Eurasian Spoonbill

The Eurasian Spoonbill or Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae,

This species is almost unmistakable in most of its range. The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched.

The Eurasian Spoonbill differs from the African Spoonbill with which in overlaps in winter, in that the latter species has a red face and legs, and no crest.

Oriental Pratincole

The Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum), also known as the Grasshopper-Bird or Swallow-Plover is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.

Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.

These are birds of open country, and are often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects. These pratincoles are found in warmer parts of south and eastAsia, breeding from Northern Pakistan and the Kashmir region across into China and south west. Their 2-3 eggs are laid on the ground. They are migratory, wintering in both India and Pakistan, Indonesia and Australasia. They are rare north or west of the breeding range, but, amazingly, this species has occurred as far away asGreat Britain more than once. The first record for the Western Palearctic was in Suffolk, England in June 1981.

These birds have short legs, long pointed wings and long forked tails. They have short bills, which is an adaptation to aerial feeding. The back and head are brown, and the wings are brown with black flight feathers. The belly is white. The underwings are chestnut.

Very good views are needed to distinguish this species from other pratincoles, such as the very similar Collared Pratincole, which also has a chestnut underwing, andBlack-winged Pratincole which shares the black upperwing flight feathers and lack of a white trailing edge to the wing. These features are not always readily seen in the field, especially as the chestnut underwing appears black unless excellent views are obtained.

Cotton Pygmy Goose

The Cotton Pygmy Goose or the Cotton Teal,^[2] Nettapus coromandelianus is a small perching duck which breeds in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, southeastAsia and south to northern Australia.

Male in breeding plumage is glossy blackish green crown, with white head, neck, and underparts; a prominent black collar and white wing-bar. Rounded head and short legs. In flight, the wings are green with a white band, making the male conspicuous even amongst the huge flying flocks of the Lesser Whistling Duck, which share the habitat. Female paler, without either black collar and only a narrow or nonexistent strip of white wing-bar. In non-breeding plumage (eclipse) male resembles female except for his white wing-bar. Flocks on water bodies (jheels), etc.

Call: A peculiar clucking, uttered in flight

Lesser Whistling Duck

The Lesser Whistling Duck ( Dendrocygna javanica) also known as Indian Whistling Duck or Lesser Whistling Teal is a species of whistling duck that breeds in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. They are nocturnal feeders and during the day may be found in flocks around lakes and wet paddy fields. They can perch on trees and sometimes build their nest in the hollow of a tree. This brown and long-necked duck has broad wings that are visible in flight and produces a loud two-note wheezy call. It has a chestnut rump, differentiating it from its larger relative, the Fulvous Whistling Duck, which has creamy white.

Black Bittern

The Black Bittern, Ixobrychus flavicollis, is a bittern of Old World origin, breeding in tropical Asia from Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka east to China, Indonesia andAustralia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances.

This is a fairly large species at 58 cm (23 in) in length, being by some margin the largest bittern in the Ixobrychus genus. Compared to related species, it has a longish neck and long yellow bill. The adult is uniformly black above, with yellow neck sides. It is whitish below, heavily streaked with brown. The juvenile is like the adult, but dark brown rather than black.

Their breeding habitat is reedbeds. They nest on platforms of reeds in shrubs, or sometimes in trees. 3-5 eggs are laid. They can be difficult to see, given their skulking lifestyle and reedbed habitat, but tend to fly fairly frequently, when the all black upperparts makes them unmistakable.

Wire-tailed Swallow

The Wire-tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) is a small passerine bird in the swallow family. Swallows are somewhat similar in habits and appearance to other aerial insectivores, such as the related martins and the unrelated swifts (order Apodiformes).

Wire-tailed Swallow breeds in Africa south of the Sahara and in tropical southern Asia from the Indian subcontinent east to southeast Asia. It is mainly resident, but populations in Pakistan and northern India migrate further south in winter.

Cinnamon Bittern

The Cinnamon Bittern or Chestnut Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus) is a small bittern. It is of Old World origins, breeding in tropical and subtropical Asia fromPakistan east to China and Indonesia. It is mainly resident, but some northern birds migrate short distances.

This is a small species at 38 cm (15 in) length, though is one of the larger Ixobrychus bitterns. Possessing a short neck and longish bill, the male is uniformly cinnamon above and buff below. The female is similar but her back and crown are brown, and the juvenile is like the female but heavily streaked brown below.

When surprised on its nest or concerned, it assumes the characteristic attitude of bitterns, aptly termed the On-Guard. The neck is stretched perpendicularly, bill pointing skyward, while the bird freezes, becoming astonishingly obliterated amongst its reedy environment.^[2]

Their breeding habitat is reedbeds. They nest on platforms of reeds in shrubs. 4-6 eggs are laid. They can be difficult to see, given their skulking lifestyle and reedbed habitat, but tend to emerge at dusk, when they can be seen creeping almost cat-like in search of frogs.

Jacobin Cuckoo or pied Cuckoo

The Jacobin Cuckoo, Pied Cuckoo, or Pied Crested Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds that is found in Africa and Asia. It is partially migratory and in India, it has been considered a harbinger of the Monsoon rains due to the timing of its arrival. It has been associated with a bird in Indian mythology and poetry, known as the Chatak or Papiha and represented as a bird with a beak on its head that waits for rains to quench its thirst.

Black-breasted Weaver

The Black-breasted Weaver, also known as the Bengal Weaver or Black-throated Weaver (Ploceus benghalensis), is a weaver resident in the northern river plains of the Indian subcontinent. Like the other weavers, the males build an enclosed nest from reeds and mud, and visiting females select a mate at least partially based on the quality of the nest.

Watercock (Manipuri Name - Uthum)

RECORD SHOT

The Watercock Gallicrex cinerea is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. It is the only member of the genus Gallicrex.

Their breeding habitat is swamps across south Asia from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to south China, Japan and Indonesia. They nest in a dry location on the ground in marsh vegetation, laying 3-6 eggs. These large rails are mainly permanent residents throughout their range.

Greater Flamingo

The Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) is the most widespread species of the flamingo family. It is found in parts of Africa, southern Asia (coastal regions of Pakistan and India), and southern Europe (including Spain, Albania, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy and the Camargueregion of France). Some populations are short distance migrants, and sightings north of the breeding range are relatively frequent; however, given the species' popularity in captivity, whether or not these are truly wild individuals is a matter of some debate. A single bird was seen on North Keeling Island (Cocos (Keeling) Islands) in 1988. The Greater Flamingo is the state bird of Gujarat, India.

Striated Babbler

The Striated Babbler (Turdoides earlei) is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family. It is found in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.

Streaked Weaver

MALE

The Streaked Weaver (Ploceus manyar) is a species of weaver bird found in South Asia. These are not as common as the Baya Weaver but are similar looking but have streaked underparts.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

The Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a jacana in the monotypic genus Hydrophasianus. Jacanas are a group of waders in the familyJacanidae that are identifiable by their huge feet and claws which enable them to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. The Pheasant-tailed Jacana is capable of swimming, although it usually walks on the vegetation. The females are more colourful than the males and are polyandrous.