Search

Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley describe the Pond Heron as “An egret-like waterside bird largely snow-white and prominent when in flight, effectively camouflaged earthy brown when at rest.” The bird mainly feeds on frogs, fish, crustaceans and water beetles. The Pond Heron is also known as the Paddy Bird as it is often found in paddy fields foraging for small insects and crustaceans. The bird has a habit of standing still until the very last moment before flying when approached by people which has led people to believe that the bird is short sighted. Interestingly, the Sri Lankan name for the…

The Coppersmith Barbet is a resident on the IIT Madras campus, often found on Banyan trees. The bird is mostly green, with patches of yellow and crimson around its head and neck. It is around 15-17 cm long. According to Salim Ali and Dillon Ripley, they feed on “Banyan, peepul and other wild figs; various drupes and berries. Occasionally moths and flying termites captured in clumsy aerial sorties.” According to an article in The Hindu; “To add to its visibility, it utters a loud metallic, repetitive tuk-tuk-tuk, reminiscent of a sound a coppersmith makes while beating a sheet with a hammer…

Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley describe the Pond Heron as “An egret-like waterside bird largely snow-white and prominent when in flight, effectively camouflaged earthy brown when at rest.” The bird mainly feeds on frogs, fish, crustaceans and water beetles. The Pond Heron is also known as the Paddy Bird as it is often found in paddy fields foraging for small insects and crustaceans. The bird has a habit of standing still until the very last moment before flying when approached by people which has led people to believe that the bird is short sighted. Interestingly, the Sri Lankan name for the…

The Black Drongo is one of the two drongos found on the IIT Madras campus. The other drongo is the Ashy/Grey Drongo. The eBird website describes the bird as “A pugnacious species, frequently chasing away larger birds with repeated dives and harsh chattering calls. A skilled mimic of other species, and a strong songster in general, delivering a wide range of pleasant fluty calls, harsh chattering, nasal notes, and high sharp whistles.” It has a unique forked tail, which is suggested by its scientific name; Dicrurus can be split into the words dikros which means ‘forked’ in Greek, and ouros,…

The White-browed Bulbul is one of the Bulbuls without a crest. It approximately measures 20 cm with a tail that is around 8 cm. It is described by Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley to be “very shy and skulking, more often heard than seen as it seems to prefer dense thickets.” The bird, according to Ali and Ripley, feeds on fruits, berries and flower-nectar, and also spiders and insects.

The Malay Night Heron is a rare bird “with a distinctive short, rather arched, heavy dark bill and a lax crest imparting a large headed look.” (Birds of South Asia by Rasmussen and Anderton). According to Salim Ali and Dillon Ripley’s ‘Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan’ (second edition), the bird is “an unmistakable relation of the Pond and Night Herons.” The book further describes the bird to be “in many respects similar to those of the Night Heron; largely nocturnal. Excessively shy and difficult to approach or observe, but perhaps less rare than generally believed.” It is…

The Darter is a water bird with a long neck and a pointed bill. According to eBird, “Breeding adults have a shiny black body with silvery-white streaks along the wings, a brownish crown and neck, and a white stripe running from the eye to the side of the neck. Nonbreeding and immature plumage is duller and browner.” The adult is black, with the back and wings having streaks of silver-grey, while the head and neck is “velvety chocolate-brown with white chin, throat, and a narrow white line from behind eye halfway down each side of neck.” (As described by Salim Ali and Dillon Ripley). The young…

The Rose-ringed Parakeet is a common bird, characterised by its bright green plumage and long slender tail. The male has a rose coloured neck ring. The female does not have a distinct collar like that of the male, but a dull emerald-green collar. The juveniles resemble adult females, but have a yellower plumage. The Rose-ringed Parakeet is a noisy and social bird, and nests in the hollows of trees, and occasionally in buildings.

The Little Cormorant is essentially a water bird. Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley write about the feeding habits of the bird: “In the feverish jostling during the communal hunts, in which densely packed rabbles participate, the birds often leap-frog over their fellows in their eagerness to plunge after a shoal of fish-manoeuvres reminiscent of starlings at a swarm of grasshopper nymphs.” The authors explain: “When not on water, usually seen perched upright on trees, stakes, or rocks, sunning themselves, wings and tail spread open.”

Striated Heron

Asian Brown Flycatcher

Male Paradise Flycatcher

Bee Eater

Booted Eagle

White-breasted Waterhen