About Me

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Rosy Starling



The Rosy Starling or Rose-coloured Starling (Sturnus roseus) is a passerine bird in the starling family Sturnidae. It is sometimes given its own, monotypic genus Pastor. This split is supported by recent studies, though its closest living relatives are still not certainly known

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Himalayan Bulbul

Chail -April 2012

The Himalayan Bulbul (Pycnonotus leucogenys) is a species of songbird in the Pycnonotidae family. If they are mixed with humans from a young age, they will become friendly to humans. It is found in the northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent as well as some adjoining areas. It is found in Afghanistan,Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Grey Bushchat

Chail - April 2012
Female
Female
Male

The Grey Bushchat (Saxicola ferreus) is a species of bird in the Muscicapidae family.

It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Taiwan,Thailand, and Vietnam.

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Himalayan Vulture

Chail - April 2012
The Himalayan Vulture or Himalayan Griffon Vulture (Gyps himalayensis) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae. Closely related to theEuropean Griffon Vulture (G. fulvus) and once considered a subspecies of it, this species is found along the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau.
This is a large vulture, the largest in the Himalayas. Adults have a ruff that is long and pale brown with white streaks. The ruff feathers are long and spiky, the head is covered in down and the legs are feathered. The upperside is unstreaked buff, has a pale blue facial skin (dark blue in Gyps fulvus), a yellowish bill and pinkish legs.

Grey-winged Blackbird

Chail -April 2012

The Grey-winged Blackbird (Turdus boulboul) is a species of bird in the Turdidae family.

It is found in the northern parts of the Indian Subcontinent, stretching all the way to the nearer parts of Southeast Asia, including in Bangladesh, Bhutan,China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

Black-lored Tit



The Black-lored Tit, Parus xanthogenys, is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae. The Yellow-cheeked Tit is probably its closest relative, and they might be related to the Yellow Tit. These three tits almost certainly form a distinct lineage as evidenced by morphology, and mtDNA cytochrome b sequenceanalysis (Gill et al., 2005). The subgenus name Macholophus may apply for them; placement in Poecile (chickadees and relatives) was apparently proposed[citation needed] but is certainly in error.
This species is a resident breeder in the Himalayas. The race in peninsular India has been split as Parus aplonotus by Rasmussen and Anderton (2005).[2] It is a common bird in open tropical forests, but does not occur in Sri Lanka. It is an active and agile feeder, taking insects and spiders from the canopy, and sometimes fruit.
It is an easy tit to recognise in most of India, large in size at 13 cm, with a broad black line (broader in the male) down its otherwise yellow front. The large crest, neck, throat and head are black with yellow cheeks and supercilia. Upperparts are olive-green. It has two white or yellowish wingbars and white outer tail feathers.
Females and young birds are duller than males. The underpart colour becomes increasingly dull from north to south through this tit's range.
The Black-lored Tit is, like other tits, a vocal bird, and has a large variety of calls, of which the most familiar is a si-si. The song is a sometimes nuthatch likechi-chi-chi.
Woodpecker or barbet holes are used for a nest, and this species will also excavate its own hole or use man-made sites. The clutch is typically 3-5 white eggs, spotted red. The bird is a close sitter, hissing when disturbed.

Streaked Laughingthrush

Chail - April 2012

The Streaked Laughingthrush (Garrulax lineatus) is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family. It is commonly found in the northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent and some adjoining areas, ranging across Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan.

This species is sometimes[1] placed in the genus Trochalopteron.

The subspecies imbricatum is sometimes considered a separates species, Bhutan Laughingthrush.

Green-backed Tit

Sattal - May 2012
Chail- April 2012

The Green-backed Tit (Parus monticolus) is a species of bird in the Paridae family.
Its natural habitats are boreal forests, temperate forests, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Spectacled Finch

Chail - April 2012

The Spectacled Finch (Callacanthis burtoni) is a species of finch in the Fringillidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its naturalhabitat is temperate forests with a lush landscape.

Rock Bunting

Chail-April 2012
The Rock Bunting, Emberiza cia, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
It breeds in northwest Africa, southern Europe east to central Asia, and the Himalayas. It is partially migratory, with northern populations wintering further south, mainly within the breeding range of the resident southern populations. It is a rare wanderer to western Europe

This bird is 16cm in length. The breeding male has chestnut upperparts, unmarked deep buff underparts, and a pale grey head marked with black striping.

The female Rock Bunting is a washed-out version of the male, with paler underparts, a grey-brown back and a less contrasted head. The juvenile is similar to the female, but with a streaked head.

There are four races differing mainly in the plumage shades, although the subspecies which breeds in Europe, Africa and western Turkey is the only one to show white wing bars.

Common Rosefinch




The rosefinches are birds in the finch family Fringillidae. Most Carpodacus species are called "rosefinches", but the three North American species are simply called "finches". As the names imply, various shades of red are the characteristic plumage colours of this group. The Common Rosefinch is frequently called the "rosefinch".
Rosefinches are found throughout the northern hemisphere, but the greatest diversity is in Asia. Most species are traditionally placed in the large genus

Red-billed Blue Magpie


The Red-billed Blue Magpie, Urocissa erythrorhyncha is a species of bird in the crow family Corvidae. It is about the same size as the European Magpie but has a much longer tail, the longest tail of any corvid.
The head, neck and breast are black with a bluish spotting on the crown. The shoulders and rump are a duller blue and the underparts are a greyish cream. The long tail is a brighter blue (as are the wing primaries) with a broad white tip. The bill is a bright orange-red as are the legs and feet and a ring around the eye. This red can vary across its range to almost yellow in some birds.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Great Barbet

Chail-April 2012

The Great Barbet, Megalaima virens, is an Asian barbet. Barbets are a group of near passerine birds with a worldwide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.

The Great Barbet is a resident breeder in the lower-to-middle altitudes of the Himalayas, ranging across northern India, Nepal and Bhutan, and some parts ofSoutheast Asia as far away as Laos. It is a species of broadleaf evergreen woodlands at 600-2,565 m altitude. It nests in a tree hole.

White's Thrush

Chail-April 2012
The White's Thrush or Scaly Thrush (Zoothera dauma) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae. It was named after the English naturalist Gilbert White
The sexes are similar, 27–31 cm long, with black scaling on a paler white or yellowish background. The most striking identification feature in flight is the black band on the white underwings, a feature shared with Siberian Thrush. The male has a song which is a loud, far-carrying mechanical whistle, with 5-10 second pauses between each one second long phrase twee...tuuu....tuuu....tuuu.
It breeds in wet coniferous taiga, mainly in eastern Asia and Siberia. Northern races are strongly migratory, with most birds moving to southeastern Asia during the winter. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe.

Oriental Turtle Dove (Manipuri Name - Khunu chaphubi)

Chail - April 2012
The Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove (Streptopelia orientalis) is a member of the bird family Columbidae, doves and pigeons.

Both the names Oriental Turtle Dove or Rufous Turtle Dove have been used for this species. It has been suggested that the name Rufous Turtle Dove should be used for the western form meena, and Oriental Turtle Dove for the nominate orientalis.

Grey-hooded Warbler

Date and Location - 29th April 2017 (Gedu, Bhutan)


The Grey-hooded Warbler (Phylloscopus xanthoschistos) is a species of leaf warbler (family Phylloscopidae). It is most famous for the way it warbles. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage.
It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Its natural habitat is temperate forests.