Jan 14
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Crow, Digitalfrescos, eagle, MHE, Mountain hawk eagle, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Mountain hawk Eagle shows its claws on its tormentor, Bhutan

The mountain hawk-eagle or Hodgson’s hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis, earlier treated under Spizaetus) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in the Indian subcontinent, from India, Nepal (hence the epithet nipalensis) through Bangladesh to Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan. The mountain hawk-eagle is a medium-large raptor. The typical adult has brown upperparts and pale underparts, with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail. The breast and belly and underwing coverts are heavily streaked. The wings are broad with a curved trailing edge, and are held in a shallow V in flight. Sexes are similar, but young birds are often whiter-headed. The heavier underpart streaking and wing shape help to distinguish this species from the similar crested hawk-eagle. This eagle is It is a bird of mountain woodland and mostly found in dense foothill and montane evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, mostly from 600–4000 meters. Mountain hawk-eagles eat small mammals, birds and reptiles. It takes a wide variety of small to medium-sized mammals, especially hares and including even monkeys. Both adults have similar appearance, but the female is larger than male. The juvenile is much paler with pale to light […]
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Jan 14
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Crow, Digitalfrescos, eagle, MHE, Mountain hawk eagle, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500

Mountain hawk Eagle and its tormentor, Bhutan

The mountain hawk-eagle or Hodgson’s hawk-eagle (Nisaetus nipalensis, earlier treated under Spizaetus) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. It breeds in the Indian subcontinent, from India, Nepal (hence the epithet nipalensis) through Bangladesh to Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan. The mountain hawk-eagle is a medium-large raptor. The typical adult has brown upperparts and pale underparts, with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail. The breast and belly and underwing coverts are heavily streaked. The wings are broad with a curved trailing edge, and are held in a shallow V in flight. Sexes are similar, but young birds are often whiter-headed. The heavier underpart streaking and wing shape help to distinguish this species from the similar crested hawk-eagle. This eagle is It is a bird of mountain woodland and mostly found in dense foothill and montane evergreen and mixed deciduous forests, mostly from 600–4000 meters. Mountain hawk-eagles eat small mammals, birds and reptiles. It takes a wide variety of small to medium-sized mammals, especially hares and including even monkeys. Both adults have similar appearance, but the female is larger than male. The juvenile is much paler with pale to light […]
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Jan 14
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, magpie, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, yellow billed blue magpie

Yellow billed blue magpie – Anti light, Bhutan

The yellow-billed blue magpie or gold-billed magpie (Urocissa flavirostris) is a passerine bird in the crow and jay family, Corvidae. It forms a superspecies with the Taiwan blue magpie and the red-billed blue magpie. The species ranges across the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent including the lower Himalayas, with a disjunct population in Vietnam. The first thing one would notice when looking at a Yellow-billed Blue Magpie is the bill that contrasts with the black head. The yellow-billed magpie or gold-billed magpie is a purplish blue bird with black coloured head, neck and breast regions. There is a white patch on the nape and whitish coloured underparts. It has a long tail which is graduated black and white . The billis yellow coloured and legs orange. The blue magpies are, as may be judged from their handsome tails, essentially arboreal birds; though, while they are most usually to be met with in heavy jungle areas, they also venture out into the trees amongst cultivation, and at times on to bare mountain sides at high elevations. They frequently feed on the ground and then adopt a curious hopping gait, with the tail held high to prevent it coming into contact […]
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Jan 14
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, grosbeak, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Spot winged grosbeak

Spot winged grosbeak pair – female and male, Bhutan

The spot-winged grosbeak (Mycerobas melanozanthos) is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae, found in middle to higher elevations. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Its range includes Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The male is identified by Slate-grey head, upper breast and upperparts. The underparts are yellow. The female birds have black streaking on the yellow head and body.  This image shows the male and female where the female is to the left and in the lower part of the frame. They eat seeds and berries, including cherries. According to Captain Hutton this species “comes to Mussooree in flocks during March and April, and remains as long as it can find plenty of cherry stones to crack, after which it disappears. They have a curious chattering note, and love to sit in the tops of the tallest trees. When at work on a wild cherry tree they are easily detected by the constant cracking sound of the cherrystones, which they never break, but open most dexterously at the joining of the […]
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Jan 14
by Admin in Bhutan 0 comments tags: Alwan, art, Avian, Bangalore, Bhutan, Bird, birds, Digitalfrescos, grosbeak, Nikkor, Nikkor 500, Nikon, Nikon D500, Spot winged grosbeak

Spot winged grosbeak female, Bhutan

The spot-winged grosbeak (Mycerobas melanozanthos) is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae, found in middle to higher elevations. It is found in the Indian subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia. Its range includes Bhutan, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Tibet and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. The male is identified by Slate-grey head, upper breast and upperparts. The underparts are yellow. The female birds have black streaking on the yellow head and body.  This image shows the female bird. They eat seeds and berries, including cherries. According to Captain Hutton this species “comes to Mussooree in flocks during March and April, and remains as long as it can find plenty of cherry stones to crack, after which it disappears. They have a curious chattering note, and love to sit in the tops of the tallest trees. When at work on a wild cherry tree they are easily detected by the constant cracking sound of the cherrystones, which they never break, but open most dexterously at the joining of the halves. The ground beneath the trees is strewed with the opened shells”. It is classified as […]
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