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190 Indian Birds VOL. 16 NO. 6 (PUBL. 28 DECEMBER 2020) Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola in the resting on the ground, while the others were moving around. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh region After capturing images [197–199], the birds were identified On 28 December 2019, at Osman Sagar Lake (17.38° N, 78.30° E) as pratincoles, presumably Oriental Pratincoles Pratincola around 800 h a flock of brownish birds was spotted on the dry maldivarum as they are the more regular species (https://ebird. lakebed; the birds had a forked tail, and a black facial ring that org/barchart?r=L3169524&yr=all&m=) in the region. After a surrounds the throat. couple of minutes, the entire flock flew towards the other side of the lake. When we analysed the photographs and referred identification guides (Driessens & Svensson 2005; Grimmett et al. 2011), we found several field ID features matching a Collared PratincoleG. pratincola, but none of them matching an Oriental Pratincole, as listed below. 1. Tail-fork and projection: Tail appears to project well beyond wing tips. In the second, it still appears to project beyond wing tips. A diagnostic character for Collared [198,199] 2. Tail pattern: Outer tail feathers looks long and tail fork is also deep which is diagnostic of Collared [197, 198] 3. Nostril shape: slit-shaped, a supporting character for Collared [197] 4. Colour of upper parts: Sandy brown that is okay for Collared. The Collared Pratincole is mostly a migratory bird. It breeds 197. Collared Pratincole showing long tail projection and slit like nostril shape. in the Mediterranean region, Middle East, South-west Asia, Afghanistan, southern Europe, Pakistan, and north-western India. It has occurred in several peninsular Indian states (eBird 2020)—with specimens, or clear photographs from Odisha (Karuthedathu et al. 2014), Maharasthra (Abdulali 1970; Patil et al. 2019), Karnataka (Sadagopan 2014), and Tamil Nadu (Abdulali 1956). It has not been reported during the mid-winter census from either Andhra Pradesh or Telangana between 1987–1996 (Pittie & Taher 2004). There is one prior report from Kolleru (Lakshmi et al. 2015), however details are unavailable to ascertain the veracity of its identification, or whether it actually referred to an Oriental Pratincole when they were considered as one species. Another detailed study of wetlands in Srikakulam (Sravana Kumar et al. 2014) also did not yield this species despite its proximity to Odisha, from where there are confirmed records. Hence, ours appears to be the first definitive report of 198. Collared Pratincole showing the tail fork. this species from Telangana. References Abdulali, H., 1956. Extension of the known range of the Collared Pratincole, Glareola pratincola pratincola (Linnaeus), in India and Ceylon. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 53 (4): 701–702. Abdulali, H., 1970. A catalogue of the birds in the collection of the Bombay Natural History Society-7. Scolopacinae (part), Phalaropinae, Rostratulidae, Recurvirostridae, Dromadidae, Burhinidae, Glareolidae, Stercorariidae, Laridae. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 67 (2): 279–298. Driessens, G., & Svensson, L., 2005. Identification of Collared Pratincole and Oriental Pratincole - a critical review of characters. Dutch Birding 27: 1–35. Website URl: https://www.dutchbirding.nl/journal/pdf/DB_2005_27_1.pdf. [Accessed on 20 September 2020.] eBird. 2020. Collared Pratincole. Maps: https://ebird.org/india/map/colpra. [Accessed on 5 September 2020.] Grimmett, R., Inskipp, C., & Inskipp, T., 2011. Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2nd ed. All: M. N. V. Vinay London: Oxford University Press & Christopher Helm. Pp. 1–528. 199. Two Collared Pratincoles with sandy brown upperparts. Karuthedathu, D., Das, V., Praveen J., Ramachandran, V., Shurpali, S., & Nair, M. V., 2014. Some significant avian records from Odisha. Indian BIRDS 9 (1): 14–18. The flock consisted of eight birds. When we approached for Lakshmi, B. B., Rao, B. T., Rao, K. R., & Naidu, Y. P., 2015. Diversity, distribution and better observation, the entire flock flew about 30 m farther from status of birds of Kolleru Lake - a Ramsar Site in Andhra Pradesh. International us. We followed the flock and observed that two of the birds were Journal of Innovative Research in Science, Engineering and Technology 4 (7): Correspondence 191 5759–5784. Website URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/296514346_ Redstart, as it had a prominent white band across its forehead. Diversity_Distribution_and_Status_of_Birds_of_Kolleru_Lake_-A_Ramsar_Site_ We clicked some photographs and observed the bird carefully in_Andhra_Pradesh. [Accessed on 20 September 2020.] [200]. Besides the prominent white band across its forehead Patil, P. J., More, P. V., & Vibhandik, A. R., 2019. First sighting record of a pair of Collared Pratincoles (Glareola pratincola) wintering for 18 days in Dhule District and extending beyond its eyes, it had a grey crown and mantle, of Maharashtra. Newsletter for Birdwatchers 57 (4): 45–46 (2017). a black throat that did not extend onto its breast, orange under Pittie, A., & Taher, S. A., 2004. Mid-winter waterbird census in Andhra Pradesh: parts, and a white belly. 1987–1996. Hyderabad, India: Birdwatchers’ Society of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad. Pp. 1–142. Website URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B- u8pdUedG35RWtMOFB0WjNyblk/view. [Accessed on 20 September 2020.] Sadagopan, A., 2014. Snapshot sightings: Collared Pratincole from Bengaluru, Karnataka. Indian BIRDS 9 (5&6): 168A. Sravan Kumar R., Rao, V. V., Sasikala, C., & Nagulu, V., 2014. Wetland birds of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India. International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies 1 (6): 42–49. Website URL: https://www.researchgate. net/publication/313030038_Wetland_birds_of_Srikakulam_District_Andhra_ Pradesh_India. [Accessed on 20 September 2020.] SS Cheema,2019, Birding in Ameenpur lake, Hyderabad, Website URL: http:// cheemablog.blogspot.com/.[Accessed on 20 September 2020] – John Peters & M. V. N. Vinay John Peters, Plot No 13 Noah’s Ark, Mythri Enclave, Bolarum, Secunderabad, Telangana 500010, India. E-mail: [email protected] M. V. N. Vinay, Plot No 182, Railway Employee’s Colony, Bolarum, Secunderabad 500010, Telangana, India. E-mail: [email protected] Review of Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus sightings in India and first record from Irfan Jeelani Kangan, Kashmir Valley, India The Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus is a passage migrant in northern Balochistan and Chitral, while it’s a vagrant 200. Common Redstart Photogtaph from Kangan, Kashmir. to India (Ripley 1982; Rasmussen & Anderton 2012; Praveen et al. 2020). Two subspecies of Common Redstart exist, the nominate is found all over Europe, reaching into Siberia, and We collated past reports of the Common Redstart in India, the south-eastern subspecies P. p. samamisicus is distributed chronologically, in Table 1. After the first reports in Ladakh in from the Crimean Peninsula through Turkey, the Middle East, 1982, it is clear that more birdwatchers are reporting this bird in into Central Asia (Collar & Christie 2020; Snow & Perrins 1998). recent years from that area and there are ten confirmed reports Here, we present a review of sightings of the Common Redstart from the country rendering it no longer a vagrant. However, in India, and report on the first sighting of a Common Redstart apart from a single photograph of a possible male Common in Kangan town in the Kashmir Valley, Union Territory of Jammu Redstart from Nishat, Srinagar, Kashmir Valley, on 10 February & Kashmir. 2020 (Haris 2020), there are no other reports from Kashmir On 12 April 2020, while surveying for research work on Valley (Suhail et al. 2020) and, hence, our’s seems to be the the Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii along River Sindh at Kangan first definitive one. (34.15°N, 74.54°E), we spotted a bird, in the bushes on We thank Asad R. Rahmani for his valuable suggestions in the river bank, some 20 m away. At first sight, we thought it an earlier version of the manuscript. We thank an anonymous was a Black Redstart P. ochruros but soon the bird perched reviewer, and Praveeen J., for improving the manuscript and in the open and we could clearly see that it was not a Black providing some references. Table 1. Sighting records of the Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus in India S. No. Location No. Of Birds Sex Date Reference 1. Thikse, Leh, Ladakh 03 Male 05 May 1982 Delany et al. (2014) 2. Thikse, Leh, Ladakh 03 Male 06 May 1982 Delany et al. (2014) 3. Thikse, Leh, Ladakh 03 Male 25 May 1982 Delany et al. (2014) 4. Tangtse, Leh, Ladakh 01 Male August 2018 Namgail (2018) 5. Diskit, Leh 01 Male 17 May 2019 Anonymous (2019a) 6. Spangmik, Pangong Leh, Ladakh 01 Male 20 May 2019 Anonymous (2019b) 7. Leh, Ladakh 01 Male 18 June 2019 Ghosh (2019) 8. Thol Bird Sanctuary, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 01 Male of samamisicus ssp. December 2019 Bhat (2018) 9. Boris Gilgit-Baltistan 01 Male 25 December 2019 Imran (2019) 10. Kangan, Kashmir Valley 01 Male 12 April 2020 This work.
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  • The Bedfordshire Naturalist

    The Bedfordshire Naturalist

    -=i The Bedfordshire Naturalist THE JOURNAL OF THE BEDFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR 1983 No. 38 PUBLISHED BY THE BEDFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY October 1984 BEDFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY 1984 Chairman: Mr D. Green, Red Cow Farm Cottage, Bidwell, Dunstable, Beds LUS 6JP Honorary Secretary: Mrs M.I. Sheridan, 28 Chestnut Hill, Linslade, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 7TR Honorary Treasurer: Mr M.R. Chandler, 19 Hillside Close, Shillington, Hitchin, Herts SGS 3NN Honorary Librarian and Membership Secretary: Mr RB. Stephenson, 17 PentIand Rise, Putnoe, Bedford MK41 9AW Honorary Editor (Bedfordshire Naturalist): Mr C.R. Boon, 7 Duck End Lane, Maulden, Bedford MK4S 2DL Council (in addition to the above): Miss RA Brind DrN.F. lanes MrD.1. Odell MrS.Halton MrD. Kramer Mr M.I. Palmer Mrs RM. Hayman DrB.S. Nau MrD.GRands Mr B.J.Nightingale Honorary Editor (Muntjac): Mr R.V.A. Wagstaff, 3 The Lawns, Everton, Sandy, BedsSG192LB Committees appointed by Council: Finance: Mr M. Chandler(Sec.) MrS. Halton Mrs M. Sheridan MrD. Green DrB. Nau Mr R. Stephenson Membership: Miss R. Brind MrW. Drayton MrD. Rands Mr I. Burchmore MrD. Green Mrs M. Sheridan Mr M. Chandler MrS. Halton Mr R. Stephenson (Sec.) MrP. Clarke Mrs R. Hayman Mr R. Wagstaff MrN. Pollard Scientific Mr D. Anderson DrN. Janes Dr B. Nau (Sec.) MrC. Boon Mr J. Knowles Mr B. Nightingale Mrs F. Davies MrD. Kramer MrD.Odell Mr A. Livett Bedfordshire Naturalist No. 38 THE BEDFORDSHIRE NATURALIST No. 38(1983) - Edited by C.R. Boon CONTENTS Officers of the Society ....................................................................................... cover ii Report of the Council ................................