be identified by its spectacular method of hunting. It can remain stationary in mid-air, hovering and scanning the ground below for prey. When any prey is spotted the bird drops swiftly and silently to pounce and carries it away in its talons. It feeds on field mice, lizards, and large insects. Its call is a sharp ki-ki-ki uttered on the wing, sometimes when hovering.

WHITE-EYED BUZZARD

Butastur teesa

Spotted often in Adiannamalai and the plains surrounding the Hill, this small greyish brown hawk has a white throat and two dark cheek-stripes and another central stripe running down from its chin. Its white (or pale yellow) eyes are quite conspicuous when seen at close range. It has a small whitish patch on its nape while the underside is largely brown. In flight its whitish throat and wing shoulder, and the dark wing lining can be seen. Also the silvery grey-brown undersides of its longish, rather broad and blunt wings contrast with its darker body. At rest its closed wings reach almost to the end of its long rufous-tinged tail. This bird prefers open deciduous forest regions, scrub lands and cultivated areas and usually avoids moist forest regions. It can be seen sometimes perched on tree-tops or telegraph poles, and sometimes on a stump or mound close to the ground waiting to pounce on any emerging grasshopper or lizard. Sometimes it is even seen walking on the ground in the open, picking up flying termites as they emerge from the ground, or walking on charred ground after a forest fire, even when the remains are still smouldering, looking to pick up any small creature that might have died in the fire. Its food includes rats, mice, small snakes, lizards, frogs, crabs and insects like locusts, grasshoppers and termites. Although a somewhat sluggish bird, its flight is swift and direct and often similar to that of a Shikra. In the breeding season the birds become very noisy with a plaintive, mewing pit-weer, pit-weer uttered constantly, and pairs soar high up in the sky sometimes indulging in magnificent aerial play - swooping and somersaulting. The breeding season is between February and May. The nest is a loose, unlined structure of twigs like a crow’s, and placed between 9 and 12m high, often in a branch of a mango or neem tree. Both parents share in building the nest and caring for the young.

32-35cm Winter visitor

43cm Resident

RED-NECKED FALCON

Falco chicquera

A small but powerful falcon with chestnut crown, nape and moustachial stripe. Its upperparts are pale blue-grey, and the white underparts are finely barred with black. The grey tail has a broad black band tipped with white. It is usually found in areas of open country interspersed with groves of trees, cultivation and villages. It avoids forests and is not common in our area, but it has been sighted in an area of open country some distance from Tiruvannamalai. Its flight is fast and straight, and the male and female usually hunt together, one bird chasing the prey close to the ground, whilst the other bird heads it off. It feeds mainly on small birds and can suddenly swoop down onto its prey or disturb birds by flying at speed into the bush or tree in which they are sheltering. It has a peculiar shrill scream which is made when chasing crows and kites away from its nest.

31-36cm Resident

EURASIAN WIGEON

Anas penelope

Spotted in Keezhnathur Eri, this duck usually frequents shallow reed-filled marshes and wetlands, both fresh-water and coastal including salt-water creeks and mangrove swamps. It has a chestnut or bright rusty-red head and neck with a cream yellow forehead and forecrown, and a pinkish breast. The tail coverts are black and a large horizontal white bar can be seen on the closed wings. It has a small narrow blue-grey bill and its underside is mainly white. In flight the broad white shoulder patch and the buff forehead can be seen. The female is duller in colour than the male. This bird is gregarious and is sometimes seen flying in large compact flocks or in irregular lines with a distinct rustling sound. It is a non-diving duck and feeds by walking about and grazing or grubbing in the grassy edges of water bodies and wet paddy fields or by up-ending in shallow water. Chiefly vegetarian, it feeds on corms (bulbo-tubers that are swollen underground plant stems), seeds, and shoots of marsh and aquatic plants, and wild and cultivated rice. Molluscs and water insects and their larvae also form part of its diet. The male has a musical piping whistled wheeooo call while the female has a short quack, also described as a ‘purring growl’. The nest, usually hidden in undergrowth near water, is made of matted grass and reeds with a thick bed of down for the 7 to 12 eggs.

45-51cm Resident

LITTLE GREBE

Tachybaptus ruficollis

A very small, squat waterbird with short pointed bill and no real tail. The upperparts and flanks are a rather drab grey colour, but in the breeding season the neck and cheeks are reddish brown, and there is a yellow patch at the base of the bill. It is a common bird and can be found on a wide range of freshwater wetlands, from ponds and ditches to lakes and reservoirs. It is usually seen in pairs or small, scattered parties. It is an expert swimmer and diver, and can vanish beneath the surface very quickly, reappearing moments later some distance away. It is normally sedentary but when necessary it is a strong flier. It feeds on aquatic insects and larvae, tadpoles, frogs, crustaceans, which it catches by diving and pursuing underwater. The call is a sharp tittering heard when birds are displaying, usually in the evenings.

ORIENTAL DARTER

Anhinga melanogaster

A black water bird with silvery grey streaks on the back and wing-coverts, and a velvety brown head and neck. It has a distinctive, slender, snake-like neck, and a narrow head and pointed dagger-like bill. The white on the chin and throat extends in a stripe down the side of the neck. It has a long and stiff tail. It is found mainly on inland waters where it can be seen singly or in loose groups. It has been seen in Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris after monsoon rains. When swimming, the body is submerged, and only the slender neck shows above the water, swaying and turning. It feeds on fish which it pursues below the surface and catches by shooting its bill forward. It has a special structure in its neck bones which enables it to do this as if the bill were on a spring. Once the prey is caught the bird surfaces, the fish is shaken off its bill and swallowed headfirst. It rests in trees overhanging the water, and when disturbed the bird flops downwards through the branches and into the water where it dives away to reappear some distance away. It nests with other Darters in a mixed heronry near water.

25-29cm Resident

85-97cm Resident

LITTLE CORMORANT

Phalacrocorax niger

Commonly seen in many water-bodies in Tiruvannamalai like Samudram, this small Jungle Crow sized bird has a comparatively shorter, stouter bill, domed forehead and longer tail than the Indian cormorant (Shag) and also does not have its yellow gular (throat) skin. Black overall with a bluish or greenish sheen, its upper back and wing-coverts are dark silvery-grey edged with black. A short crest on the back of the head (occiput) and nape and a few silky white feathers and plumes on the forehead and sides of the head all disappear in the non-breeding season, and the throat becomes white. It commonly associates with the shag and may be found alone, in twos or threes in village tanks and tidal estuaries and really huge congregations in places like Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary. It is also seen perched upright on trees or rocks sunning itself, wings and tail spread open. It feeds mainly on fish but also on tadpoles, frogs and crustaceans. Breeding is between November and February and the nest is an untidy platform some 25 cm in diameter with 3 to 5 eggs. Nesting can be single or in enormous mixed colonies in swampy areas. The disparity in the growth of chicks of the same brood suggests that the eggs are laid at intervals longer than 24 hours. Both parents partake in nest-building, incubation and care of the young.

51 cm Resident/Local migrant

INDIAN CORMORANT

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

A glossy black waterbird. It has a tuft of white behind the eye, and a scattering of white plumes on the head and neck. The non-breeding bird is browner looking, and has a whitish throat but lacks the white plumes. It is fairly common and very gregarious, and can often be found in large flocks on reservoirs and lakes such as Keezhnathur. It feeds on fish which it hunts communally. A party of birds trap a shoal of fish, and the birds dive in and chase the fish underwater. The hunt continues until the birds are full, at which point they rest on a sandbank or in trees, drying their spread feathers, and preening. The birds nest in a small colony within a large mixed heronry.

GREAT CORMORANT

Phalacrocorax carbo

A glossy black water-bird, distinguishable from other cormorants by its larger, bulkier size. In the breeding season it has orange facial skin, white cheeks and throat, and white head plumes. The white thigh patches are prominent in flight. It can be found on large inland waters and rivers, and is usually seen in small flocks or singly. It feeds on fish, which it hunts by diving and chasing underwater, but it also eats eels, crustaceans, molluscs and amphibians such as frogs. It nests on large platforms in mixed heronies. It is seen in Nochimalai Eri.

63cm Resident/Local migrant

80-100cm Resident

LITTLE EGRET

Egretta garzetta

A slim, graceful white marsh bird. It is a smaller, more gregarious version of the Large and Median Egret. Although it also similar to the Cattle Egret it is distinguished by its black bill with grayish lores, and its black legs with yellow feet. In breeding season it has a long white crest of two narrow plumes, and delicate plumes on back and breast. It frequents marshland, paddy fields, reservoirs and other inland waters, and is usually seen in scattered flocks. It flies with steady wing beats, the neck pulled in like a heron. It feeds in the usual heron manner on insects, fish, frogs and small reptiles. Its nest, a shallow twig platform lined with straw, is built in trees amongst mixed heronries, often near villages.

WESTERN REEF EGRET

Egretta gularis

This is rather like the Little Egret, but is different in having two colour phases; one is pure white, and the other is slaty grey with a white patch on the throat. In the breeding season it has a drooping crest of two narrow plumes, and it can also be distinguished from the Little Egret by its larger, pale bill. It is a bird of the sea-coast, rarely found further inland, but has been seen at a small lake near Anaikkarai village. It is very like other egrets in the way it stalks its prey in shallow water, but it can be seen stirring the water with its feet or wings to disturb its prey. It also feeds mainly on crustaceans, molluscs and fish.

55-65cm Resident

55-65cm Migrant

GREAT EGRET

Casmerodius albus

A large white egret with a very long neck and a large dark bill. A black line extends beneath the eye. In its breeding season plumage the bill is black, the lores blue and the tibia reddish. White dorsal plumes extend beyond the tail. In its non-breeding plumage the bill is yellow and the legs black. It is a solitary bird, found on most inland waters, and it can be seen locally at the Samudram and Keezhnathur Eris. It feeds on aquatic animals, and its feeding habits are similar to those of the Grey Heron. It usually nests in mixed colonies in trees over or near water, but it has been known to nest in busy city streets.

INTERMEDIATE EGRET

Ardea intermedia

This bird is seen in Keezhnathur Eri and is a resident. Smaller and less solitary than the Large Egret, and with a shorter neck and bill, this bird’s bill is black in the breeding season and yellow with a black tip in non-breeding times. The bird is found in inland ponds and marshes as well as coastal backwaters, tidal estuaries, and mangrove swamps. Though not as gregarious as the Little Egret, it is quite sociable even in the non-breeding season and is seen in small flocks. Most other behavior and nesting are similar to that of the Large Egret

65cm Resident/Local migrant

65-72cm Resident

CATTLE EGRET

Bubulcus ibis

This is a short, stocky egret, which is very similar to the Little Egret, but is distinguished by its short yellow bill and yellowish legs. It has a white plumage except in the breeding season, when the head, neck and back are orange-buff in colour. It is almost always found with grazing cattle, not necessarily near water. It is a gregarious bird, usually in scattered groups on grassland and forest glades as well as damp and swampy ground. It stands fearlessly amongst the cattle, and stalks along pouncing on grasshoppers and other insects disturbed by the cattle. It can also be seen jumping up to pluck insects off the side of a cow’s belly, and feeding on insects whilst riding on the backs of cattle. It feeds on a variety of insects, but will also eat tadpoles, frogs and lizards. Groups will also gather on newly ploughed fields, and follow the tractor to feed on the insects and other prey disturbed by the plough. It roosts communally with crows, mynas and other birds. Normally it is silent, but does utter occasional low croaks when roosting or at the nest.

LITTLE HERON

Butorides striata

The striated heron is a small heron species usually found around streams, lakes and ponds which have dense shrubby growth in the margins. It is also found in coastal backwaters, mangrove swamps and tidal creeks. In Tiruvannamalai it has been seen mainly in Adiannamalai Eri. A little smaller than the pond heron, this stocky, short-legged bird has a glossy greenish-black forehead, crown and crest. Its cheeks are white and the head and neck are grey. The upperparts are slaty grey glossed with dark green and bronze-green and the wing-coverts are a dark glossy green. The underparts are greyish. Crepuscular and nocturnal, this solitary, shy bird is also active during the day (keeping to shady watercourses) when it is cloudy and overcast. It is often found in secluded rock pools in jungle streams overgrown with jamun seedlings and similar bushes, sitting on some projecting root a few inches above the water and flicking its tail up and down like a kingfisher. Preferring the same spot day after day, it waits patiently and jabs at anything edible that swims or floats past. It also quietly creeps along the water’s edge and lunges at any prospective prey which includes fish, shrimps, frogs, crabs, mudfish and beetles. Normally silent, it utters a K’yow, K’yow or K’ yek, K’yek when alarmed and flying off. Breeding between March and September, the nest is a small platform of twigs 3 to 4m above ground in a small tree or concealed among bushes on the edge of a stream or pond. Both parents incubate and feed the young by regurgitation.

48-53cm Resident

46 cm Resident

INDIAN POND HERON

Ardeola grayii

A widespread and common egret-like bird. In the breeding season it has a yellowish-buff head and neck with a long white crest. The mantle and scapulars are brown with maroon plumes on its back. The non-breeding plumage is predominantly earthy brown with head, neck and breast streaked with white. In flight, the white wings, tail and rump are prominent, in contrast to the dark saddle. It can be found wherever there is freshwater no matter how small, and it is often found in areas of habitation. It is usually seen singly or in loose groups. Its flight is typically heron-like: steady wing beats with the neck pulled in. It feeds on frogs, fish, crabs and insects, standing hunched up at the water’s edge watching patiently for movement, and then jabbing quickly at its prey. If wading into shallows it will move forward stealthily, neck craned and bill poised. The call is a harsh croak made when it is flying off, but when nesting it also utters a low note waku and other mumblings.

42-45cm Resident

GREY HERON

Ardea cinerea

A long-legged, long-necked, grey marsh bird. The upperparts are ashy grey with a white crown and neck. The neck is long and slender, and has a prominent dotted black line down the middle of the fore-neck. It has a long black crest, narrow head and dagger-like yellow bill. It is greyish white below, with plumes on the breast and black patches on the belly. In the breeding season it has white scapular plumes, and the bill and legs become orange. The female has very similar plumage, but the crest and breast plumes are less developed. It is a solitary bird that can be found on most inland waters, and is regularly seen in our area. It is often most active in the evening. It flies with steady wing beats, the neck folded back, and the head drawn in between the shoulders. When hunting it wades carefully into shallow water with its neck craned and bill poised, or it stands hunched up but alert, waiting for prey to come within range. It shoots out its bill at high speed spearing its prey, then with an upward jerk of the neck the prey is swallowed headfirst. It feeds on a range of aquatic animals, including fish, frogs and snakes. Its call is a deep harsh croak uttered in flight. It nests gregariously often in mixed heronries.

90-98cm Winter visitor

PURPLE HERON

Ardea purpurea

This heron with a long, thin neck. In direct sunlight the upperparts can appear bright purple. The head and neck are chestnut with black stripes, and the mantle and upperwing-coverts are grey. The belly and underwing-coverts are dark chestnut and black. It is a solitary bird that can be found on most inland waters that have tall vegetation as cover. Like the Grey Heron it tends to be most active in the evening. When disturbed, it flies up with a harsh croak, and in flight the bulge of the recoiled neck is prominent. It feeds on fish, frogs, snakes and other aquatic animals. It usually nests in colonies but only with other Purple Herons.

78-90cm Resident

BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON

Nycticorax nycticorax

A stocky heron with a thick, stout bill. Its black crown and mantle contrast with the grey wings and whitish underparts. It has a long black crest that may contain white plumes. It is regularly seen at the inland waters of our area. It is gregarious and most active in the evenings and during the night, when it feeds on crabs, fish, frogs, and aquatic insects. It actively hunts for food, and rarely stands still as true herons do. Colonies spend the daytime resting in trees that can be some distance from water, and the same communal roosts can be used year after year. At dusk they fly out in ones and twos, uttering the distinctive kwaark call. Its flight is strong and direct with quick flaps of the rounded wings. Its thick neck is pulled in and shortened, but not in the S-shape as with the Grey Heron. The Indian Pond Heron, the Grey Heron, the Purple Heron and the Black-crowned Night Heron are all found in Keezhnathur and Samudram Eris.

YELLOW BITTERN

Ixobrychus sinensis

This bird, spotted in the rear end of Samudram and Adiannamalai Eris, is small and lanky and is predominantly yellow, brown, rufous and chestnut. In flight, its yellowish fawn body contrasts with its black wings. Its crown and bushy crest are black, the sides of the head pink, its back mostly yellowish brown, rump dark ashy and tail slate-black. Its chin and throat are pale yellow, upper breast blackish with beige streaks and the rest of the underside is pale yellowish-beige. Moving locally with water conditions it is usually found in reed-beds, and scrubby growth in inland swamps as well as coastal mangroves and swamps and inundated standing paddy. It is largely crepuscular and nocturnal but active in the daytime in cloudy weather. When come upon suddenly, it takes up the ‘on guard’ posture thrusting its neck vertically up, bill pointing to the sky, and freezing in this position, taking advantage of its streaked under-side to become completely inconspicuous among the reeds. Its diet includes fish, frogs, molluscs, insects etc. The breeding season is between June and September as soon as the monsoon sets in properly. Its nest is in bent down reeds or shrubs on the edge of a pond. Both parents are involved in the entire breeding process.

38 cm Winter Visitor

58-65cm Resident

CINNAMON BITTERN

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus

A mainly chestnut-cinnamon bird, with a whitish chin and throat. It is smaller and thinner than the Indian Pond Heron, but an unmistakable relative. Its upper breast is chestnut and black, and the rest of underparts pale chestnut. The female is duller with brown-streaked, rufous underparts. It can be found in reed-beds and flooded paddy-fields, and is a solitary bird. It has been seen in Adiannamalai Eri. When it is disturbed it assumes the characteristic attitude of bitterns. The neck is stretched upwards with the bill pointing skywards, while the bird freezes and is difficult to spot amongst the reeds. It is active in the evenings, feeding on fish, frogs, insects, and molluscs in large quantities. It is normally silent, but can be very noisy in spring, uttering its loud kok-kok call.

38cm Resident

BLACK BITTERN

Ixobrychus flavicollis

Spotted in Keezhnathur Eri and Thamarai Kulam, it is a largely crepuscular and nocturnal bird, and is not usually seen in the daytime except in over-cast, rainy weather. This bird is largely black and rufous with a conspicuous beige and white cheek patch. The upper-parts are slate-grey to almost black with a band of bright yellow on either side of the neck. Its chin and throat are white with a rufous dotted line down the middle, the upper-breast is dark slate with buffy white margins and the rest of the under-parts are mostly slate-grey to brownish black. The female is browner and less slate-grey on top. The abdomen is lighter brown with more white in the center. It is found in reed-filled inland swamps and over-grown seepage nullahs in jungle areas and also in marshes but not in tidal mangroves. Like the yellow bittern, this bird also takes up the ‘On guard’ posture and freezes effectively camouflaging well among the reeds. Its diet includes fish, frogs, molluscs, insects, etc. It is a quiet bird only making a loud booming in the breeding season which is between June and September during the S.W. monsoon. The nest is a pad of twigs with a slight central depression among reeds or bamboo. Both parents are fully involved in all the work of nest making, incubating and caring for the young.

58 cm Resident/Local migrant

GLOSSY IBIS

Plegadis falcinellus

A small, dark ibis with a rather fine, down-curved bill. In the breeding season the plumage is a deep chestnut, glossed with purple and green on the back and wings. Its bare lores have a narrow white edge. The non-breeding plumage is duller, with white streaking on dark brown head and neck. It can be found on large reservoirs, river banks and marshes, and is often seen in flocks, which fly in V-formation. It feeds on insects, molluscs and crustaceans, caught along the water’s edge with its head often submerged. It is silent except for a bleating call during breeding season. It roosts in trees and nests in mixed heronries.

BLACK-HEADED IBIS

Threskiornis melanocephalus

A large, stocky, white bird with a naked black head and neck. The stout, down-curved bill, and the legs are also black. In the breeding season it has ornamental white plumes at the base of the neck, and grey plumes on the scapulars and wings. It can be found on marshes, river mud-banks and mudflats. It is usually seen in small groups or in large, mixed flocks with storks, spoonbills, etc. It is active on the marshy land, walking about probing into the mud with mandibles partly open like forceps. It also feeds in shallow water with the head submerged, catching insects, molluscs, frogs and tadpoles and vegetable matter. Its flight is strong and direct, with rapid wing strokes and head and neck outstretched, as it flies in a V-formation or in evenly spaced single file. It is silent except for grunts uttered when nesting. It often builds its nest on village outskirts, and usually in mixed heronries. The Glossy Ibis and the Black-headed Ibis are found in Keezhnathur and Samudram Eris.

55-65cm Winter visitor

75cm Resident

EURASIAN SPOONBILL

Platalea leucorodia

A long-necked white bird, with long black legs and a distinctive large, flat black-and-yellow bill with a spoon-like tip. It has a pale yellowish-brown patch on the throat. In the breeding season it has a long crest and a yellow patch on its breast. It is a gregarious and sociable bird, often in small groups and flocks of 50 or more. It can be found on marshes, reservoirs, rivers and estuaries, but it is only occasionally seen around Tiruvannamalai (Nochimalai Eri) when water levels are high. It is most active in the mornings and evenings, when it may be seen singly or in flocks. The birds wade into shallow water with outstretched neck and bill held partly open as they rake up the bottom mud, moving the tip of the lower mandible in a semi-circular scything action. It feeds on tadpoles, frogs, molluscs, insects and vegetable matter. Its flight is rather slow and deliberate, with the neck and legs extended. It nests in a mixed heronry.

80-90cm Resident

SPOT-BILLED PELICAN

Pelecanus philippensis

A large water bird, which is grey and greyish-white in colour. The feathers on the back of its neck are curly and form a greyish crest. A pouch of purplish skin hangs from the large, flattened bill. The upper mandible has blue-black spots along its edge, and the tip of the bill is orange. It can be found in flocks on large inland waters like Keezhnathur Eri. The birds hunt their prey cooperatively by swimming in a semi-circle, driving the fish into the shallows and scooping them up in their pouches. They are strong flyers with steady rhythmical wing beats and the head drawn back between the shoulders. They can often be seen soaring in circles at great heights with other birds such as storks. They nest on thick platforms of twigs in tall trees or palms.

PAINTED STORK

Mycteria leucocephala

A long-legged, long-necked, white stork. It has a prominent, bare red-orange face, red legs and a long, down-curved, yellow bill. It has black upperwing-coverts barred with white; pinkish tertiary feathers; and black barring across the breast. These markings are prominent when in flight, when the neck and legs are fully outstretched. It is resident but moves about locally depending on the water conditions, and has been seen in Samudram Eri after heavy monsoon rains. It is usually seen in pairs or small parties, but in the breeding season it is very gregarious and can gather in much larger numbers. It can be seen soaring on thermals, wings motionless, along with other storks and larger water birds. It feeds by wading in shallow water, probing the mud with its beak wide open. From time to time it can be seen waggling one leg back and forth, and suddenly opening the wing on the same side. These movements are intended to drive prey towards the submerged, open beak. It feeds mainly on fish, but also frogs, reptiles, crustaceans and insects. It nests in colonies, the nest being a large platform of sticks with a shallow central depression lined with straw, leaves and waterweeds.

140cm Resident/local migrant

93-100cm Resident

ASIAN OPENBILL

Anastomus oscitans

A small white stork with an unusual bill, which has arching mandibles with a narrow gap between them. In the breeding season the plumage is largely white with black flight feathers and tail. The non-breeding plumage is grayish-white. It is a common bird found on reservoirs and marshes, where it is usually seen in twos, threes or small flocks. Like other storks it will soar on sunny days, circling for hours on the thermals with other large birds. Its descent is sudden and dramatic, and within a short time it will have hurtled from a great height to alight on a tree-top, using its wings to brake heavily. The function of the strange bill is unclear, but it may be to help in opening the thick-shelled snails which form a large part of its diet. It also feeds on frogs, crabs and large insects. It nests in colonies within mixed heronries of cormorants, egrets and storks. The nest is a circular pad of twigs with a central depression lined with leaves, and is built on top of small trees like the acacia. It is silent except for occasional deep moans and clattering of bills when greeting its mate at the nest.

68cm Resident

WOOLLY-NECKED STORK

Ciconia episcopus

Called ‘vannathi narai’ in Tamil, this red-legged largely black stork with conspicuous ‘woolly’ white neck and black crown (like a padre’s cap) measures 3 ½ ft when standing. It can be found alone, in pairs or in small flocks. This bird feeds on frogs, reptiles, crabs, molluscs and large insects. It feeds in dry or marshy land, seldom wading in water or immersing its bill. It feeds on fish only when they are stranded by receding flood or from drying-up water holes and has been observed snapping up winged termites flying back and forth through a rising swarm. It is a silent bird except for a clattering of the mandibles with its neck bent over backwards and crown resting between the shoulders. The breeding season in the south is between December and March. The nest, around 1m in diameter, has a large central depression lined with straw which is deep enough to hide the adult bird when sitting and is usually built in lofty trees like Salmalia some 20 to 30m above ground. Both parents take part in building the nest and feeding the young with regurgitated, predigested food. The Painted Stork, Asian Openbill and Woolly-necked Stork have been seen in Keeznathur Eri in Tiruvannamalai.

106 cm Resident/Local migrant

INDIAN PITTA

Pitta brachyura

A colourful, thrush-like, stub-tailed bird. It migrates from its breeding area in the lower Himalaya and it found here between September and March. The throat and supercilium are white, with buff stripes on the head and a bold, black stripe through the eye to the back of the neck. The back and wings are mostly green, and the very short tail is blue. The breast and flanks are buff, with a crimson belly and under-tail. It is found in patches of light forest, scrub jungle and semi-cultivation. It is found in the Park, on the lower slopes of the Hill, in Sonagiri grove, and on local farms with thickets or trees. It is usually seen singly, on the ground, turning over dead leaves and digging in the damp earth for insects and grubs which are its main food. The stumpy tail is wagged slowly up and down. When disturbed it tends to hop away rather than fly, and generally it is not particularly perturbed by the presence of humans. Its call is a loud, clear double whistle, wheet-tew, usually heard mornings and evenings. Sometimes three or four birds can be heard answering one another from different directions.

BROWN SHRIKE

Lanius cristatus

A widespread winter visitor that arrives by August-September and leaves by mid-April. Its rufous-brown upperparts and tail contrast with the much paler underparts. It has a white forehead, supercilium and throat, with a thick black line through the eye to the ear-coverts. It can be found in scrubland and at the edges of forests as well as in dry grassland. It is more active in the evening than other shrikes, hunting well after dusk and feeding on large insects, small birds, mammals and lizards. Like other shrikes it stores food, impaled on thorns. Its call is a harsh chr-r-r.

18-19cm Winter visitor

19cm Winter visitor

BAY-BACKED SHRIKE

Lanius vittatus

This is the smallest of the shrikes. It is a local migrant which is seen only in winter. It has a bold black band across the forehead, through the eyes to the ear-coverts. The crown and neck are grey, with a deep chestnut back. The underparts are buff and grey with a whitish rump, and the long black tail is edged with white. It can be found, usually alone, in open dry scrub, thinly wooded country, and bushes in areas of cultivation. It is a typical shrike: very territorial, and will guard against other shrikes day after day. It feeds on locusts, other large insects, and lizards which it swoops down on from an exposed perch. It returns to the same perch where its prey is torn to pieces with its sharp, hooked bill. Its usual call is a harsh, churring note, but in the breeding season the male has a pleasant warbling song. The Brown Shrike and Bay-backed Shrike are seen in Keezhnathur Eri.

LONG-TAILED SHRIKE

Lanius schach

This typical shrike has a large head, stout hook-tipped bill and a longish black and rufous tail. With a broad black band across the eyes, its crown, nape, sides, hind-neck and upper back are grey, diffusing to rufous or cinnamon on the rest of the upper-parts. The chin, throat and upper-breast are white while the rest of the under-parts are rufous. Its wings are blackish with a white wing-spot conspicuous in flight. This bird inhabits deciduous openly wooded country – cultivation, orchards and groves. As a family, these birds are ‘pugnacious, bold and rapacious’. Often found singly or in widely separated pairs, this bird has its own feeding territory which it guards fiercely against others of its kind. It often grabs food from other birds, even bigger than itself, by bouncing on them bodily while on the ground, knocking them down and taking away their catch. It kills young sparrows, mice, lizards, frogs etc. by pouncing and smothering them on the ground and striking repeatedly on the head with its powerful bill. Often only the brain eaten, the body is impaled on a thorn along with other surplus food. Turning and twisting in the air, this bird sometimes catches insects on the wing (moths, winged termites, etc.). Insects like crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, caterpillars, ants and beetles are also eaten. This bird’s normal notes are harsh complaining cries as if in distress (like a squealing frog caught by a snake). In the breeding season it has a beautiful, subdued musical song which can go on unbroken for 15 minutes or more at a stretch. It is a versatile mimic of other birds’ calls like those of Black Kite, Mynas,Sparrow, Swallow, Swift, Parakeet, Babblers and many more, and even squirrels and new-born puppies. Breeding is usually in April-May and both parents take part in the entire process.

25 cm Winter Visitor

17cm Winter visitor

RUFOUS TREEPIE

Dendrocitta vagabunda

A chestnut-brown bird with a slate-grey head and neck. The mantle and back is chestnut-brown, with buff underparts and rump. The white and pale grey wing panel is conspicuous in flight, and the long grey tail is tipped and edged with black. It is fairly widely distributed and found in open wooded country, plantations, farms and gardens. It can also be seen on the edges of villages and towns. It is usually seen in noisy pairs or family groups. Its flight between bushes and trees is undulating: a swift noisy flapping followed by a short glide on outspread wings and tail. Like crows and other treepies it will eat a wide variety of food: fruits, insects, lizards and frogs, as well as the eggs and young of birds and rodents. It utters a range of calls, some loud and harsh, kitter, kitter, kitter and others more songlike.

46-50cm Resident

HOUSE CROW

Corvus splendens

A very familiar bird in towns and villages, and areas of cultivation. It is an intelligent and inquisitive bird, but always wary, cunning and with an uncanny ability to avoid danger. It is distinguished by its two-toned appearance; predominantly black with grey neck, nape and breast. It is found in close association with man and it is the most widely depicted bird in legend and folklore. Death ceremonies may still end with offerings of food to crows, in the belief that such offering will be carried to family ancestors. Much of its food is human refuse and waste, although it will eat almost anything: carrion, fruit, grain, insects, and eggs and the young of other birds. It is a useful ‘municipal’ scavenger, but also a great bully of smaller, defenceless birds, and will also harass birds of prey and owls. It moves on the ground with perky walking gait and sidling hops, and a constant flicking of the wings. It flies with strong but unhurried and shallow wing flaps, but it is also often seen performing aerial gymnastics. It is a gregarious bird and shares very noisy, communal roosts with other birds such as mynas, and parakeets. A steady stream of birds in loose groups can be seen at sunset converging at one such roost in the grounds of Rangammal Hospital. Its call is a shrill, quah, quah, but when resting it utters a more musical kurrr and other notes.

LARGE-BILLED CROW

Corvus macrorhynchos

A glossy, jet black crow that has a domed head and a long, bulky bill with a curved upper mandible. It is usually a bird of well wooded countryside, but increasingly is found in areas of habitation and on the edges of villages. It can be seen singly, in pairs or loose groups. It is less gregarious and sociable than the House Crow, but will roost with other birds. It can feed on any food including carrion, the eggs and chicks of other birds, and the young of small mammals. In groups it will bully kites and other large birds in flight, snatching food from them. Its call is a deep and hoarse caw. It can be more raucous and guttural than the House Crow, but when relaxed it will utter gurgling chuckles and musical croaks.

46-49cm Resident

40cm Resident

ASHY WOODSWALLOW

Artamus fuscus

Spotted in the foothills behind Adiannamalai, this slaty grey bird has a short tail that is slaty-black tipped with white. The rump and underparts are paler grey. The bill is bluish, heavy and somewhat finch-like. While at rest, the tips of the closed wings reach the end of the tail. This bird is found in openly wooded dry and moist deciduous areas especially with a predominance of palms – palmyra, coconut, date, fish-tail and others. A gregarious and sociable bird, it can be found in groups of up to 30 or even more. Often huddled closely together along a horizontal bare branch or power line, it makes constant sallies after winged insects sometimes swooping close to the ground. Its flight is swift with several rapid wing-beats followed by a graceful glide (like a swallow or bee-eater) back to its perch. The insect is transferred to the feet, pulled apart with the bill and swallowed in mid-flight. While resting, the stumpy tail is bobbed up and down slowly or opened and turned from side to side. This bird is bold and aggressive when nesting, attacking encroaching crows and raptors though tolerating harmless species like bulbuls. It feeds largely on butterflies, dragonflies and winged termites and occasionally on the nectar of flowers like those of Erythrina indica. Its distinctive and harsh call uttered at rest and in flight sounds like chek-chek-chek. Its breeding season is between March and June. The nest is a shallow cup of fine grass, roots and fibers and there are usually 2 – 3 greenish-white eggs. Both parents are involved in making the nest, incubating and caring for the young

19 cm Resident/Local migrant

EURASIAN GOLDEN ORIOLE

Oriolus oriolus

The male bird is bright golden-yellow with black in the wings and tail, and a prominent black streak through the eye. Seen in direct sunlight, the male is strikingly beautiful. The female is a much duller yellowish-green with some streaking on the underparts. Both birds have a long, pointed bill, rose-coloured with a dark tip. It is a local migrant and seen most commonly in the winter. It is widely distributed in leafy trees, in open woodland and areas of cultivation, including gardens where there are fruit trees and parkland. It is usually in pairs, and is often seen in fig trees. It has a strong, dipping flight. It feeds on insects, fruit and berries, and flower nectar. Its call is a harsh cheeah and a clear whistle, peelolo.

25cm Winter Visitor

LARGE CUCKOOSHRIKE

Coracina macei

The male is predominantly grey, with white below and black tail and wings. It has a heavy and slightly hooked bill and a broad dark eye-streak. The female has a less conspicuous eye-streak and her underparts are barred grey and white with a white rump-patch that can be clearly seen while in flight. It perches upright. The bird migrates locally during the breeding season and is usually found on tree-tops, often in pairs or small groups. It flies with the pattern of a few strokes followed by short glides. Once it lands it sometimes flicks up one wing then the other almost seeming to imitate a person who is shuffling about in nervousness though this behavior is predominantly seen when courting. In breeding season it is common to see a pair shuffling through the foliage uttering shrill screaming calls while slightly fluttering their wings. This bird feeds on mantids, other large insects and their larvae and various wild figs, sometimes descending to the understories and even the ground foraging through the fallen leaves. Its breeding season occurs predominantly during March to July and the nest comprising of twigs and grass rather flimsily collaborated to form a saucer-shaped shallow structure, is found up to 18 meters above the ground. This bird has been seen near the Skandashram trail.

BLACK-HEADED CUCKOOSHRIKE

Coracina melanoptera

The male has a black head and breast, with pale grey mantle and whitish underparts. The grey mantle and rump contrast with the black tail, and with the pale barred underparts. The female has a grey head with a white supercilium. It can be found in open broadleaved forest and leafy trees growing near villages. It can be seen in the Park, mainly on the lower slopes of the Hill. It is usually seen in pairs, but also in groups with other insectivorous birds. It feeds mainly on insects which it sometimes catches in the air like a flycatcher, but usually it flies from tree to tree methodically searching leaves and twigs for food. Normally it is silent, but the male has a clear, whistling song of several notes ending in repeated pit-pit-pit, which is heard only in hot weather and during rains.

28cm Local Migrant

18cm Resident

SMALL MINIVET

Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

A small, arboreal bird. The male has dark grey upperparts, black head and throat, and orange-crimson underparts. The dark tail has orange edges. The female has lighter grey upperparts, black throat and orange-yellow to white underparts. It can be found in deciduous forest as well as open scrub, gardens and groves, and can be seen in the well wooded areas at the base of the Hill. It is usually in small flocks of 8-10 birds in the tops of the trees, but in the winter these flocks can be large as it mixes with other birds such as flycatchers and shrikes. It flits about hunting insects, which it sometimes catches on the wing like a flycatcher. Its call is a light musical swee-swee, uttered whilst on the wing.

Small Minivet, female

16cm Resident

Small Minivet, male

WHITE BROWED FANTAIL

Rhipidura aureola

This bird has been spotted in Nedungavadi and in Kaattusiva. It is a cheery, restless fan-tailed, smoke-brown flycatcher with a broad white forehead and white under-parts. The crown and ear coverts are black, forehead and eyebrow white, its back dark grey-brown, wings grey-brown with 2 rows of white spots and the tail black tipped with white. The throat is black and the chin and sides of the throat are whitish. The sides of its breast are black and the breast and belly are white. The female is slightly paler and browner on the head. This bird is found in deciduous forests, groves, wooded compounds, orchards, gardens and sometimes in scrub jungle, in lower bushes and under-growth occasionally descending to the ground. Seen singly, in pairs or family groups, it often joins mixed hunting parties of babblers, prinia and leaf-warblers. It flits tirelessly from branch to branch prancing with fanned, erect tail and half-drooping wings, making graceful loops after winged insects which it catches with an audible snap of its beak. It is also seen around cattle looking for insects disturbed by the animals’ grazing. Its song is a delightful, clear but rather thin human-like whistle of 6 to 8 tinkling notes chee-chee-cheweechee-vi. Its normal call is a harsh chuck-chuck. It is quite un-afraid of people and aggressively mobs predators like crows or cats uttering harsh shrike-like “war-cries”. The breeding season is between March and June with the nest a compact cup made of fine fibers and grasses and plastered on the outside with cobwebs. Building, incubation and care of the young are taken up by both parents.

17 cm Resident/Local migrant

BLACK DRONGO

Dicrurus macrocercus

This is a well-known, glossy blue-black bird with a very distinctive long, deeply forked tail. It has a small white spot in front of the eye and bristles around the bill. It is found everywhere in open country, particularly near cultivation and habitation. It is often seen alone perched on overhead wires, posts or other exposed perches keeping watch for insects and other prey, but it can also be seen riding on the backs of cattle, waiting to pounce on insects disturbed by the cows. It is one of the more useful birds to farmers as it eats large quantities of insect pests. It is most active at dawn and dusk, hunting almost until dark. It is a very bold, pugnacious bird that loves to challenge larger birds, even raptors. It can often be seen harassing crows, themselves bullies, hence its nickname, ‘King Crow’. It will steal food from other birds, pursuing them until they drop their prey, which it will catch in mid-air. It is also fond of playing, dropping a feather or piece of paper in the air and catching it as it floats away. Its harsh, scolding calls resemble those of the Shikra hawk. It is particularly noisy at dusk.

ASHY DRONGO

Dicrurus leucophaeus

This is very like the Black Drongo in size, but is slimmer and has bright red eyes. It is slate-grey above and dark grey below. It is a rare winter visitor to our area. It is found in well-wooded areas rather than in areas of cultivation favoured by the Black Drongo. It can be seen alone, or in pairs or small groups keeping to the tree tops, hunting flying insects. It is active in the evening, hunting until dark. It feeds mainly on insects, with occasional reptiles and small birds. It call is varied and it often mimics other birds, including the Black Drongo.

29cm Winter Visitor

28cm Resident

WHITE-BELLIED DRONGO

Dicrurus caerulescens

It has a long, deeply-forked tail, a glossy indigo colour above, brownish grey below, a white belly and has been spotted in our forest park. Preferring dry and moist deciduous and bamboo areas it is often part of roving mixed hunting parties of other insectivorous birds. Like a fly-catcher it often makes looping sallies after winged insects, turning and twisting in the air, snapping up the quarry in its bill or claws (depending on the size of the insect) and returning to its perch. It is strongly crepuscular and continues to hunt well after dusk, even when it becomes quite dark. Crickets, grasshoppers, moths, termites and sometimes even small birds like warblers are chased and caught. Food is also sometimes grabbed from other birds and nectar from Bombax and Erythrina form part of its diet. Its call is usually 3 or 4 pleasant whistling notes and it often whistles softly ‘as if trying the notes over under its breath’. It is a very good mimic and often imitates the calls of tailor birds, wood-shrikes and ioras, among others. Breeding is usually in March and April and the nest is often in mixed teak and bamboo and open forest. Both parents take part in building the nest, caring for the 2 or 3 eggs, incubating and caring for the young.

SPANGLED DRONGO

Dicrurus hottentottus

Spotted in the Forest Park, it is an iridescent glossed and spangled blue-black bird with a distinctive, longish, almost square-cut tail curled up at the outer ends. A few fine hair-like feathers spring from the forehead and extend over the hind crown, giving it the name Hair-crested Drongo. Predominantly a nectar feeder, its bill is well adapted to this diet - long, pointed and a bit down-curved. Both sexes are alike. This entirely arboreal bird is found from plains up to 1400 m or more, in moist- deciduous and evergreen forest and prefers dense jungle and wooded glades where it is seen singly or in small gatherings. Groups of up to 20 are seen for example, when mobbing a predator or feeding on a grove of flowering trees. It also eats insects and is often part of roving bands of insectivorous birds seen especially around flowering silk-cotton trees. It adopts a ‘dog in the manger’ tactic on other nectar-feeding birds, bullying them off even from adjacent trees. Its calls include a subdued metallic clanging note constantly occurring alongside a creaking call like the sharp tooi of a Blossom-headed parakeet. It is very noisy in the breeding season (March-April) with loud, clear whistles and mimicry of other birds’ calls. Mimicry is also quite prominent in the breeding season. The nest is a deep saucer of bark, grass and tendrils of creepers and often quite loose and untidy. Both parents participate in the entire nesting process.

24 cm Local Migrant

31 cm Local Migrant

GREATER RACKET-TAILED DRONGO

Dicrurus paradiseus

A large, glossy black bird, larger than either of the more common Black and Ashy Drongos. The adult has a prominent black crest and tufted forehead, and the tail has two long, wire-like streamers that end in curved black feathers. It is often found in areas around foothills with mixed, broad-leaved forest and bamboo jungle. The recent sightings on and near the Hill are evidence of the successful reforestation of Arunachala. It is usually seen singly or in pairs, but mixes with other insectivorous birds of the forest such as woodpeckers and treepies. It is very noisy, particularly in the early morning and at sunset, and it has a wide range of calls, notes and whistles. It is a skilled mimic, and has been recorded mimicking the calls and songs of many woodland and forest birds. It feeds on many of the larger flying insects which it catches on the wing. It often hunts well into dusk.

32cm Resident

COMMON IORA

Aegithina tiphia

The Iora is a sparrow-sized, black and yellow bird. The breeding male has a black head, upperparts and tail, contrasting with the yellow below. The female and non-breeding male have very similar plumage, greenish grey above, and paler yellow below. All the birds have prominent white wing bars. It can be found in light forest and woodland, as well as gardens and groves of trees near villages. It is usually seen in pairs, but can also be in mixed groups of birds. It is found in the Park, in areas of open scrubland and the lower slopes of the Hill. It feeds on insects and their eggs and larva, and can often be seen clinging upside down to twigs and branches as it hunts for food. The birds use musical whistles and short chirrups to keep in touch. In the breeding season the male tries to attract a female by springing up into the air with its plumage fluffed out, and then whilst whistling, spirals back down to its perch.

COMMON WOODSHRIKE

Tephrodornis pondicerianus

A greyish brown bird with a hook-tipped bill, and short square tail. It has a dark stripe below the eye, and a broad white supercilium above. It has a dark tail with prominent white edges. It is usually seen in pairs or parties. It can be found in open forest, well-wooded areas, and scrubland; but as a quiet, tame bird it is also commonly seen in gardens and groves around cultivation and habitation. It will often hunt with other small birds, following one another, gliding from tree to tree, calling in rich whistling notes weet-weet followed by quick whi-whi-whi-whi? It feeds in the trees on moths, beetles and caterpillars, creeping about on branches and leaves, and occasionally catching insects in the air rather like a flycatcher.

14cm Resident

18cm Resident

BLUE ROCK THRUSH

Monticola solitarius

A winter visitor that can be found in the dry rocky areas on the slopes of the Hill. The male is bright indigo blue, whilst the female has grey-brown upperparts, and buff scaling on the whitish underparts. It can be found on boulder-strewn hillsides, rocky areas, old ruins and even in areas of habitation. It is a solitary bird that keeps to the same area day after day, and may return to the area in successive years. It perches bolt upright, bows jerkily and shivers its tail rather like the Redstart. It feeds on insects which it usually picks up from the ground, and also berries. Usually a silent bird, but the male has a whistling song that can sometimes be heard just before migration.

20cm Winter Visitor

ORANGE-HEADED THRUSH

Zoothera citrina

A small, shy thrush that likes damp, shady undergrowth in well-wooded and forest areas. Both male and female birds are alike with an orange head, neck and underparts, and white vent and under tail-coverts. Both also have a prominent white bar on the wings. The only difference is that the male has a blue-grey mantle, which in the female is tinged with olive-brown. It is most likely to be found on the lower slopes of the Hill, particularly in the dense undergrowth of the Sonagiri woodland. It is a migratory bird that breeds in the Himalayas, but stops over in Tiruvannamalai briefly for a few weeks around September during its flight south, and again in March during its northward migration.It is usually seen singly or in pairs in the undergrowth, where it feeds on insects, earthworms, berries and fruit it finds on the ground.

ORANGE-HEADED THRUSH

Zoothera citrina cyanotus

This subspecies is resident, but thought to move around locally, particularly during the monsoon. It has been seen in the Park. It has a patch of white on the ear-coverts and throat, which has vertical black stripes on it.

21cm Passage Migrant

21cm Resident

ASIAN PARADISE-FLYCATCHER

Terpsiphone paradisi

This is one of our most beautiful birds, and the adult male is both striking and unmistakeable. It has a silvery white plumage, metallic black head and crest, and two long, white, narrow ‘streamers’ extending from the tail. Its wing and tail feathers have black edges. The female has chestnut upperparts and tail, grey underparts, black head and crest, but lacks the tail streamers and has a smaller crest than the male. The juvenile male has the distinct long tail, but the chestnut plumage of the female. The breeding male displays by raising its tail with the streamers arching gracefully. It is found in forests, woodland, as well as gardens and shady groves, and can be found in the Forest park and the adjacent Arunagiri children’s park. It is usually seen alone or in pairs, often flying inside dense undergrowth hunting for insects. The male can be seen chasing flies and insects in agile twist and turns, with the tail streamers trailing and looping behind. It has a preference for larger moths. Its call is a harsh, grating, che or che-che, and the song is a series of yodeling whistles.

20cm Resident

ASIAN BROWN FLYCATCHER

Muscicapa dauurica

A small brown bird with a prominent white ring around large dark eyes. The upperparts are ashy brown, the underparts are whitish with grey on the breast and flanks, and the throat is more obviously white. The dark bill has a yellow base to the lower mandible. It can be found in a number of habitats: open, mixed deciduous forest, village groves, and gardens; and it likes to be close to streams. As with the other Flycatchers it can be seen in the Sonagiri woodland and in the Park. It is often seen flying from a perch to catch insects, mainly flies. Its call is a rather feeble chi-chi-ri-ri or chik-chik-r-r.

BROWN-BREASTED FLYCATCHER

Muscicapa muttui

This bird is similar to the Asian Brown Flycatcher, but its larger bill has a lower mandible that is entirely pale, its legs and feet are pale yellow, and its upperparts are more distinctly brown. The white throat is made prominent by the brown of its breast and flanks. It is an infrequent visitor, usually solitary, but occasionally seen with other flycatchers. It can be found in dense thickets of evergreen forests, but it is a very quiet and secretive bird, and most active at dusk. It feeds on winged insects usually caught in the air, although it does sometimes descend to the ground.

13cm Winter Visitor

14cm Winter Visitor

VERDITER FLYCATCHER

Eumyias thalassina

This blue-green or verdigris (colour of oxydised copper) bird has been seen in the Forest Park and near Kaatu Shiva – both times on Hardwickia binata (aacha) trees. It is brighter on the head and throat and darker on the wings and tail. It has a prominent black patch in front of the eyes (lores). The female is duller and greyer. This bird prefers light, broad-leaved and sometimes evergreen forests and bushes along streams. It prefers hilly regions up to around 1000 m and frequents the edges of forests, wooded compounds, groves and gardens. Seen in south India between October and February, telephone wires, where available, are favourite perches. It is seen singly or in pairs, often in the company of other flycatchers, ioras, leaf warblers, drongos etc. Feeding chiefly on tiny winged insects, it makes short sallies from the tips of tall trees as well as bushes, seldom returning to the same perch but flying from branch to branch and tree to tree and fluttering at flower clusters to flush out insects hidden within. Its call is a tze-ju-jui with a soft p’p’pwe … p’p’pwe before the song. Its song is a pleasant petititi-wu-pititi-weu uttered at intervals of several minutes. Breeding is between April and August and the nest is usually made of green moss with 4 to 5 eggs normally laid. Both parents are involved in the entire nesting process.

BLUE-THROATED FLYCATCHER

Cyornis rubeculoides

The male has blue upperparts, including head, throat and tail. The breast is orange with a clear horizontal division from the white flanks and belly. The female has paler greyish-blue upperparts, and the underparts are significantly paler and less clearly defined. It winters in the hills of southern India, and can be found in forests and woodland with plenty of undergrowth. It is another quiet and secretive bird and it keeps to the undergrowth, frequently dropping to the ground in search of food. It feeds on insects and grubs. It has a call note click-click, or chik. This bird is mainly found in Sonagiri and Kaatu Shiva region.

14cm Resident

14cm Resident

INDIAN BLUE ROBIN

Luscinia brunnea

This winter visitor breeds in the Himalayas and the hills of North-East India. The male has blue upperparts, with a bold white supercilium and black ear-coverts. Its underparts are orange, but the centre of the belly and the under tail-coverts are white. The female has uniform, olive-brown upperparts, and buff underparts except the throat and belly which are white. When wintering, it is usually solitary, and can be found in evergreen forests, plantations and secondary scrub, such as at the foot of the Hill at Kaatu Shiva. It feeds on insects, and has a guttural tuck-tuck call.

ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN

Copsychus saularis

One of our most common and beautiful songbirds. A black-and-white bird with a cocked tail and upright stance similar to the Indian Robin. The male is glossy blue-black with a white belly, a broad white band on the wing and white edges on the tail. The female has similar markings, but with slate-grey upperparts and buff flanks. It is a familiar bird in towns and villages, where it can be found in gardens, parks and areas of woodland. It is often seen singly or in pairs, but is rather shy and quiet in the non-breeding season, skulking in the shrubbery. It is more active in the breeding season, when the male can be seen singing from a post or tree-top, the song punctuated by upward jerks of the tail. The breeding territory is jealously guarded and other males are warned off by the bird puffing out its feathers and strutting about. It feeds on insects picked up off the ground, and flower nectar.

15cm Winter visitor

20cm Resident

WHITE-RUMPED SHAMA

Copsychus malabaricus

An obvious cousin of the Magpie-robin, but with chestnut underparts rather than white, and a longer tail. Its white rump is very prominent above the long, black and white, graduated tail. The upperparts and breast are glossy blue-black. The female is duller, with brownish-grey upperparts. It is a shy and retiring bird that normally avoids habitation, and is most likely to be found in shady ravines on forested foothills. It has been seen in Sonagiri woodland and near Kaatu Shiva. It feeds on insects picked off the ground or from bushes, and has a loud, melodious thrush-like song.

25cm Resident

INDIAN ROBIN

Saxicoloides fulicata

Female

The male is a glossy blue-black bird with a red vent visible under an upright, cocked tail. Its erect tail and red vent distinguishes it from the Pied Bushchat, which is of similar colouration. The male also has a small white patch on the shoulder, which is more obvious in flight. The female is a duller brown and grey bird, lacking the white patch. It is a very sprightly and active bird, usually seen in pairs, hopping along the ground or on shrubs. It is a typical bird of the scrub forest and light woodland, but it can often be seen close to towns and villages. It feeds on insects and spiders, and their eggs. It has no song, but the male utters some cheery notes during the courtship display.

BLACK REDSTART

Phoenicurus ochruros

A slim, active bird, constantly shivering its tail and dipping the front of its body. The male has black or dark grey upperparts, and orange underparts including the tail. The female is brown and much paler, but with an orange-chestnut tail. It can be found in areas of cultivation, plantations and stony areas of scrub. It is usually solitary and can be seen flitting from perch to perch, on roofs, branches or boulders. It feeds on insects and spiders, which it usually picks off the ground, but it can catch insects in the air like a flycatcher. Its call is a sharp, whit…whit…whit which is said to sound like a squeaky, unoiled bicycle wheel. It breeds in the Himalayas and is widespread in winter. It has been spotted in Tiruvannamalai near Samudram Eri. It is the only redstart to be found in the Southern peninsula.

15cm Winter Visitor

19cm Resident

Male

PIED BUSHCHAT

Saxicola caprata

A common and widespread bird. The male is predominantly black with white patches on rump, belly and wings. The white patch on the wings is prominent in flight. The earth-brown female has a pale rufous rump and underparts. It can be seen in pairs in areas of cultivation and open country with scattered scrub and bushes, but is also often found in areas of habitation. It feeds on insects, and from its perch will dart down to the ground to pick up its prey. It can also sometimes be seen springing into the air after its prey. Its call is a harsh chek, chek ending in a subdued tweet, but in the breeding season the male has a pretty, whistling song delivered from a perch or during a display flight.

BRAHMINY STARLING

Sturnus pagodarum

A widespread myna-like bird, with a glossy black crest, and rufous-orange underparts and sides of the head. The wings and tail are grey, but the white feathers at the tip of the tail can be seen as the bird alights. It can be found in wooded country as well as grassland, and is often seen in small groups in town gardens and in the outskirts of villages, often perched on overhead wires. Not often seen in the Park or on the Hill. It feeds mainly on insects, wild fruit and berries, and will join with other mynas, hunting grasshoppers disturbed by grazing cattle. It roosts in large groups in leafy trees and shrubs or in reedbeds. As well as uttering a number of chattering notes, it has a pleasant little song heard in the breeding season.

Male

13.5cm Resident

21cm Resident

Female

ROSY STARLING

Sturnus roseus

The adult is a distinctive rose-pink starling with a glossy black head. Its breast, belly, rump and mantle are rose-pink; whilst the wings and tail are a glossy dark blue-green colour. It has a shaggy crest on the head which is erect when the bird is in song. It is a winter visitor found in areas of cultivation and damp grassland. It is not a common bird in our area, but on occasion it may be seen in very large flocks, as at Samudram Eri. Its swift and direct flight is typical of starlings. It feeds on fruits, berries, flower nectar and insects, especially grasshoppers and locusts. Large flocks can cause significant damage to grain crops, but it can also be a helpful bird by eating locusts in swarm, and by seed dispersal. It has a lively and prolonged song, with a jumble of chattering notes.

21cm Winter Visitor

COMMON MYNA

Acridotheres tristis

A very familiar, gregarious and noisy bird. Its plumage is predominantly dark brown, with slaty-grey head and throat. It has bright yellow legs, bill and bare skin around the eyes. The white patch on the underside of the wing is very obvious in flight, as is the white tip of the tail. It can be found in pairs or parties in the countryside, but is very common in areas of habitation and cultivation. Its sociability, aggression and ability to eat just about anything has made it very successful at colonizing land before human habitation. It will eat almost any food: insects, fruit or kitchen scraps, and it is often seen following the plough for earthworms, or with grazing cattle catching insects as they are disturbed. Occasionally it is found in large numbers hunting for insects after the monsoon. It often roosts in very large numbers with other mynas and crows, lighting up the evening and dusk with cackling calls. It has a variety of loud calls, keek-keek-keek; kok-kok-kok; chur-chur-chur, and a harsh, angry warning cry, chake, chake.

BARN SWALLOW

Hirundo rustica

This swallow, previously known as the Common Swallow, is a widespread winter visitor. It breeds in the Himalayas and arrives in our area in the autumn. It is glossy, steel-blue above, and pale pinkish white below. Its forehead and throat are reddish, and a blue-black band separates the throat from the breast. It has the typical, deeply forked swallow tail with long tail streamers. It is a very gregarious bird and can often be seen gathering in large numbers on telephone wires, particularly as migration nears. It can be found in open country near rivers or wetlands, but also in areas of cultivation and habitation. It feeds on winged insects such as midges and gnats, both high in the air and close to the ground or water. Its flight is swift and graceful, and it has great agility in twisting and turning in the air. Its call is a pleasant twittering, and it roosts in large numbers in reed-beds and thickets standing in water.

18cm Winter visitor

25cm Resident

RED-RUMPED SWALLOW

Hirundo daurica

A swallow with glossy deep-blue upperparts, and finely streaked buffish-white underparts. It is reddish-orange on the sides of the neck, nape and rump. The deeply forked tail, prominent in flight, has black undertail-coverts. It is a very sociable bird and can be seen in pairs, but is often in parties and small flocks, hunting insects on the wing, or gathered on telegraph wires. It can be found in areas of open country, cultivation and habitation. It hunts winged insects, chiefly flies and midges, high in the air or close to ground, and often in the company of the Barn Swallow, martins and swifts. Its call is a low-pitched cheer and chirp uttered in flight, and the song is a cheerful, subdued tittering. Its nest is typically retort-shaped and made of mud pellets. The Barn Swallow and Red-rumped Swallow are seen around Keezhnathur and Samudram Eris in Tiruvannamalai.

WHITE-BROWED BULBUL

Pycnonotus luteolus

A rather plain bulbul, lacking a crest or bright markings. Upper parts are olive-green, and the under parts are whitish below. It has a broad white supercilium, and a crescent below the eye. It is a shy bird, usually seen in pairs, and found in dry scrubland and the edges of forests. It can be found in the Park and on the lower slopes of the Hill. It feeds on figs, berries, insects and nectar. Its call is a subdued churr, but the male can utter a sudden and unmistakable, rattling song.

16-17cm Resident

20cm Resident

RED-WHISKERED BULBUL

Pycnonotus jocosus

This bulbul has a tall, pointed black crest, and a red and white cheek patch. Its underparts are white except for a red vent. The upperparts and tail are uniformly brown, but the tail has a white tip. It is found in dry scrubland and the edges of forests, and is more likely to be found in hilly. well-wooded areas than the Red-vented Bulbul. It does visit parks and gardens, and can be seen in the trees and bushes around the Arunagiri Children’s Park. It has a strong but rather slow and jerky flight. It feeds on insects and fruits and berries, and can cause damage to ripening fruit. It utters similar but more musical notes to those of the Red-vented Bulbul.

RED-VENTED BULBUL

Pycnonotus cafer

A perky, earth-brown bulbul with a bright red vent. It has a black head with a partial crest. Its brown plumage has scale-like markings on the breast and back. The white rump is prominent in flight, which is quick and strong, but usually only for short distances. It is one of our most common birds often found near habitation, in lightly wooded country as well as gardens. It is also very gregarious, and can be seen in pairs or small groups. It is one of the most common birds to seen and heard in the Forest Park. It feeds on insects, fruit and berries, vegetables and flower nectar, and can be destructive in fruit and flower gardens. Large numbers of birds can gather to feed in fig trees and on termite swarms. It has no song as such but does utter a cheery peep-peep-peep and has a local sharp alarm call peep. It builds a cup-shaped nest just a few feet off the ground, and often loses eggs and chicks to snakes as the nest is easy to get to.

20cm Resident

20cm Resident

YELLOW-THROATED BULBUL

Pycnonotus xantholaemus

A rather plain, yellow and grey bulbul that lacks a crest. It has a bright yellow throat, with yellow undertail-coverts and tip of the tail. It can be found in areas of thorny scrub and trees, usually in stony hills, such as the lower slopes of the Hill. It is a shy and restless skulker, and feeds on berries and insects. Its call resembles that of the Red-vented Bulbul with which it is sometimes found. Its nest is a shallow cup of coarse twigs, bound together with cobwebs and lined with fine fibres.

GREY-BREASTED PRINIA

Prinia hodgsonii

It is a wren-warbler belonging to the family of small passerine birds and a resident breeder in the Indian subcontinent. Like other prinias it often holds its longish grey tail upright but it is easily identified by a smoky grey band across the breast which contrasts with a white throat. The beak is black, the eye ring orange and the legs are pink. Its tail feathers are tipped in white. The underparts are buff white and the grey breast band contrasts with the white throat in the breeding season. It has a rufous wing panel and the upperparts are smoky grey during the breeding season and olive brown in the non-breeding period. This bird is typically found in open woodland, scrub jungle, bushes and hedgerows amidst cultivation. It is also found in bamboo jungle, mangrove swamps and reeds. It feeds mainly on insects like ants, small beetles and caterpillars and also on nectar from blossoms of trees like Erythrina and Bombax. During summer its forehead is sometimes sprinkled with pollen giving it an orange or yellowish head that can lead to mistaken identification. Usually found in pairs or small groups, it sometimes forms parties of five or more (up to twenty) individuals. It jerks its tail as it flits between branches. In the breeding season the male sings from a high perch and also performs aerobatic maneuvers while rising and falling before diving with song notes. The song is a squeaky series of calls: chiwee-chiwee-chiwi-chip-chip-chip (or yousee-yousee-yousee-which-which-which-which). The nest is a cup of grass placed between leaves that are sewn together with cobwebs and resembles the nest of the Common Tailorbird but tends to be placed closer to the ground. The typical clutch consists of three or four eggs. The eggs vary in colour and they can be glossy blue, pinkish white, greenish-blue or even pure white. Both parents incubate the eggs which hatch after about ten to eleven days. More than one brood may be raised in a season.

11 cm Resident/Local Migrant

20cm Resident

JUNGLE PRINIA

Prinia sylvatica

An earthy-brown warbler, with stout, slightly curved bill. Its upperparts, wings and tail are all a similar brown colour, with just the longish tail tipped white. Its underparts are creamy-white, with a white throat, lores and narrow supercilium. It is found in areas of dry scrub with low bushes and coarse grass, and it is usually seen in pairs or small groups, often with other warblers. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its song is a loud triple note, pit-pretty, pit-pretty, repeated frequently. Its nest is a round ball of grass, strengthened with cobwebs, and placed in a low bush or clump of grass.

13cm Resident

PLAIN PRINIA

Prinia inornata

The breeding adult bird is grey-brown above, and buff-white below. It has a short, pale supercilium. The non-breeding bird is wholly reddish-brown and the tail is longer. It is commonly seen in pairs, in open scrub-and-grass country, reed beds, and in garden shrubbery. It hops about quietly amongst bushes, shaking its tail loosely up and down. It feeds on insects and flower nectar. Its call is a plaintive tee-tee-tee, but it also utters a kink, kink or chi-up repeated many times. Its song is a rapid tlick-tlick-tlick… sustained for ten seconds or more. Its nest is a pear-shaped pouch of woven grass strips slung between upright stems of grass.

ASHY PRINIA

Prinia socialis

The breeding adult bird has slate-grey crown, ear-coverts and mantle. The rest of the upperparts are reddish-brown, and the underparts are buff-white. In non-breeding plumage, the mantle becomes brown, like the wings, and a short white supercilium appears. It is usually seen in pairs. It is found in garden shrubbery, reeds bordering streams, and moist grassland and scrub where it feeds on insects. It has similar behaviour to that of the Plain Prinia. During the breeding season the males warble excitedly from exposed perches.

13cm Resident

13cm Resident

BLYTH’S REED WARBLER

Acrocephalus dumetorum

It is a common winter visitor between September and April. Like many of the warblers it is olive-brown above and buff below, with a white throat. Distinguishing features include a long, slim bill and a pale supercilium which does not extend behind the eye. It can be found in bushes and trees at the edges of forests, in areas of woodland and cultivation, and is usually alone, hopping and creeping about through bushes. It can be difficult to spot, but it does have a distinctive call, a single, harsh chuk every few seconds as it searches for insects. It has been seen around the Keezhnathur and Samudram Eris in Tiruvannamalai.

BOOTED WARBLER

Hippolais caligata

A sparrow-sized warbler which has pale olive-brown upper-parts and is buffish white below. It has a short, whitish supercilium, and a short, pointed bill, a common and widespread winter visitor. It is usually found in dry areas with plentiful bushes and scrub, and can be seen singly or in small flocks. It feeds on insects and often forages among the leaves and flowers of the Acacia and Prosopis plants for its prey. Its call is a harsh chuck…..chuck or chur…..chur. It has also been seen in the shrubs around Keezhnathur and Samudram Eris.

14cm Winter visitor

12cm Winter visitor

GREENISH WARBLER

Phylloscopus trochiloides

A rather plain warbler that breeds in the Himalayas and hills of NE India, and is a widespread winter visitor. Its upperparts are dull green, with one or two whitish wing-bars. The pale underparts are greyish, often with yellow wash to the breast, belly and under-tail-coverts. It has a prominent whitish or yellowish supercilium and a dark eye-stripe. In the winter, it frequents well-wooded areas such as Acacia groves and open forest, but it may also be found in gardens. It feeds on insects including caterpillars, either singly or in the company of other small insectivorous birds. Its call, whilst foraging, is a loud but squeaky chiwee.

LESSER WHITETHROAT

Sylvia curruca

This bird has been seen in Nedungavadi. It is a small warbler species with a grey back, whitish underparts, a grey head with a darker “bandit mask” through the eyes, and a white throat. It is slightly smaller than the whitethroat, and lacks the chestnut wings and uniform head-face colour of that species. The lesser whitethroat’s song is a fast and rattling sequence of tet or che calls, quite different from the whitethroat’s scolding song. This small passerine bird (three toes pointing forward and one back, which facilitates perching) is hard to see and often only noticed when it gives its harsh, rattling song, or ‘tacking’ call. It breeds in temperate Europe, and in western and central Asia. Strongly migratory, it winters in Africa just south of the Sahara, in Arabia and in India. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous in spring and summer, but will also take berries and other soft fruit in autumn to build up its fat reserves before migration. This is a bird of fairly open country and cultivation and prefers large bushes for nesting. 3–7 eggs are laid. Unlike many typical warblers, the sexes are almost identical.

11.5 – 13.5 cm Winter Visitor

10-11cm Winter visitor

COMMON TAILORBIRD

Orthotomus sutorius

A small, olive-green bird with whitish underparts, a rust coloured crown, and a jauntily cocked tail. The sexes are alike, although the breeding male has two elongated, pointed feathers in the tail. It is usually seen alone or in pairs. It is found at the edges of forests and cultivation, but is equally at home in scrub and garden shrubbery in busy towns. It is a restless bird and appears quite fearless around occupied houses and gardens, hopping around in trellised creepers and potted plants. It feeds on small insects, their eggs and grubs, and flower nectar. Its call is a loud, cheerful towit-towit-towit or pretty-pretty-pretty, and is often heard in gardens. It lays its eggs in a cup of soft fibres, wool and down placed in a funnel made of plant leaves cleverly stitched together – hence its name.

TAWNY-BELLIED BABBLER

Dumetia hyperythra

A small babbler found in areas of lightly wooded thorny scrub and tall grass, it can be seen on the lower slopes of the Hill. It has olive-brown upperparts with a rufous-brown crown and forehead. The underparts are orange-buff in colour. It is usually seen in active flocks of 5 to 10 birds hopping around restlessly on the ground and in the undergrowth. It feeds mainly on insects and larvae, but also nectar. The birds keep in touch by means of feeble but sharp cheeping calls sweech, sweech, but when alarmed they utter harsh tittering notes and scatter into thicket.

13cm Resident

13cm Resident

YELLOW-EYED BABBLER

Chrysomma sinense

A medium-sized babbler with a prominent orange-yellow ring around the eye. It is mainly cinnamon and chestnut-brown in colour, but white underparts extend from the breast up to the throat, chin and to the front of the eye. It can be found in areas of thorn scrub and grass, often in the land between cultivation, but because of its secretive nature, it is rarely seen. The most likely place to find it is around the lower slopes of the Hill, where it may be seen hunting in small flocks in the scrub and grass undergrowth, feeding mainly on spiders, insects, caterpillars but also berries and nectar. It is a great skulker, and when alarmed will hop away through the undergrowth, disappearing uttering harsh tittering notes. Its flight is rather jerky and weak. In the breeding season the male will deliver a long and pretty song from the tops of bushes.

Tawny-bellied

Babbler

18cm Resident

COMMON BABBLER

Turdoides caudatus

A slim, earthy brown bird, and one of the larger babblers. It has dark streaks extending from the crown to the mantle and the back, whilst the underparts are paler, with a whitish throat and central breast. Its long, graduated tail has fine cross markings, and its legs and feet are yellowish in colour. It can be found in dry, open country with thorn scrub and shrubby vegetation, cultivated areas and gardens. It is usually seen in flocks of 6 or more birds. The small groups of birds feed on the ground and scuttle along through scrub and thicket, feeding on insects, berries, grain and nectar. Its flight is weak, and it is rather reluctant to fly. Its call is a series of short trilling whistles, but when agitated it will utter a musical whistling which-which-which-ri-ri-ri-ri-ri whilst twitching its wings and tail, and hopping from bush to bush. The Pied Cuckoo and the Hawk Cuckoo both lay their eggs in the Common Babbler’s nest, and the nestlings, including the foster cuckoos, are cared for by the larger community of adult birds. It roosts in groups that form a tightly packed row on a favourite branch, all facing the same way. Although its name implies otherwise, this bird is not common in South India and is rarely seen.

LARGE GREY BABBLER

Turdoides malcolmi

A pale grey bird with pinkish-grey throat and breast, pale grey forehead and dark grey lores. It has a long, graduated tail with whitish outer feathers that are prominent in flight and when the tail is spread. It is very gregarious and is usually seen in groups or large flocks, often hopping about on the ground, looking for food under leaves and other vegetation. It is found in areas of open, dry scrub and cultivated country dotted with trees. It feeds mainly on insects, but also on grain, seeds and berries. Its call is a loud kay, kay, kay, kay, repeated by several birds at the same time. The Pied Cuckoo often lays its eggs in the nests of the Large Grey Babbler, and the nestlings, including the foster cuckoos, are cared for by the larger community of adult birds.

23cm Resident

23cm Resident

YELLOW-BILLED BABBLER

Turdoides affinis

A common Babbler in the area. Its creamy-white crown contrasts with the dark ear-coverts. Its throat and breast are mottled with dark-grey spots. The rump and tail-base are paler than the rest of the tail. Its bill is more yellow than that of other Babblers. It is usually seen in family groups, and in common with other Babblers, nest-building and rearing of young is communal and co-operative. It is found in scrub, orchards, gardens and habitation. It feeds on insects, vegetable matter, and occasionally small animals. Its call is a distinctive, sharp, musical trill tri ri ri.

23cm Resident

JERDON’S BUSH LARK

Mirafra affinis

This small rufous-brown bird has been spotted in relatively dry open spaces in different places in Tiruvannamalai including the Forest Park, Paurnami Nagar, the space opposite Marudam School, and has been seen in areas around Keezhnathur Eri. The large rufous or chestnut patch in the wings is prominently seen when it flies. Both sexes look alike. It prefers cultivated areas, sparse stony scrub and bush jungle and fallow land. Seen singly or in pairs or small loose groups, it runs about quietly on the ground or perches on bushes, rocks, fence-posts or high up in leafless trees. It feeds mainly on grass and weed seeds, and weevils, tiny beetles and other insects. What marks this bird apart is its spectacular song and display during the breeding season. From an elevated perch, the male suddenly flutters vertically up in the air for 10 m or so uttering a soft sweer-sweer-sweer followed by a squeaky wise- wise- wise … getting slower and fainter and fading off. Then the bird floats down in spirals or zigzags, or parachutes down vertically back to the same or nearby perch with its wings held straight up in a wide V above the back and with its legs dangling below. If there is a strong breeze the bird may actually be blown about. The entire performance lasts 20 seconds and is repeated every few minutes during the entire day and even at night during the breeding season which is between December and May in the South. If disturbed from its nest it performs the ‘broken-wing distraction display’, fluttering and dragging on the ground near the intruder.

15 cm Resident

ASHY-CROWNED SPARROW LARK

Eremopterix grisea

A small, squat thick-billed lark. The male has sandy grey upperparts and black underparts which extend around the neck and above the eye. As its name suggests, its crown is ashy-grey, but the cheeks are whitish. The female is rather like the female House Sparrow with dark grey underwing-coverts. It is found in areas of open, dry scrub and dry cultivation. It is usually seen in pairs or small flocks. It squats close to the ground and shuffles along in zigzag sprints in search of food – seeds and insects. The male has a remarkable flight display in which it shoots up 30 metres into the air with quivering wings, and then nosedives straight down with wings pulled back. It then turns about, to face the sky, and shoots up again a few metres, before reversing and repeating the nosedive. Eventually it nears the ground and comes to rest on a stone or clod of earth. The flight is accompanied by a pleasant little wheeching song. Its nest is a saucer-like depression in the ground lined with grasses, hair and feathers.

RUFOUS-TAILED LARK

Ammomanes phoenicurus

A squat, stout-billed lark, with dusky grey-brown upperparts and dull rufous-brown underparts. It has prominent dark streaks on the throat and breast. The uppertail-coverts are rufous, as is the tail which has a dark terminal bar. It is found in areas of dry, open scrub and cultivation. It zigzags along the ground in search of food - seeds, grain and insects – rapidly flicking its wings open to disturb insects hiding in the earth. It has an aerial display similar to that of the Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark, during which it utters pleasant, lively notes. It nests in a bank or on the ground of a freshly ploughed field. The nest is padded with soft grass and lined with pebbles, bits of wood and other rubbish.

12 cm Resident

16 cm Resident

ORIENTAL SKYLARK

Alauda gulgula

Spotted in Nedungavadi, this bird is brown above; each feather is centered blackish and edged tawny and it has an indistinct tuft on the crown. The belly is rufous, faintly streaked and the breast has blackish spots. It inhabits dark, grassy tank margins, rolling downs, grassy rounded hilltops, cultivation, and dry paddy stubbles in coastal and backwater areas. It feeds on weed seeds, tiny root bulbs and insects. Often there is grit present in its stomach. This bird is found in twos or threes or small scattered parties, running about on grassland in short spurts with the typical crouching gait of larks. It has a remarkably lively, beautiful and sustained aerial song which it often performs after soaring vertically up to a great height while remaining hovering on vibrating wings. After pouring out an unbroken melodious warbling, it descends again in stages back to its perch. Its call may sometimes include mimicry of the calls of numerous other birds.

THICK-BILLED FLOWERPECKER

Dicaeum agile

This bird, seen in the Forest Park, is olive-grey above with a greenish rump and a narrow white terminal band on its stumpy tail (which it has a habit of twitching from side to side). It is greyish white below and faintly streaked with brown on the breast. It has a short, thick, and bluish, almost finch-like bill, and distinct orange-red eyes. It is usually seen in large flowering or fruiting trees and shrubs (especially those infested with plant parasites) in a variety of bio-regions, including dry to moist deciduous or semi-evergreen forest, and also in cultivated country and orchards, groves and gardens. This bird is seen singly or in pairs, hopping restlessly among foliage, carefully searching petioles or the undersides of its leaves, or flying from one plant’s parasite clump to another. It feeds chiefly on figs and berries as well as nectar from flowers of Bombax, Erythrina and Madhuca indica. Spiders and other insects are also included in its diet. Its call is a metallic chik, chik, chik... While calling, it spreads out its tail and twists it from side to side. The breeding season is overall between January and June. The nest is a hanging oval purse about 10 cm long and clearly exposed usually, near the tip of a bare twig though it often looks like a rolled-up dry leaf and is difficult to notice. There are normally 3 eggs and the nesting process is shared by both parents.

10 cm Resident

17 cm Resident

PALE-BILLED FLOWERPECKER

Dicaeum erythrorhynchos

A very small bird, previously called Tickell’s Flowerpecker. It is olive-brown above and pale grey below. As its name suggests it has a pale bill that is short and slightly curved. It can be found in orchards, forest plantations and woodland near villages, and it can also be seen in the the Park. It feeds mainly on the berries of plant parasites of the mistletoe family, and spreads the infestation by excreting the sticky seeds onto other branches and other trees. It utters a sharp chick-chick-chick as it flies from one clump of mistletoe to another.

8cm Resident

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Purple Sunbird, male and female

Loten’s Sunbird, female

PURPLE-RUMPED SUNBIRD

Nectarinia zeylonica

This is a common and widespread sunbird, found in areas of woodland and cultivation, including gardens. It can also be seen on the lower slopes of the Hill. The male has a crown that is bright metallic green, with a maroon face, neck, back and breast band. Its throat and rump are both bright purple, and the underparts are yellow and white. Its dark bill is of medium length and curved at the tip. The female is similar to the Purple Sunbird female but with a greyish-white throat, yellow breast and whitish flanks. It is usually seen in pairs, feeding on nectar. The male’s song, tityou, tityou, tityou, trr-r-rtit is sung from a perch while the bird moves from side to side, opening and closing its wings.

PURPLE SUNBIRD

Nectarinia asiatica

A common and widespread sunbird. It can be found in areas of light forest, open woodland, scrub and gardens, and it can be seen on the lower slopes of the Hill. The breeding male is dark metallic purple and blue, and can look black from a distance. Its non-breeding plumage is similar to that of the female: olive-brown above and pale yellow below, but it has darker wings and a broad blue-black stripe down the middle of the breast. Often seen in pairs feeding on flower nectar in gardens, and rough, untended ground around houses. It also feeds on insects and spiders. It seems not to be disturbed by human presence and will nest very close to and actually inside houses and other buildings. Its call is short, sharp, wich, wich uttered as it flits about. The breeding male sings from exposed perches, cheewit-cheewit-cheewit, whilst raising and lowering its wings to display the brilliant yellow and red tufts of feathers under the wings.

LOTEN’S SUNBIRD

Nectarinia lotenia

A sparrow-sized bird, with a longer and more deeply curved bill than any other sunbird. The male’s plumage has a distinctive purple and green sheen on the upperparts, throat and breast. It also has conspicuous bright yellow tufts on the sides of the breast. The female is much less colourful with a dull olive and yellow plumage. It is usually found in well-wooded, open countryside with plenty of flowering bushes and trees, and can be seen on the lower slopes of the Hill. It is often seen in pairs flitting from flower to flower in search of nectar, as well as spiders and insects. Its call is a sharp chit, and the song, a quickly repeated cheewit, cheewit, cheewit. Its nest is an oval pouch made of fine fibres and other materials, and with a protective porch.

10cm Resident

10cm Resident

13cm Resident

HOUSE SPARROW

Passer domesticus

A very familiar bird, and closely associated with human habitation. The male has a grey crown; black throat and upper breast; chestnut nape, and brownish mantle. The female has a buff supercilium, and is ashy grey-brown above, and ashy white below. It is a sociable, noisy bird, sometimes collecting in large flocks and roosting in villages and towns. It will feed on almost anything: grain, insects, fruit buds, flower nectar and kitchen scraps. Its call consists of well known chirping notes. Breeding males also utter loud tsi, tsi, tsi or cheer, cheer, cheer, whilst displaying with fluffed out feathers, drooping wings and cocked tail.

CHESTNUT-SHOULDERED PETRONIA

Petronia xanthocollis

The male is a pale earth-brown sparrow with a chestnut shoulder patch, two prominent white wing-bars, and a small lemon-yellow patch on throat. Most females lack the yellow throat, and have paler shoulder patches and buff wing-bars. It is usually seen in pairs or flocks (particularly in winter) in open scrub and light deciduous woodland, often close to towns and villages. It feeds on grains and grass seeds in stubble fields, but will also eat berries, flower nectar, moths and other insects. Its call of chirping notes is similar to that of the House Sparrow. It used to be known as the Yellow-throated Sparrow and is known to have triggered the legendary Salim Ali’s interest in birds.

31.5cm Resident

15cm Resident

FOREST WAGTAIL

Dendronanthus indicus

The only wagtail likely to be found in forests. It has predominantly olive-brown upperparts and whitish underparts, with two black bands across the breast. Its black wings have two prominent yellowish wing-bars, and the dark brown tail has white edges. As a winter visitor it arrives in September or October and leaves from the end of March to early May. It is found in deciduous and evergreen forests, and can be seen in the Forest Park and other areas at the foot of the Hill where there is dense undergrowth. It is usually solitary, and can be found searching for food, insects and spiders, on paths and clearings in the forest. When disturbed it will often walk away from humans rather than fly, and even when it does fly, it tends to be a short flight after which it again keeps walking away. Its call is a distinctive pink or pink, pink.

WHITE-BROWED WAGTAIL

Motacilla maderaspatensis

A large black-and-white wagtail. Its head is black with a prominent white supercilium. The breast and mantle are also black, the underparts are white. The female has similar markings but the black can be duller and browner. It can be found at streams and other wetlands, but also in areas of habitation away from water. It is often seen in pairs or family groups. The tail is characteristically and continuously wagged up and down, and it runs about chasing tiny insects, turning and twisting in pursuit, often springing up to catch winged insects. It has a number of loud whistling calls, and during the breeding season the male can be seen singing from the top of a rock or a house-top.

18cm Winter visitor

21cm Resident

YELLOW WAGTAIL

Motacilla flava

A slim, lively wagtail with olive-green upper-parts and yellow below. It is a winter visitor that can be seen running about in pasture land and marshy fields. It feeds on insects which it picks up from the ground or from water, and occasionally it springs into the air to catch its prey. It flies in undulating curves, a few quick flaps of the wings followed by a pause, and accompanied by its distinctive weesp call. It roosts in large numbers in reed-beds and standing crops, forming dense clouds of birds before suddenly disappearing into the vegetation.

GREY WAGTAIL

Motacilla cinerea

An active, slim wagtail. It has grey upperparts, with a yellow rump and a white supercilium. The underparts are predominately yellow, with white on the throat and belly. The dark tail is longer than that of other wagtails. It breeds by mountain streams in the north of India, and is a widespread visitor in winter, when it can be found by slower streams in both lowlands and foothills. It can also be seen at other wetlands and has been sighted with the White-browed Wagtail and the Yellow Wagtail at Keezhnathur Eri. It feeds on tiny insects which it chases, running about briskly, turning and twisting in pursuit, and often springing up in the air to capture the insects in flight. Its tail is wagged up and down continuously, and its flight is a series of long, undulating curves. Its call is a sharp chicheep, chicheep, chicheep uttered on the wing.

18cm Winter visitor

19cm Winter visitor

PADDYFIELD PIPIT

Anthus rufulus

A small, rather plain Pipit, but one of the commonest. Its upperparts are streaked with grey, and the paler underparts are similarly streaked on the throat and breast. It has a slender bill, and white edging to the tail. It can be found on open country, both fallow and grazing land, and grass covered, stony hills. It is usually seen in pairs or small parties, feeding on weevils and other small insects. It runs about briskly in spurts, and wags its tail up and down (much more slowly than a Wagtail). Its flight is undulating and rather weak, accompanied by a distinctive pipit, pipit’or tseep, tseep.

TREE PIPIT

Anthus trivialis

Spotted in Nedungavadi, this winter visitor is commonly found in cultivated areas, stubble fields and open forest. Its upperparts are pale or greyish brown streaked with darker brown. The underparts are whitish to pale brown with dark brown streaks on the breast and flanks. It is seen singly or in pairs in summer and in small flocks in winter. It feeds on the ground wagging its tail up and down (though not as much as a wagtail) and its food consists of insects, and grass and weed seeds. Just before their migration, they often feed on nectar from flowers of Erythrina suberosa in order to store up fat. When disturbed it flies up into the branches of trees with a wagtail-like undulating flight. It is a very silent bird in winter though an occasional tseep may be heard.

15 cm Winter Visitor

15 cm Resident

BAYA WEAVER

Ploceus philippinus

The breeding male has a bright yellow crown and breast. Its upperparts are dark brown streaked with yellow. The ear-coverts and throat are pale, and the underparts creamy buff. It has a stout conical bill, and a short square-cut tail. The female, and non-breeding male, is dark streaky brown above, plain whitish below. It can be seen in flocks (sometimes of considerable size) in tall grass in areas of open cultivation, and also in reed-beds where it roosts in large numbers. It feeds on rice and other grain, and larger flocks can cause serious damage to crops. Its call is a sparrow-like chit-chit-chit, which breeding males follow up with a long joyous chee-e, often uttered in chorus whilst weaving their nests in a colony. Each nest is a hanging, retort-shaped structure with long vertical downward pointing entrance. It is woven from leaf and grass, suspended from the branches of trees or bushes, usually over water, or around wells in villages. Nests have even been seen hanging from electric fences. This bird is seen around Keezhnathur Eri in Tiruvannamalai.

INDIAN SILVERBILL

Lonchura malabarica

A rather plain, buff finch with a pointed black tail and a thick bill. Its underparts are whitish with buff barring on the flanks. The rump and uppertail-coverts are white. It can be found in parties or flocks in dry, open scrub, grassland and areas of dry cultivation. Like the Munias, to which it is related, it feeds on grass and other seeds, flies in disorderly, undulating flocks, and has a call which is a rather feeble ‘cheep’.

11-11.5cm Resident

15cm Resident

WHITE-RUMPED MUNIA

Lonchura striata

A black and white bird with a heavy bluish conical bill and wedge-shaped tail. It has a black throat and breast, and a creamy white belly. Its upperparts are dark brown except for the white rump, which with the white belly, is prominent in flight. It is most often seen in family parties or larger flocks in open cultivated areas. It is very like other Munias in its feeding habits, its flight and its call. Its nest is also typical of the species being a large, untidy ball of feathery, flowering grasses, with a lateral entrance like a short tube or tunnel. Munias sometimes use their nests as family dormitories long after young have fledged.

SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA

Lonchura punctulata

The adult bird has chocolate-brown upperparts including throat and upper breast; and whitish underparts with prominent dark scaling. It has a dark bill which is short, heavy and conical. It is almost always seen in small family groups or flocks, which can be large. It is found in areas of forest, scrub and bushes, and cultivation. In flight they form the disorderly, close-packed, undulating flock typical of all Munia. It feeds mainly on grass seeds, but also termites. Its call is a feeble chirrup uttered when it is disturbed.

10.7-12cm Resident

10-11cm Resident

BLACK-HEADED MUNIA

Lonchura malacca

The adult bird has reddish-brown upperparts, with a black head, neck and upper breast. The lower breast and flanks are white, with black belly and undertail-coverts. The bill is paler than that of the Scaly-breasted Munia. It is usually found in swampy low-lying areas with grass and reeds, and wet paddy fields, but otherwise, its habits, food and call are typical of the other Munias. This bird along with the White-rumped Munia and Scaly-breasted Munia is seen around Keezhnathur Eri.

18–20 cm Winter migrant

11.5cm Resident

21 cm Resident / Local migrant

10 –12 cm Local migrant

36 – 43 cm Resident/Local migrant

Photo by Krishna Mohan

14 cm Winter visitor

20 cm Local migrant

female

Photo by Aravind Venkatraman

Index of Common Names

B

Babbler, Common 135

Babbler, Large Grey 135

Babbler, Tawny-bellied 133

Babbler, Yellow-billed 136

Babbler, Yellow-eyed 134

Barbet, Coppersmith 33

Bee-Eater, Blue-tailed 39

Bee-Eater, Chestnut-headed 39

Bee-Eater, Green 39

Bittern, Black 96

Bittern, Cinnamon 95

Bittern, Yellow 94

Bulbul, Red-vented 127

Bulbul, Red-whiskered 127

Bulbul, Yellow-throated 128

Bulbul, White-browed 126

Bushchat, Pied 123

Buttonquail, Barred 23

Buzzard, White-eyed 81

Buzzard, Oriental-honey 78

C

Cisticola, Zitting 151

Coot, Common 60

Cormorant, Great 87

Cormorant, Indian 87

Cormorant, Little 86

Coucal, Southern 45

Crake, Ruddy-breasted 59

Crow, House 105

Crow, Large-billed 105

Cuckoo, Common Hawk 40

Cuckoo, Grey-bellied 42

Cuckoo, Indian 42

Cuckoo, Lesser 41

Cuckoo, Pied 40

Cuckooshrike, Black-headed 108

Cuckooshrike, Large 108

D

Darter, Oriental 84

Dove, Eurasian Collared 57

Dove, Laughing 57

Dove, Red Collared 58

Dove, Spotted 56

Drongo, Ashy 111

Drongo, Black 111

Drongo, Greater Racket-tailed 113

Drongo, Spangled 112

Drongo, White-bellied 112

Duck, Lesser Whistling 25

Duck, Spot-billed 26

E

Eagle, Black 76

Eagle, Bonelli’s 79

Eagle, Booted 80

Eagle, Crested Serpent 75

Eagle, Indian Spotted 79

Eagle, Short-toed Snake 74

Egret, Cattle 90

Egret, Great 89

Egret, Intermediate 89

Egret, Little 88

Egret, Western Reef 88

F

Falcon, Red-necked 82

Fantail, White-browed 110

Flameback, Black-rumped 32

Flowerpecker, Pale-billed 140

Flowerpecker, Thick-billed 139

Flycatcher, Asian Brown 118

Flycatcher, Asian Paradise 117

Flycatcher, Blue-throated 119

Flycatcher, Brown-breasted 118

Flycatcher, Rusty-tailed 153

Flycatcher, Verditer 119

Francolin, Grey 21

G

Garganey 27

Goose, Bar-headed 25

Grebe, Little 84

Greenshank, Common 63

Gull, Black-headed 70

H

Heron, Black-crowned Night 94

Heron, Grey 92

Heron, Indian Pond 91

Heron, Little 90

Heron, Purple 93

Hoopoe, Common 35

I

Ibis, Black-headed 97

Ibis, Glossy 97

Iora, Common 114

J

Jacana, Pheasant-tailed 68

K

Kestrel, Common 81

Kingfisher, Common 36

Kingfisher, Pied 37

Kingfisher, White-throated 36

Kite, Black 73

Kite, Black-winged 72

Kite, Brahminy 74

Koel, Asian 43

L

Lapwing, Grey-headed 70

Lapwing, Red-wattled 69

Lapwing, Yellow-wattled 69

Lark, Ashy-crowned Sparrow 138

Lark, Jerdon’s Bush 137

Lark, Rufous-tailed 138

Leafbird, Jerdon’s 154

M

Malkoha, Blue-faced 44

Malkoha, Sirkeer 44

Minivet, Small 109

Moorhen, Common 60

Munia, Black-headed 150

Munia, Scaly-breasted 149

Munia, White-rumped 149

Myna, Common 125

N

Nightjar, Indian 54

O

Openbill, Asian 100

Oriole, Eurasian Golden 107

Osprey 72

Owl, Barn 49

Owl, Brown Fish 51

Owl, Collared Scops 49

Owl, Eurasian Eagle 50

Owl, Mottled Wood 52

Owlet, Spotted 53

P

Painted-snipe, Greater 66

Parakeet, Plum-headed 47

Parakeet, Rose-ringed 46

Peafowl, Indian 24

Pelican, Spot-billed 99

Petronia, Chestnut-Shouldered 144

Pigeon, Rock 56

Pintail, Northern 28

Pipit, Paddyfield 147

Pipit, Tree 147

Pitta, Indian 102

Plover, Little Ringed 68

Prinia, Ashy 130

Prinia, Grey-breasted 128

Prinia, Jungle 129

Prinia, Plain 130

Q

Quail, Jungle Bush 22

R

Redshank, Common 62

Redstart, Black 122

Robin, Indian 122

Robin, Indian Blue 120

Robin, Oriental Magpie 120

Roller, Indian 35

S

Sandgrouse, Chestnut-bellied 61

Sandpiper, Common 65

Sandpiper, Green 64

Sandpiper, Marsh 63

Sandpiper, Wood 64

Shama, White-rumped 121

Shikra 77

Shoveler, Northern 28

Shrike, Bay-backed 103

Shrike, Brown 102

Shrike, Long-tailed 103

Silverbill, Indian 148

Skylark, Oriental 139

Snipe, Common 62

Sparrow, House 144

Spoonbill, Eurasian 98

Spurfowl, Painted 22

Starling, Chestnut-tailed 151

Starling, Brahminy 123

Starling, Rosy 124

Stilt, Black-winged 67

Stint, Little 65

Stint, Temminck’s 66

Stork, Painted 99

Stork, Woolly-necked 101

Sunbird, Loten’s 143

Sunbird, Purple 143

Sunbird, Purple-rumped 143

Swallow, Barn 125

Swallow, Red-rumped 126

Swamphen, Purple 59

Swift, Asian Palm 48

Swift, Little 48

T

Tailorbird, Common 133

Teal, Common 26

Tern, River 71

Tern, Whiskered 71

Thick-knee, Eurasian 67

Thrush, Blue Rock 115

Thrush, Orange-headed 116

Treepie, Rufous 104

W

Wagtail, Forest 145

Wagtail, Grey 146

Wagtail, White-browed 145

Wagtail, Yellow 146

Warbler, Clamorous Reed 150

Warbler, Blyth’s Reed 131

Warbler, Booted 131

Warbler, Greenish 132

Water Cock 152

Waterhen, White-breasted 58

Weaver, Baya 148

Whitethroat, Lesser 132

Wigeon, Eurasian 83

Woodpecker, Brown-capped Pygmy 30

Woodpecker, White-naped 32

Woodpecker, Yellow-crowned 31

Woodshrike, Common 114

Woodswallow, Ashy 106

Wryneck, Eurasian 29

A

Accipiter badius 77

Acridotheres tristis 125

Acrocephalus dumetorum 131

Acrocephalus stentoreus 150

Actitis hypoleucos 65

Aegithina tiphia 114

Alauda gulgula 139

Alcedo atthis 36

Amaurornis phoenicurus 58

Ammomanes phoenicurus 138

Anas acuta 28

Anas clypeata 28

Anas crecca 26

Anas penelope 83

Anas poecilorhyncha 26

Anas querquedula 27

Anastomus oscitans 100

Anhinga melanogaster 84

Anser indicus 25

Anthus rufulus 147

Anthus trivialis 147

Apus affinis 48

Aquila pomarina 79

Ardea cinerea 92

Ardea intermedia 89

Ardea purpurea 93

Ardeola grayii 91

Artamus fuscus 106

Athene brama 53

B

Bubo bubo 50

Bubulcus ibis 90

Burhinus oedicnemus 67

Butastur teesa 81

Butorides striata 90

C

Cacomantis passerinus 42

Calidris minuta 65

Calidris temminckii 66

Caprimulgus asiaticus 54

Casmerodius albus 89

Centropus sinensis 45

Ceryle rudis 37

Charadrius dubius 68

Chlidonias hybridus 71

Chloropsis jerdoni 154

Chrysocolaptes festivus 32

Chrysomma sinense 134

Ciconia episcopus 101

Circaetus gallicus 74

Cisticola juncidis 151

Clamator jacobinus 40

Clanga hastata 79

Columba livia 56

Copsychus malabaricus 121

Copsychus saularis 120

Coracias benghalensis 35

Coracina macei 108

Coracina melanoptera 108

Corvus macrorhynchos 105

Corvus splendens 105

Cuculus micropterus 42

Cuculus poliocephalus 41

Cyornis rubeculoides 119

Cypsiurus balasiensis 48

D

Dendrocitta vagabunda 104

Dendrocopos mahrattensis 31

Dendrocopos nanus 30

Dendrocygna javanica 25

Dendronanthus indicus 145

Dicaeum agile 139

Dicaeum erythrorynchos 140

Dicrurus caerulescens 112

Dicrurus hottentottus 112

Dicrurus leucophaeus 111

Dicrurus macrocercus 111

Dicrurus paradiseus 113

Dinopium benghalense 32

Dumetia hyperythra 133

E

Egretta garzetta 88

Egretta gularis 88

Elanus caeruleus 72

Eremopterix grisea 138

Eudynamys scolopacea 43

Eumyias thalassina 119

F

Falco chicquera 82

Falco tinnunculus 81

Francolinus pondicerianus 21

Fulica atra 60

G

Gallicrex cinerea 152

Gallinago gallinago 62

Gallinula chloropus 60

Galloperdix lunulata 22

H

Halcyon smyrnensis 36

Haliastur indus 74

Hieraaetus fasciatus 79

Hieraaetus pennatus 80

Hierococcyx varius 40

Himantopus himantopus 67

Hippolais caligata 131

Hirundo daurica 126

Hirundo rustica 125

Hydrophasianus chirurgus 68

I

Ictinaetus malayensis 76

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus 95

Ixobrychus flavicollis 96

Ixobrychus sinensis 94

J

Jynx torquilla 29

K

Ketupa zeylonensis 51

L

Lanius cristatus 102

Lanius schach 103

Lanius vittatus 103

Larus ridibundus 70

Lonchura malabarica 148

Lonchura malacca 150

Lonchura punctulata 149

Lonchura striata 149

Luscinia brunnea 120

M

Megalaima haemacephala 33

Merops leschenaulti 39

Merops orientalis 39

Merops philippinus 39

Milvus migrans 73

Mirafra affinis 137

Monticola solitarius 115

Motacilla cinerea 146

Motacilla flava 146

Motacilla maderaspatensis 145

Muscicapa dauurica 118

Muscicapa muttui 118

Muscicapa ruficauda 153

Mycteria leucocephala 99

N

Nectarinia asiatica 143

Nectarinia lotenia 143

Netarinia zeylonica 143

Nycticorax nycticorax 94

O

Oriolus oriolus 107

Orthotomus sutorius 133

Otus bakkamoena 49

P

Pandion haliaetus 72

Passer domesticus 144

Pavo cristatus 24

Pelecanus philippensis 99

Perdicula asiatica 22

Pericrocotus cinnamomeus 109

Pernis ptilorhyncus 78

Petronia xanthocollis 144

Phaenicophaeus leschenaultii 44

Phaenicophaeus viridirostris 44

Phalacrocorax carbo 87

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis 87

Phalacrocorax niger 86

Phoenicurus ochruros 122

Phylloscopus trochiloides 132

Pitta brachyura 102

Platalea leucorodia 98

Plegadis falcinellus 97

Ploceus philippinus 148

Porphyrio porphyrio 59

Porzana fusca 59

Prinia hodgsonii 128

Prinia inornata 130

Prinia socialis 130

Prinia sylvatica 129

Psittacula cyanocephala 47

Psittacula krameri 46

Pterocles exustus Hindustan 61

Pycnonotus cafer 127

Pycnonotus luteolus 126

Pycnonotus jocosus 127

Pycnonotus xantholaemus 128

R

Rhipidura aureola 110

Rostratula benghalensis 66

S

Saxicola caprata 123

Saxicoloides fulicata 122

Spilornis cheela 75

Sterna aurantia 71

Streptopelia chinensis 56

Streptopelia decaocto 57

Streptopelia senegalensis 57

Streptopelia tranquebarica 58

Strix ocellata 52

Sturnus malabaricus 151

Sturnus pagodarum 123

Sturnus roseus 124

Sylvia curruca 132

T

Tachybaptus ruficollis 84

Tephrodornis pondicerianus 114

Terpsiphone paradisi 117

Threskiornis melanocephalus 97

Tringa glareola 64

Tringa nebularia 63

Tringa ochropus 64

Tringa stagnatilis 63

Tringa totanus 62

Turdoides affinis 136

Turdoides caudatus 135

Turdoides malcolmi 135

Turnix suscitator 23

Tyto alba 49

U

Upupa epops 35

V

Vanellus cinereus 70

Vanellus indicus 69

Vanellus malarbaricus 69

Z

Zoothera citrina 116

Zoothera citrina cyanotus 116

Index of Scientific Names