My Science School

            The common flameback is a kind of medium-sized woodpecker generally found in the hilly areas of the Western Ghats and the Northeast. Their back is beautifully golden, with the lower back being red in colour. The upper part of their head is red in the male bird, while it is black in the female. The lower part is adorned with black stripes on white and the tail is completely black. Its bill is comparatively small. It has only three toes on its feet and these birds are also called golden-backed, three-toed flamebacks.

            They choose to live in dry forests, moist lowlands and mangrove cultivation in the tropical or subtropical regions. They make tree-holes by themselves and build their nests in them. Invertebrates constitute their primary diet.

            These birds are very common in India. The IUCN does not consider this bird to be under any global threat. 

               The black-rumped flameback is a very popular variety of woodpecker, which is seen both in rural and urban areas. It can be readily identified by the bold red crest on the top of its head. Apart from that, it has bright golden and black colour over its body. Its throat is black with white streaks. The cheek is white, with a stripe of black colour around the eyes stretching into it. The shoulders are speckled with black and yellow.

               These are noisy birds, preferring to live in open forests, cultivated lands and urban areas with trees. They make oval holes in tree trunks with their strong bills and that is where they build their nests. These birds dig out insect larvae as a favourite food from under the bark of trees, using their bills. They may also feed from termite mounds or nectar banks of bees.

               Although these birds are very widely seen in most parts of India, they are not so common in the desert regions of the Northwest. They also have some other names like the lesser golden-backed woodpecker or simply, lesser golden-back. 

       

 

       The yellow crowned wood-pecker is a small bird, only as big as a bulbul. But they have a long, strong, sharp bills, and stiff, wedge-shaped tails. The male and female birds are slightly different in appearance. The back of the male bird’s neck is brilliant red in colour and the front-upper part of its head is yellow. But the region from the top of the head to the back of neck is yellowish in a female bird. Both of them have black upper part bodies. 

 

 

           These birds are very common in light forests, especially where there are trees that shed their leaves according to seasons. They are also comfortable with mango orchards and stunted trees. They are usually found in pairs or in mixed hunting groups, searching for ants or insect larvae which make up their usual diet. Like a typical woodpecker, the flight of this bird is very fast and smooth, but wave-like.

          This woodpecker is very common in India where it is also called the Mahratta wood-pecker. These birds are not found in the Northeastern states. Myanmar also hosts a lot of these birds. According to the IUCN, these birds are of ‘Least Concern’ regarding global threat to the species. 

          The unique features of the stork-billed kingfisher are its comparatively large sized head and bill. It has an overall blue and dull yellow colour, while the bill is red.

          This bird lives primarily depending on trees. They are found in lakes, rivers and forest streams, coasts and mangroves, where there are lot of trees. They may stay concealed within the leaf cover of trees for long time periods.

          Like other kingfishers, the stork-billed kingfishers also hunt from water, usually targeting fishes, reptiles and shelled creatures. They may also feed on rodents and small birds.

          The adult birds build their nests in riverbanks, trees or termite nests. Eggs are white and may be two to five in number. These birds have a strong sense of their own territories, where they don’t like other birds intruding into. In that case, they may chase away even eagles and other large predators.

          Except in the Northeast, these birds are somewhat common in most parts of India. They are also found in Southeast Asia, especially Pakistan and Indonesia.

The whiskered tern is a common bird in the northern regions of India, like Jammu and Kashmir and Assam. It’s also found in Europe, Africa, and Australia. These birds visit India in large numbers during the winter season. This makes them very popular in our country.

In appearance, this bird is lean and is only as large as a pigeon. The wings are so long that when at rest, they extend behind the short, slightly forked tail. They have a red or blackish red bill.

Like a typical tern, these birds are found concentrated in big groups around large rivers, lakes and coastal areas. They build nests on floating plants.

Their webbed feet may give us an impression that they are good swimmers. But these birds prefer to spend most of their time in the air or resting on the shore.

Despite having feet adapted for swimming, they are hardly seen descending into water.

 

          The Indian skimmer is a large bird, around 40 cm in length with wings capable of extending more than a metre. Its body is covered with black -and-white feathers, while its huge bill is coloured red and yellow.

          These birds are found in groups, mostly around fresh water habitats, like large rivers and lakes. They usually perch on sandbars and islands, from where they can go hunting small fishes, shelled creatures and insect larvae in the nearby waters. Their hunting strategy is peculiar. They fly rapidly in groups over the surface of water, with their lower jaw being dragged through water to seize the prey. They prefer doing this during dusks because they are nocturnal birds. Their eggs are laid on bare sand.

          Once, these birds were very common in the Indian subcontinent and Myanmar. But loss of habitat, pollution and human interference pose serious threat to their existence. With just around 6,000-10,000 birds found in India and Pakistan this species are now globally threatened. The IUCN has classified this bird as ‘vulnerable’.

          The pied kingfisher is also a very familiar type of kingfisher like the common kingfisher. But unlike the latter, it is slightly larger and has a black plumage covered with white patches all over. There is noticeable broad stripe of black around its eyes. The bill is strong and is shaped like a dagger.

          This bird has a peculiar hunting style. It will continuously hover over water to spot a catchable prey. When it sees one, it dives swiftly into the water and catches it instantly. It then flies back to perch on a branch, where it strikes the prey hard against the branch repeatedly. Then the bird swallows the battered fish easily.

          The pied kingfisher is a sociable bird. These birds build their nests in groups, in long tunnels in the banks of larger rivers, lakes and coast. This bird is a very common species in India, especially on the plains. They are also found in sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia. Apart from seasonal movements covering short distances, they are not found to migrate anywhere. 

            Who hasn’t seen a kingfisher that clean little blue-and-green bird, in the vicinity of a stream, tank or a puddle? It is a bit larger than a sparrow and has a long straight pointed bill.

            The common kingfisher is an expert fish hunter who is equipped with the special ability to spot fishes even under water. The kingfisher will wait patiently, perching on low overhanging branches. When the time comes, it will approach the prey swiftly by diving or by hovering over the surface of water. Apart from fishes, they are also interested in water beetles and their larvae or other edible aquatic creatures.

            Kingfishers prefer building their nests on the banks of streams. They choose long burrows, at least one metre in length which ends in a spacious chamber. This is where they lay two to ten eggs, which are shiny white in colour.

            These birds are very common in Europe, Africa and Asia, especially in India. These birds have seven subspecies within themselves. They are so plentiful globally that the IUCN does not consider them a threatened species. 

            The white ibis is a large bird which is as large as a hen, generally around 75 cm in length. But despite the white feather cover on their body, their head and neck are featherless and are black in colour. Their strong, curved down bill is also black. These birds do not possess a well-developed voice organ.

            These birds are seen in marshy lands, both on islands and on coastal areas. Their nests are built on trees near water, using sticks. They walk on marshlands, searching for food in loose mud, using their curved bills. For food, they may submerge their heads momentarily in shallow water. Fish, frog and other insects make up their main food. These birds can be seen in most parts of India, but they are not so abundant in our Northeastern states. 

               The painted stork got its name from the strikingly beautiful, rose-pink feathers found near its tail. It is an otherwise white water bird, as big as a vulture, found throughout Indian coasts. They are always seen with their bills open, walking slowly through shallow water. They immerse their bills in water, moving them from side to side while walking. Their legs stir up the water during this process. Can you guess why? It is to flush out hidden fish, if any. In this flurry, the fish gets caught in the storks’ open bills.

               These birds build their nests on tall trees, along with other water birds as colonies. The nests are made of sticks. It is lined with stems and leaves of water plants. They are found to perch and roost in trees near water.

               The painted stork prefers to stay away from desert regions and high-altitude hills. That is why these are not commonly found in Northeast India. If there is any change in the weather, these birds may sometimes travel short distances. But this is not considered a migration. Outside India, painted storks are found also in China.

The yellow bittern is a very small heron, with a feather cover in black and dull, dark yellowish colour. Typically it is just about 40 cm in length. The top of its head, tail and flight feathers are black. The neck is short, but the bill is long.

          The male and female birds are slightly different. The male birds have a uniform pale yellow colour on their upper parts, while the lower parts are a kind of sandy brown. The head and neck are chestnut coloured. But the females have peculiar beautiful brown streaks on their neck, breast and on the top of the head. The little ones are also similar to females, but the streaks are denser.

          These birds are usually solitary in nature, but they inhabit and breed in colonies of a large number of birds. They choose to live in wetlands where there are thick growths of tall grass-like plants or other small shrubs. It is in these grass beds that they make their nests, in which four to six eggs can be found. But their nests and therefore, the eggs are difficult to spot. Their main food includes fishes, frogs, insects etc.

          These birds are mainly found in the Northeastern states of our country.

 

            The purple heron is a large bird with a gracefully thin neck and dark purple coloured under parts. They prefer living in wet, vegetated ecosystems like marshlands and mangroves. They favour densely packed vegetation.

            These birds have a liking for solitude and are not noisy. They can be spotted waiting in dense vegetation, with neck outstretched, looking for prey. Fish, small rodents, frogs, insects etc. are their usual preys. Although they prefer waiting in plant cover to attack a passing prey, they won’t mind a chase-and-stalk session either. They are active during dawn and dusk. In the middle of day and night, they roost along with other birds.

            The purple heron is a very common bird in most parts of India and are also found in Europe, Africa and other regions of Asia. The IUCN observes that the decrease in wetland areas is driving down the population of these birds. But their numbers are still not low enough to be of any concern in the immediate future.

 

            The black-crowned night heron’s name is self explanatory. This bird has a black crown, which is the upper part of its head. The body is covered with grey and cream coloured feathers.

            Its legs and neck are short, but thick. They have an overall length of around 65 cm and a weight of roughly 800 g. The eyes are large and ruby red.

            As their name suggests, these are nocturnal birds that stay hidden in the thick leaf cover of trees during daytime and set out to hunt at dusk.

            These birds build their nests in colonies, especially in fresh or salt-water wetlands. Around their nests, they are very noisy, making a kind of quok or wok sound.

            They would wait in shallow water, sitting with water up to the belly, for prey to get close. Small fish, shelled creatures, frogs, aquatic insects, small mammals or birds can constitute a delicious dinner for the black-crowned night heron.

These birds are very common throughout India, in Europe, Africa and the Americas. 

   

 

      The little owl is a small owl inhabiting most parts of India. This is a sedentary species which is found in open country-side in a great range of habitats. If they are living in an area with a large amount of human activity, little owls may grow used to humans and will remain on their perch, often in full view, while people are around. It feeds on prey such as insects and earthworms, as well as small vertebrates including amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. 

            The Indian pond heron is a very popular bird which is found wherever there is water, even if it is a temporary puddle. Only as large as a village hen, these birds are small, with short thick legs. The plumage is generally soil brown in colour. The head is dull yellowish with heavy dark streaks. The bill is yellow and has a dark tip.

            The Indian pond heron usually sits hunched in shallow water waiting for an aquatic prey, which is mostly a fish. This scene may give an impression that this bird is half-blind and many people does seriously believe that this is so. Although their food collection is a solitary business, these birds roost communally.

            Also, several birds may be in search of prey pretty close together. Their nest looks similar to that of a crow, made of twigs on top of large trees. They are not so strict about proximity to water bodies and can settle in the middle of towns and villages. Their nests may be re-used for many years.