My Science School

          The grey heron is a large grey or black coloured heron usually found in all types of inland and coastal water. It has also adapted to living in cities. It is very thin and tall with featherless legs. It has a long thin neck shaped like the letter ‘S’ and a matching narrow head. Its bill is yellow in colour and is strong and pointed like a dagger. Although at first glance, this bird is similar in appearance to a stork or a crane, it flies at a slower pace.

          This bird exhibits unusual hunting behaviour. We can see it standing motionless in shallow water. Its head will be sunk between the shoulders, giving an impression that it is in deep sleep and has no idea what is going on around it. But actually, it is perfectly alert and concentrates fully on watching movements under water. If any fish comes within striking distance of its bill, bingo! It’s game over for the fish. These birds are seen singly, as well as in small groups. But roosting and resting are always done in colonies atop tall trees. India has a lot of grey herons, including those who breed in our country and those who are just visitors during the winter season.

            The little heron is a small, dark heron very popularly seen in most parts of India, except the Northwest. These birds’ also known as striated herons have a black colour on the top of the head and lines along the cheek and the bills. If found in shadows they will appear mostly black. These little birds do not like company and are always found singly.

            They do not migrate to anywhere and are always confined to pools, streams, mangroves etc. They hide in vegetation to stalk their prey, by sitting on a low branch just above the water level. From there, they can easily spear a passing fish, frog or an insect. They also build their nests close to ground in shrubs, small trees or even on covered ground near water. If you intimidate their young ones, they will instantly stretch their necks out, with the bills pointed towards sky. Amusingly, we don’t know clearly what the use of this ‘drama’ is.

            The little herons are common in Africa, other parts of Asia, Indian and Pacific islands. It was thought for long that the green heron found in North America and the little heron belong to the same species.

 

            The intermediate egret is also a snow white bird, but with a medium size. It is around 56 cm in length and 400 g in weight. The stretched wings cover a span of about 100 cm. The features that distinguish this bird from the great egret are the neck and the legs. The neck is thicker, with a gentle curve and the legs are not long enough to extend beyond the tail while flying. It has a short but thick bill.

            These birds search for prey in shallow coastal or fresh water, including flooded fields. They are generally silent and wait patiently to stalk their preys. They feed on fish, frog, shelled creatures and insects.

            They build their nests from sticks in trees and shrubs, in colonies along with other herons.

            The intermediate egrets are commonly found throughout India, in Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas. 

               The great egrets are very common in most parts of India and are also called common egrets. These are popularly seen on large wetlands and coastal areas. Most people can identify it as a large bird, as white as snow, having a long necks and very long legs. They stretch out these legs backwards while flying. When they stand still, the thin neck will be seen twisted sharply. But when they are after their prey, neck will be held straight.

               These birds can be seen singly, as well as in separate groups, near shallow water or vegetation. They build nests as colonies in trees close to water. The great egrets seen in the northern regions are sometimes seen migrating towards the south during winter.

               Apart from India, these birds are also found in Europe, Africa and Australia. Conservation is not required for these birds as they are not considered threatened in any way. 

          The little egret is a very common kind of heron, found in Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia alike. They are medium sized; around 55-65 cm in height and 350-550 grammes in weight. Their plumage is snowy white in colour, with black legs and yellow feet. When they fly, they stretch out their legs, while the neck is pulled in.

          The favourite food of these birds includes fish, frogs and other water animals and they are therefore found in fresh and shallow waters, estuaries and mangroves. These birds may wait patiently for the preys to stalk them. But if they are badly in need of food, they may even chase their preys energetically and stab them. They are always found in large groups and they also build their nests in tree colonies along with other birds in the region. These birds are very noisy.

          The main challenge these birds are facing now is the degradation of wetlands, agricultural pollution and human Interference in their ecosystem. Also, these birds have a large chance of catching bird flu. 

          The savanna nightjar is not a single kind of bird, but a group of slightly different species. Till now, there are at least ten known subspecies of these birds. Their common features include long, pointed wings, short legs and short bills. The feather cover of these birds is such that they very much resemble tree barks or dried leaves in colour.

          These birds are found in open forests and have a special liking for rocky and dried areas. They are nocturnal and hunt down a variety of insects like crickets, mantises, beetles, dragonflies, flying termites, flies and flying ants. The usual hunting time is either before dawn or after dusk. They usually fly high above the ground to stalk their prey and have a parakeet like screeching voice when they fly. But they roost on the ground like other nightjars.

          These birds are found throughout India. It is observed that these birds have adapted to life in urban environments, especially in countries like Indonesia where they build their nests in flat roof tops and building plots. 

          The jungle nightjar or grey nightjar is a kind of nightjar that is commonly seen in most parts of India. These birds are grey in colour. The top of their head shows a peculiar kind of black streaks. The wings and tails are long and the bird as a whole is around 20 cm in length. Although the bill is usually small, the bird’s mouth is very wide when open. They produce a series of thacoo or chuck notes as their call. The male birds can be identified by their exclusive white throat patch.

          These birds are generally seen near the edges of forests. They make their nests on the ground and they are nothing more than a simple patch. Jungle nightjars become active at dusk and hunt flying insects for foods. They roost on tree branches or ground. But it is nearly impossible to spot them due to their colour and shades that blend with the surroundings. 

                The Sri Lanka frogmouth is a nightjar-like bird with a huge head that is almost 25 cm in length. When these birds roost silently on tree branches, we can hardly see them, because their colour is very much similar to that of dried leaves. Their bill is hooked and thick, covered almost completely by feathers. Its call can be heard during dawns and dusks.

                These birds choose to live in dense, wet evergreen forests and sometimes also in plantations. They are nocturnal birds that catch flying insects like moths for food. Sometimes, they may chase their prey or may catch it by pouncing from the ground. When they build nests, the inner side is lined by moss and the outer side with lichens and tree bark. These birds are found in our Western Ghats while, as the name suggests, they are the only type of frogmouth found in Sri Lanka. 

               The large-tailed nightjar is a nightjar found mostly in the lowland, mangrove or mountainous forests in the moist tropical and subtropical regions. It is large and brightly shaded. It has a long and very broad tail, but its bill is very small. Its wings are also long. It sports a moustache and a patch on the breast and both are whitish in colour.

               It’s very difficult to distinguish these birds from among the dead leaves on ground, on which they usually roost. They also make their nests on the ground. They produce a slow chunk-chunk call and are quite noisy in nature.

               At night, they hunt flying insects by flying in circles.

               In India, these birds are very commonly found in Northeastern states, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Outside, they are found in Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Vietnam.

 

            The Indian nightjar is a very common bird in India and also in Southeast Asia, Madagascar and the Aldabra Island.

            It is a small bird, as large as myna, with a short tail that has white corners. The collar and back of the neck are golden in colour. The cheeks are dark and the sides of the throat have white patches.

            One notable speciality of this bird is its ability to move very quickly and easily in the air. They fly silently as if wandering like a moth but, if a prey is spotted, can take turns and twists to avoid obstacles in chase of the prey. Insects are their major, if not only, prey.

            At other times, they are found crouching on the ground singly. They also roost on the ground.

            They produce a peculiar bird call, similar in sound to a ping-pong ball bouncing rapidly before coming to rest.

            These birds prefer living in dry, open lands without many trees. Sometimes, they are also spotted on roads.

            The jungle owlet is a small bird, with yellow eyes and brown rounded wings. It has such a rounded head that its face cannot be clearly distinguished from its body.

            These birds prefer forests and woodlands, especially the teak and sal forests. But these birds are not strictly nocturnal, but can also be found hunting after dawn or during cloudy days. They usually perch on wires and are also seen resting in mild sunlight for warmth.

            They roost in leaf cover or inside tree cavities. If they are discovered among leaves, they will fly away instantly. But if they’re found in cavities, they will freeze and appear like a tree stump. They hunt insects, rodents, reptiles and other small birds for food.

            The jungle owlets are found in many parts of India, especially in the south of the Himalayas, up to an altitude of 2000 m. They are also seen in Sri Lanka. 

          Rock eagle-owls are very big birds found only in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Bengal eagle owls. A peculiar feature of these birds is the collection of feathers standing up as a bunch on their heads, called tufts. Their overall plumage is a splash of brown and grey. They exhibit a white patch, striped in black, on the throat. But younger birds lack this throat patch and are usually white.

          These birds prefer living in areas rich in trees, ravines, canals, forts, ruins and similar rocky hillsides.

          They reuse their nests every year. These birds are nocturnal and are seen in pairs when they perch in the open during dusks and dawns. They roost in large trees, rocks and on the ground, under cover. They prey upon other smaller birds like partridges, doves, roller, shikra and spotted owlet. But they also feed on rodents and reptiles.

          There is a big under-ground market thriving on the hunting of these birds, although capturing them is illegal in India. At the same time, they are considered to be of ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN Red list.

 

          Spotted owlets are very familiar to humans, who associate these birds with bad omens, mainly because of the noise they make. They are very noisy, making a variety of sounds like harsh chattering, squabbling and chuckling. They make this noise during the nights as well as during daytimes.

          These birds are not completely nocturnal, but are seen during the daytime also. They are greyish brown in colour, with yellow eyes. They are small and round, only as big as a myna. Their plumage is covered with white spots which gives them their name. These birds tend to keep close to human habitation and are found in open plains and foothills and even in cities. They build their nests in trees, walls and mountain cliffs. They stare at intruders if they are disturbed during their daytime activities. The usual diet includes beetles, insects and small birds.

          The spotted owlets are common in many parts of India, Iran and Southeast Asia.

 

            The collared scops owl is a brownish or greyish coloured owl with a broad, sturdy body and conspicuous ears. Its face is whitish or dull yellowish in colour, with orange or brown eyes. There is a visible band around the neck, which is a dull yellowish in colour. These birds make a quiet call. Although they are similar in appearance to oriental scops owls, the difference in the nature of their bird calls helps to distinguish them instantly.

            Collared scops owls prefer living in areas like gardens and cultivations, since they are fond of trees. They roost on branches with thick foliage and in tree holes. Insects, reptiles, small birds and rodents make up their favourite food.

            These birds are very common in India. But sometimes, they exhibit migratory behaviour by flying to Sri Lanka or Malaysia during winters. Apart from India, they are also found in Myanmar, Bangladesh and Thailand. 

          The barn owl is the most commonly found variety of owl. Like all other owls, these are nocturnal birds, meaning that they are active during the night.

          They are medium-sized birds. The golden and whitish colours of these birds give them a ghostly image at night. In artificial light, they usually look completely white. They have small black eyes on a long heart shaped face.

          These owls can hunt efficiently even in complete darkness because they do not depend on eyesight that much. Their primary tool is their keen hearing ability, through asymmetrically placed ears. Instead of hooting, these owls make a strange, high-pitched cry.

          They prefer roaming in urban areas and cultivated lands and build their nest on buildings or tree holes. Small rodent mammals like mice, rats and squirrels are the favourite preys of barn owls.

          Barn owls are very common in many parts of India. They are not threatened globally.