Red Whiskered Bulbul - Pycnonotus jocosus(Linnaeus)

All photographs taken at RGPPL Colony,Anjanvel, Tal-Guhagar, Dist-Ratnagiri, Maharashtra





















Its local names are
Kamera bulbul , Pahari bulbul (Hindi)

Size
It is of the size of a Myna, almost 20cm (8in)

Field characters
Greyish brown above , white below with a broken blackish necklace on breast.Black,upstanding,pointed crest,crimson 'whiskers' and crimson patch under root of tail are distinguishing features.Both sexes are alike .They are found in pairs or loose gatherings.

Distribution
They are found all over the Indian union, except the arid portions of the northwest(Rajasthan etc.),Bangladesh,Myanmar, and Andamans.Recently introduced in Nicobars.They are distributed patchily upto about 2000m .Not found in Sri Lanka and Pakistan.These birds have five races mainly on details of colouration.

Habits
Common in gardens and light scrub jungles, both near and away from human habitations.Large numbers collect to feed on banayan and peepul figs and winged termite swams.Has no song as such , but its joyous notes and vivacious disposition make it a welcome visitor to every garden.
They prefer better-wooded localities and commonly found in hills up to 2500m.Its joyous querulous notes are more musical than the Red-vented bulbul and is readily distinguishable.

Nesting
Nesting season is from February to August.This season is locally variable.
Nest is similar to other bulbuls.It is a cup of rootlets, sometimes plastered outside with cobwebs, in a bush or tree.The nest is located about 10m above the ground.
Eggs are 2-3 faint pinkish white.
Both sexes share parental duties.

Lesser Adjutant Stork- Leptotilus javanicus(Horsfield)

Photographed by Sh.Anurag Kumar at Dudhwa WLS , Uttar Pradesh


Its local names are
Chinjara Chandana, Chandiari, Bang gor, Chhota garur (Hindi)
Madanchur, Madantak (Bengal)
Tokla moora (Assam)
Bor tokola (Nowgong,Assam)
Dodal konga,Doidal gatti gadu (Telugu)
Meva kokku (Tamil)
Mana (Sinhala)
Vayalnaicken (Malayalam)

Size
Its size is almost of a vulture.

Field characters
Standing height 110-120 cm .Colour is glossy black above and white below.No neck pouch.Generally found in swamps and flooded lands.Both sexes appear alike.

Distribution
Resident and locally migratory.Found in North East India, Kerla, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.Uncommon in continental India.

Habits
Normally solitary and behavior similar to the Adjutant-Stork but less of a scavenger and more shy.Affects well-watered country.

Food
Fish,Frogs, Reptiles and invertebrates.

Call
Said to make a guttural noise.

Nesting
Its nesting season is November to January.The nest is a massive platform of sticks in lofty Salamalia or other trees.Eggs are generally 3-4 and white in colour.The main nesting area is NE India.Only circumstantial evidence of its nesting is in Kerla.Declining in Sri Lanka owing to disturbance in its breeding site.