ISSN:294­191 IndianJournalofBiology Volume 5Number 1,January ­June2018 evieArticle DOI: http://d.doi.org/10.21088/ijb.294.191.5118.11 BirdsAroundMulaRiver RightBankCanalinAhmednagar DistrictoMaharashtraIndia Prabhat SunilMhaske Abstract OrnithologyisaGreekword:ornithameanschickenandlogosmeanascience.ItisabranchofZoology orBiologyconcernedwiththescientificstudyofbirds,creaturesbelongingtoclassAves.1Aristotlewas perhapsthefirstpersonwhowroteonornithologyandmentionsmorethan10birds.2CarolusLinnaeus 158was the pioneer indeveloping a classification systemfor birdsand animals. is scientific classificationsystem,withsomemodificationisstillbeingused.DrSalimAli189­198wasIndias mostwell­knownOrnithologistandbirdwatcher.eisknownastheBirdmanofIndia.Indiaisone ofthebestplacesintheworldtoseethebirds.Theetantandrecentlyetinctspeciesrecordedwithinthe politicallimitsoftheRepublicofIndiaasdefinedbytheIndiangovernmentareknowntohavearound 12speciesasof201.4IhavetakenthepicturesofnativeBirdsaroundMulaRiverRightBankCanal inAhmednagardistrictofMaharashtraIndia.WhiledoingthesephotographsItriedtostudythe scientificknowledgeregardingthem.Onealarmingsignalcameinmymindthatthesebirdsarenotcared byanybody,theyaretotallyignored,therepopulationandspeciesmaybeindownhill.Therearesomany speciesofbirdinsamearea,fewofthemIhavementionedinthestudy. KeyordsBirdsDataMulaRiverRightBankPopulation. Introduction Authors Ailiation B.A.Economics, B.A. Public Administration,GCPP.CertificatecourseinbasicOrnithology AbasahebGarwareCollege and ELAFoundation, Pune. OrnithologyisaGreekword:ornithameans RerintsReuest Prabhat Sunil Mhaske, 02,Awing, chickenandlogosmeanascience.Itisabranchof Kamaldeep Plaza, Navi Peth, Near Agrawal Classes, Pune, Zoology or Biologyconcerned withthe scientific Maharashtra 41100,India. studyofbirds,creaturesbelongingtoclassAves1. E­mail:prabhatmhaskegmail.com Aristotlewasperhapsthefirstpersonwhowroteon Received on28.02.2018, Accetedon 02.04.2018 ornithologyandmentionsmorethan10birds2. CarolusLinnaeus158wasthepioneerin RepublicofIndiaasdefinedbytheIndian developingaclassificationsystemforbirdsand governmentareknowntohavearound12 animals. isscientific classificationsystem, with speciesasof2014. somemodificationisstillbeingused.DrSalim IhavetakenthepicturesofnativeBirdsaround Ali189­198wasIndiasmostwell­known MulaRiverRightBankCanalinAhmednagardistrict Ornithologistandbirdwatcher.eisknownasthe of Maharashtra India. While doing these BirdmanofIndia. photographsItriedtostudythescientificknowledge Indiaisoneofthebestplacesintheworldtosee regardingthem.Onealarmingsignalcameinmy thebirds.Theetantandrecentlyetinctspecies mindthatthesebirdsarenotcaredbyanybody,they recordedwithin thepolitical limitsof the are totally ignored,there populationand species RedFlowerPublication Pvt.Ltd IndianJournalofBiology/Volume5Number1/January­June2018 PrabhatSunilMhaske/BirdsAroundMulaRiverRightBankCanalinAhmednagar District ofMaharashtra India maybeindownhill.Therearesomanyspeciesof Eggshatchin12days. birdin samearea,few ofthemIhavementioned Breedingseasonafterthemonsoons. below: Boththemaleandthefemaletakepartin incubation. AshyPriniaashyren5 Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia PiedmynaAsianiedstarling Phylum: Chordata Scientificclassification­ Class:Aves Kingdom: Animalia Order: Passeriformes Phylum: Chordata Family: Cisticolidae Class:Aves Genus: Prinia Order: Passeriformes Species:P.socialis Family: Sturnidae Smallwarbler. Genus: Gracupica ResidentbreederintheIndia,Nepal,Bangladesh, Species:Gracupica contra Bhutan,SriLankaandwesternMyanmar. FoundintheIndiansubcontinentandSoutheast Commonbirdinurbangardensandfarmland. Asia. Smallsize,distinctivecolorsanduprighttail. Markedinblackandwhiteandhasayellowish Distinctbreedingandnon­breedingplumage. billwithareddishbillbase. 1–14cm length. avebareskinaroundeyeisreddish. Shortroundedwings Upperbody,throatandbreastareblack. Longishgraduatedcreamtailtippedwithblack Cheek,lores,wingcovertsandrumpare subterminalspots. contrastinglywhite. Graycrown,Stronglegs. Bothseesaresimilarinplumage Foundsingleorinpairs. oungbirdshavedarkbrowninplaceofblack. Insectivorous. Flightisslowandbutterfly­likeonroundwings. Call­repetitivetchup,tchup,tchuporzeet­zeet­ Areaswithaccesstoopenwater. zeetandnasaltee­tee­tee. Foundinsmallgroups, Buildsitsnestclosetothegroundinashrubor Call­whistles,trills,buzzes,clicks,andwarbling tallgrassandlays–5eggs. calls. IndianJournalofBiology/Volume5Number1/January­June2018 8 PrabhatSunilMhaske/BirdsAroundMulaRiverRightBankCanalinAhmednagar District ofMaharashtra India Bothseessing. FeedonwildgrassessuchasGuineagrass,insects, Forageinfields,lawnsandonopenground butterflies,smallfrogs,geckosandmollusks. feedingongrains,fruit,insects,earthwormsand Calls area continuouschit­chit. mollusks. Wheezycheee­eee­ee­producedbymalesina BreedingseasoninIndiaisspreadfromMarchto chorus September breedingseasonofthebaya­monsoons Nestina largetree banyan,mango, jackfruit, Nests­ rosewood Nestcoloniesareusuallyfoundonthornytrees Clutch:fourtosiglossyblueeggs. orpalmfronds Eggshatchafter15days. Nestsarebuiltnearwaterorhangingoverwater wherepredatorscannotreacheasily. Nestincoloniesupto20­0,closetothesource offood,nestingmaterialandwater. Bayaweaversarewovennestsconstructedby themales. Arependulous,retort­shaped Withacentralnestingchamberandalongvertical tubethatleadstoasideentrancetothechamber. Bayaeaver Wovenwithlongstripsofpaddyleaves,rough grassesandlongstripstornfrompalmfronds Scientificclassification­ Malestakeabout18daystoconstructthe Name­Ploceusphilippinus completenest. Kingdom: Animalia Partiallybuiltbeforethemalesbegintodisplay Phylum: Chordata topassingfemalesbyflappingtheirwingsand callingwhilehangingfromtheirnests Class:Aves Femalesinspectthenestandsignaltheir Order: Passeriformes acceptanceofamale Family:Ploceidae Onceamaleandafemalearepaired,themale Genus:Ploceus goesontocomplete thenestbyadding the entrancetunnel. Common,Weaverbird Malesaresolelyinchargeofnestbuilding. FoundinIndianSubcontinentandSoutheast Asia. Femalepartnersmayjoiningivingthefinishing touches,particularlyontheinteriors. Socialandgregariousbirds Femalesprefernestshighintrees,thoseover Knownfortheirhangingretortshapednests dryland,andthoseonthinbranches. wovenfromleaves. Malesbuildmanypartialnestsandbegin Sparrow­sized15cm courtingfemales. Bothmalesandfemalesresemblefemalehouse Malefinishesthenestonlyafterfindingamate. sparrows. Bothmalesandfemalesarepolygamous. aveastoutconicalbillandashortsuaretail. Femalelays2to4whiteeggsandincubatesthem Non­breedingmalesandfemales­lookalike,dark for14to1days brownstreakedfulvousbuffabove,plain Chicksleavethenestafter1days. unstreakedwhitishfulvousbelow,eyebrowlong andbuffcolored,billishorncoloredandnomask. Aftermatingwithafemalethemaletypicallycourt otherfemalesatotherpartiallyconstructednests. Breedingmales­brightyellowcrown,darkbrown mask,blackishbrownbill,upperpartsaredark Femalesarecapableofbreedingafterayearwhile brownstreakedwithyellow,withayellowbreast malestakehalfayearlonger andcreambuffbelow. Etremelyintelligent,obedientanddocile. IndianJournalofBiology/Volume5Number1/January­June2018 PrabhatSunilMhaske/BirdsAroundMulaRiverRightBankCanalinAhmednagar 9 District ofMaharashtra India riental magierobin 8 Scientificclassification­ Siberianstonechat Asianstonechat 9 Kingdom: Animalia Scientificclassification­ Phylum: Chordata Kingdom: Animalia Class:Aves Phylum: Chordata Order: Passeriformes Class:Aves Family: Muscicapidae Order: Passeriformes Genus:Copsychus Family: Muscicapidae Species­ C.saularis Genus: Saicola NationalbirdofBangladesh. Species:Saicola maurus Smallpasserinebird widespreadandcommon,foundinAsia,Siberia Distinctive black and white birds witha long southtotheimalaya,China,Turkeyand tail that is held upright asthey forage on the Russia groundorperchconspicuously. Fiveorsisubspecies. OccursinIndiansubcontinentandSoutheast Insectivorous. Asia Darkeraboveandpalerbelow Commonbirdsinurbangardensaswellasforests. Male­duringbreedingplumagehasblack Knownfortheirsongs. upperpartsandheadwithwhitecollar,scapular Longtail­heldcockedupright. patchandrump,andarestrictedareaoforange Male­blackupperparts,headandthroatapart onthethroat fromawhiteshoulderpatchwithWhiteunder Female:palebrownupperpartsandhead,white partsandthesidesofthelongtail. neckpatchesnotafullcollar,andapale, Females­grayishblackaboveandgrayishwhite unstreakedpinkish­yellowrump. oungbirdshavescalybrownupperpartsand Malehasaclickingcall. head Breed­MarchtoJulyinIndia Indianroller 10 Malessingfromhighperchesduringcourtship. Displayofthemale­puffingupthefeathers, raisingthebill,fanningthetailandstrutting. nestintreehollowsornichesinwallsorbuilding, Eggsareincubatedbythefemalealonefor8to 14days. Littleconcern globally. IndianJournalofBiology/Volume5Number1/January­June2018 80 PrabhatSunilMhaske/BirdsAroundMulaRiverRightBankCanalinAhmednagar District ofMaharashtra India Scientificclassification­ Indiansilverbill orwhite­throated munia Kingdom: Animalia Scientificclassification­ Phylum: Chordata Kingdom: Animalia Class:Aves Phylum: Chordata Order: Coraciiformes Class:Aves Family: Coraciidae Order: Passeriformes Genus: Coracias Family:Estrildidae Species:Coracias benghalensis Genus:Euodice VerycommoninthepopulatedplainsofIndia Species:Euodice malabarica indinameisneelkanth­bluethroat­aname Smallpasserinebird associatedwithShiva Occurs inPakistan, Nepal,Bangladesh, India, FoundinIra,ArabiaandIndia SriLanka,IranandIsrael Usedascaughtandreleasedduringfestivalssuch