ENDANGERED BIRD SPECIES OF KERALA

1) 1)      HOUSE SPARROW ( ANGADI KURUVI, IRAKILI, ARIKILI, ANNAKILI, VEETU KURUVI)




   It was known to be the most common bird in almost all places. Very common in Europe and all parts of Asia. By following humans it reached America, suburbs of Africa, Australia and other parts of the world. It has been observed that the house sparrow conquers the nests of other birds. The size of the bird is approximately 14 to 16 cm. The lower parts of the neck of male birds are white and black coloured breast. Females are faded ash colour. Common sparrows always fly in groups making chirping sounds. Normally the birds won’t fly at a height above 150 metres. Breeding is 6 to 7 times a year. The nest is build by male and female together. Female lays 3 or 4 eggs at a time. The eggs hatches within 14 days.

SPECIES

 They are classified according to their size and colour of the cheeks. The species seen in western countries are larger in size than those seen in northern side.

FEED

  Since the birds are seen in thickly populated area, their feed includes seeds and cereals. Apart from that they also feed on flowers and butterflies. The hatchlings  feed on larvae of insects.

2)   WHITE BROWED FANTAIL ( AATAKARAN PAKSHI)

The scientific name is Rhipidura aureola  a small passerine bird. It has large circular fan like tail and a slight blackish body. It use to open and close its tail and dance by making a typical noise. It is because of this tail the brd is known as fan tail.

HABITAT

  It is mostly seen in areas containing shrubs and bushes also seen in areas of human population. Main feed is cockroaches. It use to visit cow sheds and verandas of houses in search of prey. It produces a click voice while catching cockroaches. Its nesting begins in summer and at the beginning of rainy season. The nests are seen mainly on teak trees. The nests are built on small branches passing close to the ground. The nest resembles a cup; it is made up of strings of coconut and areca nut trees joined with the help of cobwebs. Its breeding time starts in summer and at the beginning of rainy season. The eggs are  short oval shaped pink coloured ones. The hatchlings look like small meat pieces. The crows and other birds feed on the hatchlings so these birds spent most of the time near to the nest guarding their babies.

3)      TAILOR BIRD ( ADAKKA KURUVI, THUNNARAN, THUNNAKKARAN KURUVI, PANAKURUVI)

Tailorbirds are small birds belonging to the genus Orthotomus often placed in the Old World warbler family Sylviidae. However, recent research suggests they more likely belong in the Cisticolidae and they are treated as such in Del Hoyo et al. (2006). One species, the Mountain Tailorbird (and therefore also its sister species Rufous-headed Tailorbird), is actually closer to an old world warbler genus Cettia.[1]

They occur in the Old World tropics, principally in Asia.

These warblers are usually brightly coloured, with green or grey upperparts and yellow white or grey underparts. They often have chestnut on the head.

Tailorbirds have short rounded wings, short tails, strong legs and long curved bills. The tail is typically held upright, like a wren. They are typically found in open woodland, scrub and gardens.

Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed. The edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider's web to make a cradle in which the actual grass nest is built. The Common Tailorbird is a brightly coloured bird, with bright green upperparts and whitish underparts. They range in size from 10 to 14 centimetres (3.9 to 5.5 in) and weigh 6 to 10 grams (0.21 to 0.35 oz). They have short rounded wings, a long tail, strong legs and a sharp bill with curved tip to the upper mandible. They are wren-like with a long upright tail that is often moved around. The crown is rufous and the upperparts are predominantly olive green. The underside is creamy white. The sexes are identical, except that the male has long central tail feathers in the breeding season, although the reliability of sexing data accompanying museum specimens used in determining this sexual dimorphism has been questioned. Young birds are duller.When calling, the dark patches on the sides of the neck become visible. These are due to the dark pigmented and bare skin that are present in both sexes and sometimes give the appearance of a dark gorget. Tailorbirds are found in singly or in pairs, usually low in the undergrowth or trees sometimes hopping on the ground. They forage for insects and have been known to feed on a range of beetles and bugs. They are attracted to insects at flowers and are known to favour the inflorescenses of mango. They also visit flowers such as those of Bombax, Salmalia for nectar and are sometimes covered in pollen, giving them a golden-headed appearance.

The birds roost alone during the non-breeding season but may roost side-by-side during the breeding season, sometimes with the newly fledged juvenile sandwiched between the adults. The roost sites chosen are thin twigs on trees with cover above them and were often close to human habitation and lights

BREEDING

The breeding season is March to December peaking from June to August in India, coinciding with the wet season. In Sri Lanka the main breeding periods are March to May and August to September, although they can breed throughout the year.

Although the name is derived from their nest construction habit, the nest is not unique and is also found in many Prinia warblers. The nest is a deep cup, lined with soft materials and placed in thick foliage and the leaves holding the nest have the upper surfaces outwards making it difficult to spot. The punctures made on the edge of the leaves are minute and do not cause browning of the leaves, further aiding camouflage. The nest lining of a nest in Sri Lanka that was studied by Casey Wood was found to be lined with lint from Euphorbia, Ceiba pentandra and Bombax malabaricum species. Jerdon wrote that the bird made knots, however no knots are used. Wood classified the processes used by the tailorbird in nest as sewing, rivetting, lacing and matting. In some cases the nest is made from a single large leaf, the margins of which are rivetted together. Sometimes the fibres from one rivet are extended into an adjoining puncture and appearing more like sewing. The stitch is made by piercing two leaves and drawing fibre through them. The fibres fluff out on the outside and in effect they are more like rivets. There are many variations in the nest and some may altogether lack the cradle of leaves. One observer noted that the birds did not utilize cotton that was made available while another observer, Edward Hamilton Aitken, was able to induce them to use artificially supplied cotton. The usual clutch is three eggs.

The incubation period is about 12 days. Both male and female feed the young. Mortality of eggs and chicks is high due to predation by rodents, cats, crow-pheasants, lizards and other predators. The young birds fledge in about 14 days. The female alone incubates according to some sources, while others suggest that both sexes incubate; however, both parents take part in feeding and sanitation. The males are said to feed the incubating female. An unusual case of a pair of tailorbirds adopting chicks in an artificially translocated nest belonging to a different pair has been recorded. Nests are sometimes parasitized by the Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus).

4)     BLACK HOODED ORIOLE( MANJAKILI)

The Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus) is a member of the oriole family of passerine birds and is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia.

It is a bird of open woodland and cultivation. The nest is built in a tree, and contains two eggs. The food is insects and fruit, especially figs, found in the tree canopies where the orioles spend much of their time.

The male is striking, with the typical oriole black and yellow coloration. The plumage is predominantly yellow, with a solid black hood, and black also in the wings and tail centre.

The female Black-hooded Oriole is a drabber bird with greenish underparts, but still has the black hood. Young birds are like the female, but have dark streaking on the underparts, and their hood is not solidly black, especially on the throat.

The black head of this species is an obvious distinction from Golden Oriole, Oriolus oriolus, which is a summer visitor to northern India. Orioles can be shy, and even the male may be difficult to see in the dappled yellow and green leaves of the canopy.

The Black-hooded Oriole's flight is somewhat like a thrush, strong and direct with some shallow dips over longer distances.

5)     COMMONWOODSHRIKE( ASURATHAAN)

The Common Woodshrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus) is a species of bird found in Asia. It has been placed in the cuckoshrike (Campephagidae) and helmetshrike (Prionopidae) families in the past and is now considered a member of the family Tephrodornithidae. It is small and ashy brown with a dark cheek patch and a broad white brow. It is found across Asia mainly in the thin forest and scrub habitats. The form found in Sri Lanka which was treated as a subspecies is now usually considered a separate species, the Sri Lanka Woodshrike. The Common Woodshrike is dully ashy brown and like other woodshrikes has a large head with a strong hooked beak. They have a broad creamy brow above a dark cheek patch and white outer tail feathers contrasting with their dark tail. The Sri Lankan species is similar darker on the underside, with the dark cheek bordered below by a buffy sub-moustachial stripe and a white rump. Usually found in pairs, they have a loud whistling song made of several notes. The usual call is a plaintive weet-weet followed by a series of quick whi-whi-whi-whee?. They feed on insects and berries in mainly in vegetation but sometimes descending to the ground. They have a habit of adjusting their wings, raising them over the tail shortly after alighting on a perch. They nest in summer before the rainy season, building a cup nest on a bare fork. The nest is made of fibres and bark held by cobwebs and covered with bits of bark and lichen. It is lined with silky plant fibres. Three eggs are the usual clutch. Both parents incubate. Only the female may feed the young with insects and berries. Two broods may be raised in some years.

6)  GREATER COUCAL(CHEMPOTH)

1)  The Greater Coucal or Crow Pheasant (Centropus sinensis) is a large non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes. A widespread resident in Asia, from India, east to south China and Indonesia, it is divided into several subspecies, some being treated as full species. They are large, crow-like with a long tail and coppery brown wings and found in wide range of habitats from jungle to cultivation and urban gardens. They are weak fliers, and are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground as they forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. They have a familiar deep resonant call which is associated with omens in many parts of its range. This is a large species of cuckoo at 48 cm. The head is black, upper mantle and underside are black glossed with purple. The back and wings are chestnut brown. There are no pale shaft streaks on the coverts. The eyes are ruby red. Juveniles are duller black with spots on the crown and there are whitish bars on the underside and tail. There are several geographic races and some of these populations are sometimes treated as full species. Earlier treatments included the Brown Coucal (C. (s.) andamanensis) under this name. Rasmussen & Anderton (2005) suggest that the race parroti may be a full species - the Southern Coucal which is fround in peninsular India (northern boundary unclear). The race intermedius of the Assam and Bangladesh region is smaller than the nominate race found in the sub-Himalayan zone. Songs of the races are said to vary considerably. Race parroti of southern India has a black head and the underparts glossed blue and has the forehead, face and throat more brownish.The sexes are similar in plumage but females are slightly larger. The Greater Coucal is a large bird which takes a wide range of insects, caterpillars and small vertebrates such as the Saw-scaled vipers. They are also known to eat bird eggs, nestlings, fruits and seeds. In Tamil Nadu they were found to feed predominantly on snails Helix vittata. They are also known to feed on the toxic fruits of Thevetia peruviana (Yellow Oleander).In Oil palm cultivation, they have been noted as an avian pest due to their habit of eating the fleshy mesocarps of the ripe fruits.

Sunning (West Bengal, India)

They sunbathe in the mornings singly or in pairs on the top of vegetation with their wings spread out. The territory of a nesting pair has been found in southern India to be 0.9 to 7.2  They are most active in the warm hours of the morning and in the late afternoon.

The calls are a booming low coop-coop-coops repeated and with variations and some duets between individuals. When duetting the female has a lower pitched call. Other calls include a rapid rattling "lotok, lotok ..." and a harsh scolding "skeeaaaw" and a hissing threat call.

BREEDING

The breeding season is after the monsoon in southern India but varies in other parts of its range but chiefly June to September. Greater Coucals are monogamous, and the courtship display involves chases on the ground and the male brings food gifts for the female. The female lowers her tail and droops her wings to signal acceptance. The nest is built mostly by the male over about three to eight days.The nest is a deep cup with a dome in dense vegetation inside tangles of creepers, bamboo clump or Pandanus crowns. They can be built as high as 6m above the ground and the typical clutch is 3-5 eggs. The eggs (of size 36–28 mm weighing 14.8 g ) are chalky white with a yellow glaze when laid that wears off. Both the male and the female take part in nest building. They lay 2 to 4 eggs that hatch after 15–16 days of incubation. The chicks take 18–22 days to fledge. A study in southern India found that 77% of the eggs hatched and 67% fledged. Nests with eggs were sometimes abandoned or marauded by the Jungle Crow Corvus macrorhynchos. he bird is associated with many superstitions and beliefs. The deep calls are associated with spirits and omens.

In British India, it was noted that new-recruits to India often mistook it for a pheasant and shot it to find it "evil flavoured" giving it the nickname of "Griff's pheasant".

The flesh was once eaten as a folk cure for tuberculosis and pulmonary ailments.

Haemosporidia closely related to those that cause malaria have been found in their red blood cells. One species, Haemoproteus centropi, is described from Cuckoos such as Clamator jacobinus and Centropus sinensis and is spread by mosquitoes. Immature Haemaphysalis ticks have been found feeding on Greater Coucals

7)   HOOPOE( UPPOPAN)

  Despite its attractive and distinctive plumage, the hoopoe is superbly camouflaged for its ground-feeding behavior in its preferred dry habitats. This bird is so outstandingly unique that it was revered in ancient Egypt, is a symbol of virtue in Persia and is the national bird of Israel. Scientific Name:

Upupa epops

Scientific Family:

Upupidae

Appearance:

Bill: Long, dark, thin, decurved

Size: 10-12 inches long with 17-18-inch wingspan, prominent crest, long tail

Colors: Pink-buff, orange-buff, tan, black, white

Markings: Genders are similar with the head, breast and back ranging from pink-buff to orange-buff to tan. The head features a long, black-spotted crest. The broad, rounded wings have bold black and white stripes, and the black tail has a thick white horizontal band at the midpoint. The lower abdomen, rump and undertail coverts are white. Legs and feet are dark, and the eyes are black. Juvenile birds have duller plumage overall, and the bars in the wings are more off-white than pure white.

Foods:

Insects primarily; also reptiles, small mammals, seeds, carrion (See: Insectivorous)

Habitat and Migration:

These unique birds prefer relatively dry habitats and can be found in orchards, vineyards, olive groves, open woodland, parks, gardens and suburban areas. They are relatively common around human habitation, and can be found year-round along the northern coast of Africa, in the Arabian peninsula, throughout sub-Saharan Africa and from India east to the coast of China. The summer breeding range extends further north to include Europe from Spain and Portugal north to the southern tip of Sweden and east to Korea and southern Japan. In winter, birds at higher latitudes migrate into the year-round range and Indonesia.

During migration, hoopoes can be occasionally seen in southern England, and vagrant birds are recorded in the United Kingdom fairly regularly. Very rare vagrant sightings may occur in Alaska.

Vocalizations:

These birds have a low, resonating “pooo-pooo-pooo” or “ooop-ooop-ooop” call which earned them their name. The calls are typically made with 2-3 syllables and may be repeated at regular intervals. Male birds use the call to defend their territory, and during the breeding season, hisses and squeaks are also common, though at other times of year hoopoes are fairly quiet.

Behavior:

Hoopoes are ground-foraging birds similar to flickers in North America. They will probe the ground looking for insects, and their heads have extra musculature to allow their bills to open underground. They are usually found in pairs or small groups, and the prominent head crest is most often closed except in alarm or when landing. These birds regularly sunbathe and will take dust baths as well. During the breeding season, males are especially territorial and will chase other males away, even stabbing at intruders with their long bills.

Reproduction:

Hoopoes are monogamous birds. As cavity-nesters, they choose nesting sites low to the ground, often in a hole in a wall or occasionally in low nest boxes. The nest may be unlined or sparsely lined with bits of leaves, grass or feathers. A typical brood can have from 3-12 round, pale, milky blue eggs, and 1-3 broods may be laid per mated pair each season.

The female parent incubates the eggs for 15-16 days, and the male may feed her during the incubation period. After hatching, the altricial chicks are covered with a fine down and are fed by both parents for 25-29 days until they leave the nest. After fledging, they stay near their parents for up to another week.

Attracting Hoopoes:

These unique birds will readily feed near humans in areas with short grass or bare ground that provide easy foraging. Leaving low, decaying walls intact can encourage birds to nest, and they will occasionally use nest boxes or bird houses that are mounted low to the ground.

Conservation:

These birds are not endangered or threatened, though illegal hunting can be a problem in some areas. Habitat destruction is the biggest threat for hoopoes, but they are adaptable and can thrive near humans, making it easier for them to relocate if favored habitats become untenable.

8)      BLUE WINGED PARAKEET(NEELATHATTA)

The Blue-winged Parakeet, also known as the Malabar Parakeet (Psittacula columboides) is a species of parakeet endemic to the Western Ghats of southern India. Found in small flocks, they fly rapidly in forest clearings while making screeching calls that differ from those of other parakeet species within their distribution range. Their long blue tails tipped in yellow and the dark wings with blue contrast with the dull grey of their head and body. Adult males and females can be easily told apart from the colour of their beak. The Blue-winged Parakeet is bluish grey with a long yellow-tipped tail. The black neck ring is complete in both males and females. The male has a bluish-green lower edge to the black collar and the upper mandible is red with a white tip while the female has an all black bill and has only the black collar. The female looks similar to the female of the Plum-headed Parakeet which however can be told apart by its broad yellow collar. Flocks move through the forest while calling out in a series of screeching keek-keek-keek calls.

They breed in the dry season after the northeast Monsoon and the chicks fledge before the southwest Monsoon in June. They nest in holes in trees (often tall Mesua ferrea species), especially old woodpecker and barbet nests. The birds begin breeding in December and eggs are laid in December and January. The usual clutch was 4 eggs which hatch after about 23 days. The female initially broods with the male bringing food and later the male takes over. The chicks fledge in about a month and leave the nest. Chicks are sometimes trapped for trade. Individuals have been observed feeding on the leaves of Loranthus longiflorus.

The closest relative of this species is Layard's Parakeet which is endemic to Sri Lanka. his parakeet is restricted to the Western Ghats south of about 19°N (Kasa, north of Bombay) to Kerala, extending into the hills of the Palnis and Nilgiris[5] as well as the adjoining Eastern Ghats including the Biligirirangan range and possibly further east in the Kolli Hills

9)   SPOTTED OWLET (PULLINATH)

1The Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) is a small owl which breeds in tropical Asia from India to Southeast Asia. A common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation, it has adapted to living in cities. They roost in small groups in the hollows of trees or in cavities in rocks or buildings. It nests in a hole in a tree or building, laying 3–5 eggs. The species is absent from Sri Lanka, although the birds are found across the Palk Straits, just 30 kilometres away at Rameshwaram. Nests near human habitations may show higher breeding success due to increased availability of rodents for feeding young. The species shows a lot of variation including clinal variation in size and forms a superspecies with the very similar Little Owl. The Spotted Owlet is small (21 cm) and stocky. The upperparts are grey-brown, heavily spotted with white. The underparts are white, streaked with brown. The facial disc is pale and the iris is yellow. There is a white neckband and supercilium. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating. The nominate form is darker than the paler forms such as indica of drier regions.

his species is nocturnal but is sometimes seen in the day. When disturbed from their daytime site, they bob their head and stare at intruders.[10] It can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is perched in a tree. It hunts a variety of insects and small vertebrates. In Pakistan they have been found to take mostly insect prey] In the arid region of Jodhpur, they have been found to take more rodents (especially in the genus Mus and tend to avoid other rodents such as Tatera) prior to the breeding season.[15] Bats, toads, small snakes such as Ramphotyphlops braminus have been noted. They may also take scorpions and molluscs.

The call is a harsh and loud churring and chuckling chirurr-chirurr-chirurr ending with a chirwak-chirwak and they call mainly during early dawn or just after sunset.

The breeding season is November to April.[3] Courtship behaviour includes bill grasping, allopreening and ritual feeding. The female may call with the male, bob head and deflect its tail in invitation.[20] The social organization of family groups is not clear and multiple males may copulate with a female and females may attempt pseudocopulation, possibly a kind of displacement behaviour. They nest in cavities often competing with other hole-nesters such as mynas. They may also nest in holes in vertical embankments The nest may be lined with leaves and feathers or may use the existing lining from a prior occupant. The typical clutch is made up of three or four spherical white eggs (30.9mm long and 26.3 mm wide, 11.6g) and incubation begins with the first laid eggs leading to a wide variation in the size of the chicks. The young are fed initially on insects such as cockroaches and later fed small vertebrate prey such as mice(a toad Bufo stomaticus has been noted in Gujarat). The chicks gain weight during the early stages but lose weight before fledging. Only one or two chicks may fledge and they leave the nest in about 20–28 days.

The brain has a pineal gland, a feature formerly thought to be absent in the owls. Birds show variation in the melatonin concentration between day and night. A high melatonin level is associated with sleep and low levels are associated with high alertness and foraging activity. Spotted Owlets however show only a slightly lower melatonin concentration at night with a slight increase in the early afternoon. Other owls such as the Barn Owl show little day-night variation. Seasonal changes in glandular activity have been associated with environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.

A Coccidian parasites, Eimeria atheni has been described from this species. An ectoparasitic mite, Neocheletiella athene has been described from a specimen from the Antwerp zoo.Bird lice of the species Colpocephalum pectinatum are known to be ectoparasites.

In culture

These birds being very familiar to humans especially with their loud calling have been associated with bad omens.The species name brama is from the French name Chouette brame and indirectly refers to this owl's Indian habitat by way of homage to Brahma, the Hindu supreme spirit. In Hindu mythol

10) The Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) is a small owl which breeds in tropical Asia from India to Southeast Asia. A common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation, it has adapted to living in cities. They roost in small groups in the hollows of trees or in cavities in rocks or buildings. It nests in a hole in a tree or building, laying 3–5 eggs. The species is absent from Sri Lanka, although the birds are found across the Palk Straits, just 30 kilometres away at Rameshwaram. Nests near human habitations may show higher breeding success due to increased availability of rodents for feeding young. The species shows a lot of variation including clinal variation in size and forms a superspecies with the very similar Little Owl. The Spotted Owlet is small (21 cm) and stocky. The upperparts are grey-brown, heavily spotted with white. The underparts are white, streaked with brown. The facial disc is pale and the iris is yellow. There is a white neckband and supercilium. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating. The nominate form is darker than the paler forms such as indica of drier regions.

his species is nocturnal but is sometimes seen in the day. When disturbed from their daytime site, they bob their head and stare at intruders.[10] It can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is perched in a tree. It hunts a variety of insects and small vertebrates. In Pakistan they have been found to take mostly insect prey] In the arid region of Jodhpur, they have been found to take more rodents (especially in the genus Mus and tend to avoid other rodents such as Tatera) prior to the breeding season.[15] Bats, toads, small snakes such as Ramphotyphlops braminus have been noted. They may also take scorpions and molluscs.

The call is a harsh and loud churring and chuckling chirurr-chirurr-chirurr ending with a chirwak-chirwak and they call mainly during early dawn or just after sunset.

The breeding season is November to April.[3] Courtship behaviour includes bill grasping, allopreening and ritual feeding. The female may call with the male, bob head and deflect its tail in invitation.[20] The social organization of family groups is not clear and multiple males may copulate with a female and females may attempt pseudocopulation, possibly a kind of displacement behaviour. They nest in cavities often competing with other hole-nesters such as mynas. They may also nest in holes in vertical embankments The nest may be lined with leaves and feathers or may use the existing lining from a prior occupant. The typical clutch is made up of three or four spherical white eggs (30.9mm long and 26.3 mm wide, 11.6g) and incubation begins with the first laid eggs leading to a wide variation in the size of the chicks. The young are fed initially on insects such as cockroaches and later fed small vertebrate prey such as mice(a toad Bufo stomaticus has been noted in Gujarat). The chicks gain weight during the early stages but lose weight before fledging. Only one or two chicks may fledge and they leave the nest in about 20–28 days.

The brain has a pineal gland, a feature formerly thought to be absent in the owls. Birds show variation in the melatonin concentration between day and night. A high melatonin level is associated with sleep and low levels are associated with high alertness and foraging activity. Spotted Owlets however show only a slightly lower melatonin concentration at night with a slight increase in the early afternoon. Other owls such as the Barn Owl show little day-night variation. Seasonal changes in glandular activity have been associated with environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.

A Coccidian parasites, Eimeria atheni has been described from this species. An ectoparasitic mite, Neocheletiella athene has been described from a specimen from the Antwerp zoo.Bird lice of the species Colpocephalum pectinatum are known to be ectoparasites.

In culture

These birds being very familiar to humans especially with their loud calling have been associated with bad omens.The species name brama is from the French name Chouette brame and indirectly refers to this owl's Indian habitat by way of homage to Brahma, the Hindu supreme spirit. In Hindu mythol

10) The Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) is a small owl which breeds in tropical Asia from India to Southeast Asia. A common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation, it has adapted to living in cities. They roost in small groups in the hollows of trees or in cavities in rocks or buildings. It nests in a hole in a tree or building, laying 3–5 eggs. The species is absent from Sri Lanka, although the birds are found across the Palk Straits, just 30 kilometres away at Rameshwaram. Nests near human habitations may show higher breeding success due to increased availability of rodents for feeding young. The species shows a lot of variation including clinal variation in size and forms a superspecies with the very similar Little Owl. The Spotted Owlet is small (21 cm) and stocky. The upperparts are grey-brown, heavily spotted with white. The underparts are white, streaked with brown. The facial disc is pale and the iris is yellow. There is a white neckband and supercilium. Sexes are similar. The flight is deeply undulating. The nominate form is darker than the paler forms such as indica of drier regions.

his species is nocturnal but is sometimes seen in the day. When disturbed from their daytime site, they bob their head and stare at intruders.[10] It can often be located by the small birds that mob it while it is perched in a tree. It hunts a variety of insects and small vertebrates. In Pakistan they have been found to take mostly insect prey] In the arid region of Jodhpur, they have been found to take more rodents (especially in the genus Mus and tend to avoid other rodents such as Tatera) prior to the breeding season.[15] Bats, toads, small snakes such as Ramphotyphlops braminus have been noted. They may also take scorpions and molluscs.

The call is a harsh and loud churring and chuckling chirurr-chirurr-chirurr ending with a chirwak-chirwak and they call mainly during early dawn or just after sunset.

The breeding season is November to April.[3] Courtship behaviour includes bill grasping, allopreening and ritual feeding. The female may call with the male, bob head and deflect its tail in invitation.[20] The social organization of family groups is not clear and multiple males may copulate with a female and females may attempt pseudocopulation, possibly a kind of displacement behaviour. They nest in cavities often competing with other hole-nesters such as mynas. They may also nest in holes in vertical embankments The nest may be lined with leaves and feathers or may use the existing lining from a prior occupant. The typical clutch is made up of three or four spherical white eggs (30.9mm long and 26.3 mm wide, 11.6g) and incubation begins with the first laid eggs leading to a wide variation in the size of the chicks. The young are fed initially on insects such as cockroaches and later fed small vertebrate prey such as mice(a toad Bufo stomaticus has been noted in Gujarat). The chicks gain weight during the early stages but lose weight before fledging. Only one or two chicks may fledge and they leave the nest in about 20–28 days.

The brain has a pineal gland, a feature formerly thought to be absent in the owls. Birds show variation in the melatonin concentration between day and night. A high melatonin level is associated with sleep and low levels are associated with high alertness and foraging activity. Spotted Owlets however show only a slightly lower melatonin concentration at night with a slight increase in the early afternoon. Other owls such as the Barn Owl show little day-night variation. Seasonal changes in glandular activity have been associated with environmental factors such as temperature and humidity.

A Coccidian parasites, Eimeria atheni has been described from this species. An ectoparasitic mite, Neocheletiella athene has been described from a specimen from the Antwerp zoo.Bird lice of the species Colpocephalum pectinatum are known to be ectoparasites.

In culture

These birds being very familiar to humans especially with their loud calling have been associated with bad omens.The species name brama is from the French name Chouette brame and indirectly refers to this owl's Indian habitat by way of homage to Brahma, the Hindu supreme spirit. In Hindu mythol

10) INDIAN CUCKOO( VISHUPAKSHI)

 

The Indian Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus) is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, the Cuculiformes, that is found in Asia from Pakistan and India, Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and north

This is a medium sized cuckoo with both sexes alike. It has grey upperparts while the underside has broad black barring. The tail is barred with a broad subterminal dark band and a white tip. Young birds have white markings on the crown and white chin and throat contrasting with a dark face. Juveniles are browner and have broad white tips to the head and wing feathers. The eye-ring is gray to yellow (a feature shared with the Common Hawk-Cuckoo). The iris is light brown to reddish. The female differs from the male in being slightly paler grey on the throat and in having more brown on the breast and tail. The barring on the belly is narrower than in the male. Nestlings have an orange-red mouth and yellow flanges to the gape.

Indian Cuckoo call

They feed on hairy caterpillars and other insects but sometimes take fruits. They usually feed on the upper canopy, gleaning insects, sometimes making aerial sallies for flying termites or rarely even by hovering lower near the grounto China and Russia. It is a solitary and shy bird, found in forests and open woodland at up to 3,600 m. In Kerala (India), it is called "Vishu Pakshi" (the Vishu bird) as it appears with its distinctive call around the Vishu festival time in April. The species is found widely distributed across Asia. The preferred habitat is deciduous and evergreen forests but also occur in garden lands and thick scrub.

Some populations appear to migrate south in winter, although there are breeding populations in the southern areas as well with specimens netted at night or recorded at lighthouses.

Behaviour and ecology

The Indian Cuckoo is a brood parasite. It lays its single egg mostly in the nests of drongos and crows. It removes and eats an egg from the host nest before laying its own. The breeding season varies from May to July in northern China, March to August in India, January to June in Burma and January to August in the Malay Peninsula.

The host species include Lanius cristatus in the Amur region, Black Drongo and Pica cyanea in China. In India, they have been found to be fed by Black Drongos and Ashy Drongo. Other hosts that have been recorded include Black-headed Oriole,[8] Streaked Spiderhunter, Eurylaimus ochromalus and Dicrurus paradiseus.

The eggs of the cuckoo hatch in 12 days while those of the Brown Shrike in the Amur region take 14 days. During the third of fourth day, the young bird bends its back when touched and heaves out other eggs or nestlings. This instinct is lost soon after.