Correspondence 27

vols. Pp. 1–378; 1–683. 1. The bird showed clear white outer-tail feathers and white Waraich, J., 2017. Snapshot sightings: Chestnut-headed Bee-eater from Okhla, Delhi trailing edge to secondaries. NCR. Indian BIRDS 13 (4): 112A. 2. Long primary projection, which extended almost halfway – Aman Sharma down the tail. The tail also seemed relatively longer Class X, Modern School, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi E-mail: [email protected] compared to the Oriental Skylark’s. 3. Ear coverts were not noticeably warmer and there was no rufous on closed wing panel. A Sykes’s Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis, and a 4. Sharper dark markings on upper breast with creamy buff summer record of Eurasian Skylark Alauda arvensis tones on sides were visible (not visible in the attached from Delhi-NCR Region photograph). On the morning of 23 November 2018, I photographed a Sykes’s 5. The overall pale coloration seemed to match with the likely Nightjar Caprimulgus mahrattensis near Kheda Jhanjraula on the wintering race dulcivox of Central Asia. outskirts of Sultanpur National Park, Haryana (28.51°N, 76.87°E). The bird flushed when a Long-billed Pipit Anthus similis landed close to it. It flew and landed a few feet away, at the edge of an agricultural field. I clicked several photographs [34] of the bird (Nanda 2018a). The habitat consisted of open flat land with short dry grass. Noticeable features of the bird were the overall sandy colouration, white spots on the primaries, white throat patch, and a buff nuchal collar. The species’ identification was confirmed on the basis of the following diagnostic features, which were either noted in the field or subsequently confirmed by experts on the basis of my photographs.

35. Eurasian Skylark at Basai wetlands.

Sykes’s Nightjars diffuse into western India in winter (October– March) from their breeding areas in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vagrants have reached Delhi, usually appearing in dry sandy flats: two historical records from scrub country near the Yamuna River in October (Hutson 1954), one was caught at Okhla Barrage in December 1978 (Nigel Redman, in Harvey et al. 2006); one on

Both pics: Kavi Nanda 03 February 2016 at Dighal, Haryana by Rakesh Ahlawat in 2016 34. Sykes’s Nightjar at Kheda Jhanjraula. (Sudhir Vyas, pers. comm., in e-mail dated 03 December 2018). Thus, this is the fourth record of the bird in the Delhi-NCR region 1. Uniform sandy-grey plumage finely marked with black and and also the third record for the state of Haryana with an earlier grey specks and vermiculations. sighting along the Yamuna at Kalesar (Harvey et al. 2006) and 2. Relatively short tail not extending beyond closed wings. the 2016 sighting at Dighal. 3. Absence of dark streaks on a grey crown, no marked face Though Eurasian Skylark is an irregular winter visitor to the pattern, and no whitish/buff tips to scapulars or wing coverts Delhi-NCR region, with most sightings occurring in mid-winter forming buff lines across closed wing, which helped in during December-January (Harvey et al. 2006), it is very unusual eliminating Eurasian C. europaeus, Jungle C. indicus, Indian to see it in the peak of summer. C. asiaticus, and Large-tailed C. macrurus nightjars. 4. Absence of darker greyer plumage and buff ‘V’ across scapulars, which is present in the more uniform plumaged Acknowledgments Savanna Nightjar C. affinis. My sincere thanks to Bill Harvey, Sudhir Vyas, and Nikhil Devasar for confirming the 5. The tail tips had broad white edges, which helped in previous records of Sykes’s Nightjar for Delhi-NCR. confirming that it was a male bird. 6. The habitat was also right, as Sykes’s Nightjar typically roosts References in open flat land with eyes almost closed to avoid contrast Harvey, B., Devasar, N., & Grewal, B., 2006. Atlas of the birds of Delhi and Haryana. and add to camouflage. 1st ed. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. Pp. 1–352. Hutson, H. P. W., 1954. The birds about Delhi, together with a complete list of birds On the afternoon of 18 June 2018, I photographed a Eurasian observed in Delhi and the surrounding country. Delhi: The Delhi Bird Watching Skylark Alauda arvensis [35] at Basai wetland, Gurgaon District, Society. Pp., i–xxxix, 1–210. Haryana (28.47°N, 76.98°E) (Nanda 2018b). On the field, the Nanda, K., 2018a. Website URL: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S50253372. [Accessed bird caught my attention as it seemed a little different from the on 16 December 2018.] more common Oriental Skylark A. gulgula and had an overall Nanda, K., 2018b. Website URL: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S46631058. [Accessed pale colouration. Notable features that were either observed in on 16 December 2018.] – Kavi Nanda the field, or later confirmed by experts based on the available DLF Phase 5, Gurgaon, Haryana, India photographs, and that helped in confirming its ID were: E-mail: [email protected]