Birding Program Dr. Abhay Hule and Dr. Mugdha Hule, the PAVO
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Birding Program Dr. Abhay Hule and Dr. Mugdha Hule, The PAVO, Mumbai. And Dr Shilpa Kamat,MPCOE Date and Place: 20th and 21st July, 2013 at Maharshi Parshuram College Of Engineering, Velneshwar. A nature trail was carried out during 20th and 21st July 2013 around Velneshwar and our college campus for bird watching and surrounding habitats. List of birds seen during the two days visits were stipulated as below in a small power-point presentation. Timing: Most of the birds were seen during the early morning and late evening period of the day but some of them were seen in regular day time period. Weather –Raining and wet List of the bird spotted 1. Oriental pied Hornbill ( local name Kakaner) – I pair male and female along with Juvenile (without eye strip) were seen on both days. This Oriental Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) is a species of hornbill in the Bucerotidae family which is found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. The Oriental Pied Hornbill's diet includes wild fruit (esp. figs, genus Ficus) and other fruit such as rambutans, along with small reptiles such as lizards and frogs, and larger insects. 2. White bellied fish Eagle- (1 Adult)( Haliaeetus Leucogastor): The White-bellied Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), also known as the White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. A distinctive bird, the adult White-bellied Sea Eagle has a white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white coverts. The tail is short and wedge-shaped.. The call is a loud goose-like honking. Resident from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to Australia on coasts and major waterways, the White-bellied Sea Eagle breeds and hunts near water, and fish form around half of its diet. 3. Brahminy Kite The Brahminy Kite is one of the medium-sized raptors (birds of prey), with a white head and breast. The rest of its body is a striking chestnut brown. The very tip of its tail is white. The wings are broad, with dark 'fingered' wing tips and the tail is short. The legs are short and not feathered, the eye is dark and the lemon yellow coloured bill is strongly hooked. It sails on level wings along shorelines and mudflats. The Brahminy Kite is a bird of the coast, particularly mangrove swamps and estuaries. It is sometimes seen over forests and along rivers. The Brahminy Kite feeds on carrion (dead animals), insects and fish. It swoops low over water, the ground or tree tops and snatches live prey or carrion from the surface. It also steals from fish-hunting birds, snatching prey in flight. 4. Paddy-field pipit, Paddy-field Pipit, or Oriental Pipit, (Anthus rufulus) is a small passerine bird in the pipits and wagtail family. It is a resident breeder in open scrub, grassland and cultivation in southern Asia east to the Philippines. This is a large pipit at 15 cm, but is otherwise an undistinguished looking bird, mainly streaked grey-brown above and pale below with breast streaking. It is long legged with a long tail and a long dark bill. Sexes are similar. Summer and winter plumages are similar. Young birds are more richly coloured below than adults and have the pale edges to the feather's of the upper parts more conspicuous with more prominent spotting on the breast. 5. The Pied Myna or Asian Pied Starling (Gracupica contra) is a species of starling found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are usually found in small groups mainly on the plains and low foothills. They are often seen within cities and villages. This myna is strikingly marked in black and white and has a yellowish bill with a reddish bill base. The bare skin around the eye is reddish. The upper body, throat and breast are black while the cheek, lores, wing coverts and rump are contrastingly white. The sexes are similar in plumage but young birds have dark brown in place of black. The habitat is lowland open areas with scattered trees near water, often near human habitation. This species is often seen at sewage farms and refuse tips. 6. Jungle myna the Jungle Myna (Acridotheres fuscus) is a myna, a member of the starling family. This bird is a common resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Burma east to Indonesia. This common passerine is typically found in forest and cultivation. The Jungle Myna builds a nest in hole. The normal clutch is 3–6 eggs. These 23 cm (9.1 in) long birds have grey plumage, darker on the head and wings. There are large white wing patches obvious in flight, and a white tail tip. The head has a forehead tuft. The bill and strong legs are bright yellow, and there is no bare skin around eye. The southern Indian race has a blue iris. The sexes are similar, but juveniles are browner. They are usually found close to water or rice fields. Like most starlings, the Jungle Myna is fairly omnivorous, eating fruit, grain and insects. 7. Call Heard of Indian peafowl ( local name More) The Indian Peafowl or Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is a large and brightly coloured bird of the pheasant family native to South Asia, but introduced and semi-feral in many other parts of the world. The male peacock is predominantly blue with a fan- like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots. These stiff and elongated feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship. The female lacks the train, has a greenish lower neck and a duller brown plumage. The Indian Peafowl is found mainly on the ground in open forest or on land under cultivation where they forage for berries, grains but will also prey on snakes, lizards, and small rodents. Their loud calls make them easy to detect, and in forest areas often indicate the presence of a predator such as a tiger. They forage on the ground in small groups and will usually try to escape on foot through undergrowth and avoid flying, though they will fly into tall trees to roost. The bird is celebrated in Indian and Greek mythology and is the national bird of India. 8. Common Iora (Subhag) (male’s call heard and female was seen) almost 2-3 pairs of this around area. And these birds had responded so well to our imitated call. The Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia) is a small passerine bird found a cross the tropical Indian Subcontinent with populations showing plumage variations, some of which are designated as subspecies. A species found in scrub and forest, it is easily detected from its loud whistles and the bright colours. During the breeding season, males display by fluffing up their feathers and spiral in the air appearing like a green, black, yellow and white ball. 9. Little brown dove (local name as Kavada) seen in pairs here. The Laughing Dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is a small pigeon that is a resident breeder in Sub- Saharan Africa, the Middle East east to the Indian Subcontinent. This small long-tailed dove is found in dry scrub and semi-desert habitats where pairs can often be seen feeding on the ground. A Rufus and black chequered necklace gives it a distinctive pattern and is also easily distinguished from other doves by its call. In India the name of the Little Brown Dove is often used. The Laughing Dove is a long-tailed, slim pigeon, typically 25 cm (9.8 in) in length. It is pinkish brown on the underside with a lilac tinged head and neck. The head and under parts are pinkish, shading to buff on the lower abdomen. A chequered rufous and grey patch is found on both the side of the neck which is made up of split feathers. The upper parts are brownish with a bluish-grey band along the wing. The back is uniform and dull brown. 10. Ashy Prinia was seen and heard as well. The Ashy Prinia or Ashy Wren-Warbler (Prinia socialis) is a small warbler. This prinia is a resident breeder in the Indian Subcontinent, ranging across most of India, Nepal, Bangladesh,Bhutan, Sri Lanka and western Myanmar. It is a common bird in urban gardens and farmland in many parts of India and its small size, distinctive colours and upright tail make it easy to identify. These 13– 14 cm long warblers have short rounded wings and longish graduated cream tail tipped with black sub-terminal spots. The tail is usually held upright and the strong legs are used for clambering about and hopping on the ground. They have a short black bill. The crown is grey and the under-parts are rufus in most plumages. In breeding plumage, adults of the northern population are ash grey above, with a black crown and cheek with no supercilium and rufescent wings. In non-breeding season, this population has a short and narrow white supercilium and the tail is longer. They are found singly or in pairs in shrubbery and will often visit the ground. 11. Spotted dove (Kavada) seen in pair. The Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon which is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.