Dec 09
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, flycatcher, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, red breasted flycatcher

Red breasted flycatcher male, Jaipur

The red-breasted flycatcher is, at first glance, similar to a European robin in appearance; however, these species are not related. The scientific name of this species, Ficedula parva, is Latin for ‘small fig-eating bird’, parva meaning little. Both male and female red-breasted flycatchers have olive-brown upperparts, white underparts, white rings around the eyes, and a wide, black, pointed bill, characteristic of flying insectivores. A good identification feature is the white patches on either side of the base of the tail which are very conspicuous when birds cock and spread their tails. Males have a greyish head and sides to the neck and a bright orangey-red bib on the throat, which females and juveniles lack. The breeding male of this small 11–12 cm long flycatcher is mainly brown above and white below, with a grey head and orange throat. The bill is black and has the broad but pointed shape typical of aerial insectivores. As well as taking insects in flight, this species hunts caterpillars amongst the oak foliage, and will take berries. The base of the outertail feather is white and the tail is often flicked upwards as they perch looking out for insect prey which are caught on the […]
Read More
Dec 09
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, common greenshank, Digitalfrescos, greenshank, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Common greenshank non breeding plummage, Jaipur

The largest species in the genus Tringa, the common greenshank is an elegant wading bird with a long, stout, slightly upturned bill and long, yellowish- to greyish-green legs. It has a relatively long neck, and the bill is grey with a darker tip. Outside of the breeding season, the common greenshank is largely grey above and white below, with darker wings, grey streaks on the head and neck, and a whitish tail. Breeding adults have heavy dark streaking and spotting on the upperparts, head, neck and upper breast. At all times of year, this species has a white rump which extends into a distinctive white wedge up the back, visible in flight. The male and female common greenshank are similar in appearance, but females average slightly larger. Juveniles resemble the non-breeding adults, but have browner upperparts with buff edges to the feathers, and more streaking on the neck and breast. The common greenshank forages by both day and night, feeding on a variety of insects and their larvae, but also taking crustaceans, molluscs, worms, amphibians and small fish. This species has even been recorded eating rodents and lizards. It usually feeds by pecking or probing as it walks through shallow […]
Read More
Dec 09
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, redshank, spotted redshank

Spotted redshank non breeding plummage, Jaipur

The Spotted Redshank is a wary, noisy wader, larger and more elegant than the Common Redshank. It is often named “Sentinel of the Marshes” as it flies off while yelling a warning to other birds. The Spotted Redshank has beautiful sooty-black breeding plumage and long, needle-like bill. It is known for its spectacular “sky dance” at the beginning of the breeding season. The females often leave the breeding grounds up to a week before the eggs hatch, or desert their mates with brood at an early stage. The males rear the young alone, and migrate with the juveniles after the nesting period. The Spotted Redshank is migratory. It breeds in the northernmost regions of Eurasia, and moves S to spend the winter as far as equatorial Africa, India and SE Asia. It is threatened by habitat loss in the wintering areas and on migration. The female is slightly larger than male, with usually paler plumage, showing white tips to crown feathers and more white-edged feathers on the underparts. The non-breeding adult has pale brownish-grey upperparts from forehead to mantle and scapulars (the latter with narrow fringes on the larger scapulars). Wing-coverts and tertials are spotted and notched whitish. The white […]
Read More
Dec 09
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, kingfisher, lesser pied, lesser pied kingfisher, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Pied, pied kingfisher

Lesser pied kingfisher in flight, Jaipur

Not only is the pied kingfisher the largest bird capable of a true hover in still air, it is also the only kingfisher with all black and white plumage. This distinctive bird has white-spotted, black upperparts and white underparts, with a broad band of black streaks on the upper-breast and a narrow black bar below. There is a prominent white eyebrow and a black eyeband that stretches to the back of the neck, as well as a white throat and collar and a white patch on the wing-coverts. The rump is barred black and white, the iris is brown and the weak, fleshy, feet and legs are black. The male pied kingfisher as in this image is distinguished from the female by the presence of two full breast bands, with the female having just a single incomplete band. A proficient predator of fish, the pied kingfisher forages from a perch or while hovering, flying low over the water before rising up to ten metres, holding a brief hover, and then plunging into the water and seizing its target in its bill. Because of the pied kingfisher’s unrivalled ability to hover, it does not always require extensive woodland around its habitat […]
Read More
Dec 09
by Admin in Rajasthan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, kingfisher, lesser pied, lesser pied kingfisher, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Pied, pied kingfisher

Lesser pied kingfisher male portrait, Jaipur

Not only is the pied kingfisher the largest bird capable of a true hover in still air, it is also the only kingfisher with all black and white plumage. This distinctive bird has white-spotted, black upperparts and white underparts, with a broad band of black streaks on the upper-breast and a narrow black bar below. There is a prominent white eyebrow and a black eyeband that stretches to the back of the neck, as well as a white throat and collar and a white patch on the wing-coverts. The rump is barred black and white, the iris is brown and the weak, fleshy, feet and legs are black. The male pied kingfisher as in this image is distinguished from the female by the presence of two full breast bands, with the female having just a single incomplete band. A proficient predator of fish, the pied kingfisher forages from a perch or while hovering, flying low over the water before rising up to ten metres, holding a brief hover, and then plunging into the water and seizing its target in its bill. Because of the pied kingfisher’s unrivalled ability to hover, it does not always require extensive woodland around its habitat […]
Read More