My Science School

          What if a bird has a long, thin, snake-like neck that can be pushed swiftly into the water and emerge with a fish in its beak? Well, the Indian darter has this!

          The darter is a black water-bird with a narrow head and pointed, dagger-like bill that can grab a fish very quickly. 

          To do this they swim in water with only the neck exposed, sinking slowly to dive. And when a fish is caught, like a performing artist, this bird tosses the fish in air, and lets it end up in its mouth head-first.

          Darters usually live singly or in small loose parties along with other bird species like egrets, storks etc. Since they prefer to have a life mostly in water, they are found in lakes, reservoirs, rivers or tidal estuaries.

          Although these are water-birds, their feathers are not completely water-proof. So they have a notable habit of sitting on ground, posts or dead trees with their wings spread wide open to dry.

          In some North-eastern regions of India, tribal people use these birds to capture fish from waters. 

          Have you ever seen a duck whistling at a high pitch? That will be quite an unexpected spectacle, right? That is what makes the lesser whistling duck, also called the lesser whistling teal, a unique kind of duck.

          This duck is smaller than a spot billed duck and are found on ponds and lakes. They may also inhabit marshlands where they can feed on water plants.

          Lesser whistling ducks nest in the edge of waters, in tree holes or even in old bird nests that belong to kites or crows. Building materials include leaves, rushes, grass or thorny shrubs.

          These ducks are sometimes confused with Fulvous tree ducks because of their habit of perching on open tree branches.

          The lesser whistling duck is a common bird in the low, wetlands of the Indian subcontinent and in islands like Andaman and Nicobar. They are not at all considered a threatened species.

 

           Comb ducks are large ducks with black bills. The males and females in the species are different in appearance. Males, being considerably larger in body size, have creamy white heads. Their lower back looks grey and they have blue black upper parts. The male birds have a distinct comb on top of their bills.

          These birds are seen in fresh water lakes or marshlands in tropical regions. They always try to keep away from human habitations. They are generally very silent, though sometimes they can be seen to make a peculiar croaky sound, like a frog or crow.

          They build up their nest in the holes in tree trunks and are seen perching on leafless branches. Their diverse diet includes seeds of grasses, frogs, shoots, water plants, small snails and other invertebrates. A typical bird lives for around 20-30 years.

          Comb ducks are seen in the northern states of India, especially in Haryana. Places like Sultanpur, Manas, Batla and Corbett National Park also host them. 

          A spot billed duck is a duck with spots on its bill. It has two distinct spots, a yellow one at the tip of the bill and another reddish spot just in front of the eyes. It has a black crown and has black stripes around its eyes.

          The spot billed ducks prefer being on swallow lakes with vegetation. They immerse their feet under the surface of the water and move around gently, either in pairs or in small flocks.

          They manage their food in the typical ‘ducky’ way by walking about in the marshlands and paddy fields with their bills searching irregularly in the mud. They look for aquatic plants, seeds and grains. They also eat snails, insects and worms. These birds make their nests on the ground, preferably by the waterside. Up to 12 eggs can be seen in nests, which will be greyish yellow or greenish white in colour, without any markings. They are sociable by nature and love to mix with other species of ducks.

          Apart from India, grey ducks are seen in Myanmar, China and other regions of Northeast Asia. 

          The cotton pygmy goose is a small, duck-like bird. Although they are popularly seen in India, their numbers are declining in the Northeastern states, where we don’t see them often.

          Cotton pygmy goose is mostly white in colour, with a peculiar black collar. They choose to live in fresh water lakes, lagoons and paddy fields which have plenty of vegetation nearby. Seeds, grasses, aquatic plants and water lilies constitute their main diet.

          We can also see these birds perching on the bare branches near the water bodies. These birds do not like solitude and hence are often seen in groups or in small flocks.

          They make nests in tree holes, in which you can see 6 to 12 eggs.

          The Chinese variety of cotton pygmy geese is migratory. They travel long distances during winter. However, the Indian cotton pygmy geese do not migrate. 

            Rain quails are small birds seen across India, about half the size of a grey partridge. They are typically 15 to 17 cm in length and 65 to 71 gm in weight. They are also called black breasted quails. The male birds have a peculiar black patch on their breast and a black and white pattern on their head.

            Rain quails inhabit open grass lands and feed on grass, seeds, insects and other plant matter. The nest will be a shallow scrape on the ground in which the eggs are laid. This bird makes a call that is very different from the sounds made by other kinds of quails. This makes them a unique member of the family. Its call is regularly repeated in mornings and evenings.

            Outside India, the rain quails are seen in Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand.

            They are so abundantly seen that they are nowhere near the threat of extinction. 

 

       

 

                The jungle bush quail is a common bird in India, found in deciduous forests and dry jungles of grass and shrubs. The males and females differ in appearance; the former is brown and the latter is very pinkish. But both of them possess some peculiar red and white streaks on the head. They are very fond of eating seeds, but aren’t reluctant to eat some insects too. They make grass-lined nests on ground. The jungle bush quails are known to be very shy in their behaviour. 

Continue reading "Why is it said that the jungle bush quail and the common quail are different in appearances?"

          Grey partridges are very common in India, except in the Northeastern states. They are greyish brown in colour and have a medium-sized body. 

          These partridges prefer living in dry areas, especially in grasslands and in the neighbourhood of villages. Seeds, berries and insects are in their favourite food.

          They make their nest in the outer edges of certain cereal fields like winter wheat. Although their nests are on the ground, they are fond of roosting in thorny trees. Male partridges have a more robust body. These birds can fly only for short distances on rounded wings.

          In some places, people tame young grey partridges. Though it is illegal like cockfighting sport, partridges are also used for fighting in some parts of our country. In these fights people around the birds are enthusiastic spectators. There will be prizes waiting for the winning bird.

          Grey partridges are still very common and hence they are considered to be “of Least Concern” in the IUCN Red List. 

            Black francolins are medium-sized birds, found mainly in northern states and in Assam.

            These birds prefer to live in areas where tall grasses and shrubs like sugar cane, reeds etc. grow. The normal clutch size between 10 and 14 eggs and only the hen incubates the eggs. They feed on insects, larvae, seeds, shoots, roots and leaves.

            The males are black with a white cheek patch and brown neck, while the females are much paler. The male francolins are larger than the females. The black francolin only flies when disturbed. It has a pheasant’s explosive flight, but prefers to creep away unseen.

            Outside India, the black francolins are seen in countries like Turkey, Iran and Turkmenistan.

            The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized and evaluated them as a species of “Least Concern”.

            The black francolin is the state bird of Haryana. 

          The Himalayan monal is a showy large bird with brilliant colours. Its back is blue, and its neck is green, and its feathers have an attractive, metallic shine. When it flies, a beautiful orange tail is visible. A typical bird will be around 70 cm long. But the females are slightly smaller in size and are streaky brownish in appearance.

          As their name suggests, these birds are found in the Himalayas, especially in the open forests and meadows. They can be seen even in snowy high altitudes up to 4000 m. They are well equipped to dig into the ground through snow. They eat roots, seeds, berries, shoots and invertebrates.

          The people of Uttarakhand call the bird, ‘the monal’ and consider this bird to be their official state bird. The Himalayan monals are also seen in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. 

               The most important thing about cheer pheasants is that they are a vulnerable species. Sometimes also known as the Wallach’s pheasant, the number of these birds in the world is declining fast. Due to habitat loss, small population size and human hunting, they are facing the serious threat of extinction and are evaluated as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 

               The cheer pheasants are large birds with a very long tail. They are generally grey in colour, barred with brown or black. They are less ‘glamorous’ compared to the other members in the pheasant family which have bright and brilliant colours. Males and females look different. The male birds are larger in size, with a grey neck and longer tail. The females are more brownish and make a very sharp, loud call.

               Cheer pheasants are often seen in rocky areas. The Himalayan regions in the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh host these birds. They choose to make their nest in scrubby and grassy patches in these areas. Though they make their nest on the ground, at night, they roost on tree branches. They forage in groups or as pairs and are shy birds that flee quickly if there is any disturbance. 

          Kalij pheasants are distributed around the foothills of the Himalayas, in countries including India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar. In our country, these are concentrated in the North-eastern states.

          The Kalij is a close relative of the silver pheasant. They are neither too big nor too small in size.

          The males among them would typically weigh about one kilogramme and are around 60 to 75 cm long. They are mostly black in colour and have arched tail feathers. 

 

 

          The females, on the other hand are slightly brownish. But both the males and females have grey legs and red faces. They eat roots, seeds, insects, etc.

          Although they are generally shy, they emerge out from their habitat of evergreen and deciduous forests in the mornings and evenings.

          This pheasant consumes and then disperses, seeds of plants which grow and spread quickly in vast areas disturbing the balance of the ecosystem. Kalij pheasants are therefore, considered an invasive species in Hawaii.

          Grey jungle fowls are very common in states like Rajasthan, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

          This fowl is grey in colour. The feathers on its wings are black and its belly looks silver. Although they have a shape similar to red jungle fowls, they are slightly longer. These birds are very shy and timid by nature.

          Grey jungle fowls eat almost anything they can find, like berries, insects and termites. They have a special liking for bamboo seeds and you can see a lot of them gathering in areas where these seeds are available. These birds prefer to live in forests and abandoned plantations. During the mornings and evenings, they can be seen on roads. But at night, they roost on trees. They make a nest with dry leaves.

          These birds are declining in number because of habitat loss and hunting for food. 

                Red jungle fowls are the ancestors of our domestic poultry. It is estimated that Man started domesticating them at least five thousand years ago, in Asia.

              Red jungle fowls lead a social life and they choose to live in well-watered forests in groups. They are omnivores and have a varied diet that includes insects, fruits and seeds. They are very shy and will flee if there is a signal of anything alarming.

               We can see red jungle fowls in the Himalayan terrain. States like Odisha and Madhya Pradesh also have a share of these birds. 

          The name peafowl brings to our mind the picture of a large bird with brightly coloured feathers. The appearance of the male and female birds in this species is very different.

          The male peacocks have very long tails which are usually around 1.5 m. A peacock’s tail is made of large green feathers that have blue eyes on them. This makes it unique and very attractive. Although this tail looks too heavy to lift, peacocks can easily fly with it. The pea-hen has white feathers on its face, throat, and belly. Unlike the males, peahens don’t have showy tails. Both males and females are very keen in their vision and hearing.

          When it comes to nesting peafowls prefer open forest, or land under cultivation. The bird builds its nest by making a depression on ground and lines the nest using sticks and leaves. Peafowls eat berries or grains. It also feed on insects, lizards, or small snakes.

          Despite their good looks, peafowls are not very welcome visitors to our cultivated lands. Their foraging in cereal crops results in considerable loss of revenue to farmers.