NLBW28_12

Newsletter for
Birdwatchers

VOL. XXVIII NO. 1 & 2 JAN. - FEB. 1988

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N

NEWSLETTER

10 R BIRDWATCHERS

VOL. XXVIII No.l & 2 January-February 1988

CONTENTS

Editorial

* Birdwatchers ' Network.

* Asian Waterfowl Count.

* Who is the Author?

Articles

* Some Birds in a Cardamom Estate.

* The Birds in a Iteveloping Housing Colony by H. Daniel Wesley.

* Further Notes on the Local Movements of the Pond Heron by V. Santharam-

* Bird Migration and Ringing by Mrs. Jamal Ara.

Ctrrespondence

* Tanks in Gondal, Gujarat by Dr. G.R. Joehi.

* Peculiar Feeding Behaviour of Nilkant by R.S. Kanoge.

* The Indian Htta by K.K. Surendran.

* The House Crow - A Verminous Bird, and Aggressive Behaviour of

Rose-ringed Parakeet by Indra Kumar Sharma.

* Trishna Calling by D. Chakraborty.

Limited Index for 1987-

Post Script - letter from M.K. Himmatsinhji.

- 2 -

Editorial

Birdwatchers' Network

._--£he* number of bird watching ana natural history groups which have
flowered in India-during" recent years is most encouraging. Can someone take
the trouble to make a list of such associations for our Newsletter? Knowing
about the existence of such groups, and of their special interests and
capabilities is the first step towards useful collaboration. Ahat prompted me
to write this was a letter from H.N. Mathur of Tripura Rehabilitation Plantation
Corporation Ltd., ^arthala - 799 001, Tripura West- Mathur is now bringing
out Tripura Nature News, and if foresters are getting interested in our birds
they will probably ensure that their plantations reflect some concern for our
avian population-

A highly active group is the Madras Naturalists Society, 36 IV Main
Road, R.A. Puram, Madras - 600 028. In their circular of June 1987, a
reference is made to the sighting of the Rufous bellied hawk eagle
(Lophotrirchis kienerii) in ftrtyar. This is a most inter est ^ bird ^. .
because of its handsome appearance and its discontinuous distribution (Handbook
Vol-I, No. 165, page 27C,. Some of our readers in Kerala should look out for it.
Rishad Naoroji who has made his mark .as an outstanding raptor photographer, is
keen to photogra;*:> this bird.

''Helen Waterfowl Count

Mr. S.A. Hussain of the Bombay Natural History Society, who is in charge
of the Asian Waterfowl Count, has sent out his second circular. This also
includes some excerpts from correspondence received by him.

P»of. K.K. Neelakantan writes: "I was greatly amused to find that the
data relating to 'Kerala' show (or suggest) that there are just 2 little Egrets,
33 Pond Herons, 4 Reef Herons, 3 Night .Herons, a single Coot and so on •--••■•

I would suggest that in preparing the tabulated statement for 1988 you should
give precise details of the spots where counts were carried out and also name

or ncmes of tjie persons who did the counting."

Hr.' V.S. Velayudhan says: "In our vast country,- with thousands of
tanks, jheels, nullahs, it is really disappointing to note that only 164 sites
v/ere covered by 95 participants- In fact, in Tamil Nadu we have 40,000 and
odd irrigation tanks of which, I think, at least % are quite big and provide
abode for waterfowl. You have mentioned that almost six States went
uncensucsed. In order to avoid such a. situation and to cover more sites

/3-

.

- 3 -

than the 1987 census, may I suggest to you to appeal individually to state their
willingness to participate in the forthcoming census to the following :-

(a)
(b)
(c)

(d)
'(e)
(f)

BKHS members.

Birdwatcher's Newsletter members..

To Environmental SEO's in India - A directory was 'published
by Environmental Services Group of WWF Eelhi.

Appeal through Indian Forester.

Appeal in TV.

Appeal through Sanctuary, Environment Today magazine. "

I have no doubt that a great deal of enthusiasm has been generated for
this Count as evidenced by activities in Bangalore, and that in the next few
years we will be able to have a truly scientific assessment of our wetlands and
waterfowl in our country.

'ffho is the Author ?

The article on 'Some Birds in a Cardamom Estate' in this Newsletter is
unsigned. unless the author wishes to remain anonymous, I ould like to knew
his name. It is the type of article reflecting the joys of birding which are
m03t welcome.

Articles

Sons Birds in a Cardamom Estate

In late February this year I had occasion to Visit a cardamom plantation
about 20 kilometres from Kumily, in the high ranges of Kerala. I managed to
make some time - about three hours in the early afternoon - for a quick look
at the birds.

Three somewhat steep hills running North to South, and the valleys in
between comprised the 500 acre area of the estate. The altitude ranged from
3000 to 4000 feet. The forest cover is good. A number of streams flowed
dam the slopes to join the main streams in the valleys.

The Hill Myna (Gracula religiosa) and the Blue Winged Parakeet (P3ittacult
eoluaboides) were beyond doubt, the commonest birds. Both were loud and
boisterous and plentiful. The parakeets were seen at nest holes in the trunks
of tall, straight, smooth boled trees known locally as the "Irumbexakki" -
a name which may be loosely transitu c.s 'thai; which saws through iron".
Tallying this name with :hat I find in the "Handbook", this tree is probably

- 4 -

the Ironwood tree (Mesua ferrea). The nests were neat round holes, about
25 to 50 feet above the ground- The parakeets put on some spectacular displays
of precision flying, with groups barelling through the forest at breakneck
speeds, weaving in and out among the trees with breathtaking virtuosity. The
hill mynas too were nesting in holes similar to the ones used by the parakeets.
Couples were seen sitting on branches near the ne-Jrt holes preening themselves
and constantly emitting gurgles and whistles and clicks as if carrying on a
desultory conversation. The calls of the hill mynas resounded through the
forest all day long and mingled with the equally varied repertoire of the blue
winged parakeets - a fascinating variety of shrieks and mumbles, mutters and
screams, whistles and clicks.

The most striking bird was certainly the Fairy Blue Bird (irena puella).
I saw a pair on two occasions, feeding on fruits of what I think was a species
of fig. ' In the shadv forest, the iridescent blue in the plumage of the male
sparkled in the errant rays of sunlight slanting through the leafy canopy.
Ho calls were heard.

A large flock of Black Bulbuls (Hypsipetes madagascariensis) whistled
and wheezed on the ground and lew down among the smaller trees. The s'oft and
pleasant calls of a flock of about 20 White-eyes (Zosterops palpebrosa) filled
an open patch overgrown with lantana. On the ground at the edge of the tangled
lantanawas a solitary Indian Blue Chat (Erithacus brunneus), standing very still
and keeping an eye on me. It hopped on to a lantana stem and moved out of
sight. Nearby, a stream had been orudely dammed and a small tree with yellow
flower spikes slanted over the pool. On the tip of a bare branch sat a
Nilgiri Verditer Flycatcher (Muscicapa albicaudata;.

A pair of Golden Orioles (Oriolus oriolus) called from a nearby tree.
In spite of the brilliant black and yellow coloration, these birds were yery
difficult to spot in the sun speckled foliage and though they kept up the sound,
it took some time to locate them on the tree. While searching for them I sew
a Heortspotted Woodpecker (Hermicircus csnente) on the same tree, working
diligently. A flock of Black-backed Pied Flycatcher- Shrikes (Hemipus picatus)
were seen on the lowest branches of tall shade trees. In a similar setting I
ran into a flock of Malabar Wood Shrike^ (Tephrodornis virgatus). A gathering
o-p Travancore Yellow-cheeked Tits (Parus xanthogenys) burst across the path
from among the cardamom plants and hopped and skittered from plant to plant
calling vigorously all the while.

Black Drongos (Dicrurus adsimilis) and Racket-tailed Drongos (Dicrurus
paradiseus) were seen. As usual the latter was by far the more vocal of the
two. While both were seen together in some areas, the black drongo preferred
more open spaces while the racket-tailed drongos were seen inside well wooded
patches. A White-throated Ground Thrush (Zoothera citrinaj hopped about on
the clean weeded ground anong the newly planted cardamom. A number of Malabar
Whistling Thrushes (Hyiophoneus horefieldii) were also seen, and many mere were
heard. Those seen were all on the ground from where, at our approach, tney
flew off at high speed, keeping low, darting with agility among the stems of
the cardamom. One bird came .jetting out of an old abandoned dry well. A

- 5 -

perfunctory look gave no indication of what the bird had been up to there. A
solitary male Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi) in full adult plumage y^
turned and somersaulted around a clump of young trees, its long white streamers
f ollowing and floating gracefully, the harsh calls and beautiful plumage and
flight presenting a striking contrast.

The calls of the Jerdon's imperial Pigeon (Ducula badia) were heard off
and on. Its coloration provides excellent camouflage. I spotted one of the
birds after a hard search, high up and well concealed in the foliage of a tall
leafy tree. Despite a careful look, I was able to see only this one bird on
that tree- Moments later, to my chagrin, nearly six of them fell out of the
tree and went clapping off.'

Something about a pair of Tree Pies caught my eye and a closer look
shewed that they were not the common tree pies (Eendrocitta vagabunda) of the
plains but their white bellied cousins, the Southern Tree Pies (lendrocitta
leucogastra). Though very similar to the common tree pie, there was,
nonetheless, something attractive about these relations. Maybe its just the
novelty - further proof of the old adage that familiarity breeds contempt.'
A number of Velvet -fronted Nuthatches (Sitt a frontalis) were seen working their
way around the trunks of trees, uttering short sharp whistle's as they went.
Other birds included the Grey Wagtail (Motacille caspica), the Goldfronted
Chloropsis (Chloropsis aorifrons), the Small Green Barbet (ifegaiaima viridis),
the Yellow-browed Bulbul (Hypsipetes indicus), large numbers of "the Red-vented
Bulbuls (Pycnonotu,3 cafer) and the Iv d-whiskcred Bulbuls (Pyenonotue jocosus),
the Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), the Koel (Scolopacea eudynamis), one
Paddy Bird (Ardeola grayii), the Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia asiatica) and the
Purple-rumped Sunbird (Nectarinia zeylonica).

Throughout the day the challenging crow of the male Grey Jungle Fowl
(Gallus sonneratii) had been heard from various points in the estate. While
walking along a stream, there was a sudden commotion on the slope across the
stream and a great deal of frenzied activity among the cardamom plants
accompanied by shrill screams. Then a large unidentified predator flapped
ponderously up and out of sight above the trees. We crossed the stream and
came across a small female Grey Jungle Fowl standing, apparently disoriented,
inside a clump of cardamom. One of the people accompanying us took the bird
in hand and it did not react. When released, it walked ovay slowly into the
undergrowth along the stream. There's a story there, but unfortunately, I
could not satisfy ray curiosity as we were busy then on matters relating to
what E.M. Forster described as the "world of telegrams and anger".

Numerous other birds were sighted but could not be conclusively identified.
This is particularly true of the hordes of tiny birds high up in the canopy.
My equipment consisted of a 7 x 50 binoculars. Something with a little more
magnification would have been a great he.lp.

It is hard to convey the flavour of a cardamom plantation like this
one, where the original forest was still, to a great extent, intact. The tall
trees provide a pleasant shade keeping "out the direct sun which even at this
altitude is quite hot. There is a constant cool breeze and the coolness is

- 6 -

enhanced by the sound of streams gurgling down somewhat; precipitous courses
and the rusrtle and patter of leaves and foliage. .One can walk all day and
still feel fresh and ready for more. However, in nearby plantations adjacent
to the one 1 visited, there were ample signs of damage and wanton destruction
of the original forest cover. I was told that in some areas the forest had
been extensively cut davn to facilitate the cultivation of pepper. V7ith the
prices of pepper ruling at the present high levels, this tendency may become-
more marked in the future. Due to regular weeding operations in cardamom
plantations, it is rare for a young tree t-o get a chance to grow. Hence,
regeneration of the forest seems to be at a virtual standstill. Fallen trees
of the original forest are replaced with species such as Indian Coral (Erythrina
indica), Silver Oak (Grevillea), Jack Fruit tree (Artocarpus heterophylla) and
others. I wonder how long it will be before these introduced trees are in a
majority and the character of these forests is lost entirely. /mother matter
for concern is the extensive use of pesticides in cardamom cultivation. In
the long term, the continued application of these chemicals will almost
certainly have a deleterious effect on the flora and f auna of cardamom forests.

The Birds in a Developing Housing Colony by H. Daniel Wesley. 126 Ramalinga
gagar South, Tiruchirapalli - 620 01? .

Ever since 1 moved into my house in the colony of Ramalinganagar South
Extension, Tiruchirapalli - 620 017, in 1981, I have had the opportunity of
observing many birds without moving out. The housing colony is developed in
a paddy field. Of the 126 house sites, there were just about 30 houses
completed and occupied in 1981. The rest of the plots remainod fellow with
grass growing profusely in the stagnant water following the rain and attracted
cattle and sheep. My house in the last plot and quite isolated then it gave
me a sweeping view of the whole area. The situation has not remained the same;
the colony is almost filled with houses. However, I still enjoy the privilege
of having an almost total view of the paddy fields, and vast stretch of about
30 acres of fallow fields behind the house.

Quite a change in the bird species content has taken place. The
resident ground nesting Indian pipit (Mthus novaeseelandiae), the Redwinged
Bush Lark (Mirafra erythroptera) , the Black Bellied Fincft Lark (Eremopterix
grisea) and the Painted Snipe (Rostratuia benghalensis) have been pushed off
the area and are heard and seen rarely. A similar fate has happened to the
migrants, Grey Wagtail (Mot acilla f lava) and White Wagtail (Motacilla alba).
The birdo which have adapted equally to the colony of houses are the Pied
Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis) and the White Breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon
smyrnensis). The Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) and the small blue kingfisher
(Alcedo atthis) visit the area to fish in the waters. The Little Ringed
Plover (Charadrius dubius), the Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareoia), the Fantail
Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), the Indian Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida).
the River tern (sterna aurentia), the Black Bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda
the Gull Billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotiea), the Black winged Stilt
(Himantopus hijnantopus), the Little Egret (Egrettc garzetta), the Cattle

"

Egret ^Bubulcus ibis), the Pond Heron ^Ardeola grayiij, the Streaked Pant ail
Warbler (Cisticola juncidis) and the Chestnut Bittern (ixobrychus cinnamomeus)
are to be seen in the paddy fields before and after the transplantation. It is
no more probable to see the Kora (Gallicrex cinerea) that used to forage in the
grassy fallow land and the ripening and sagging paddies, walking over them.
The white breasted Water Ken (Amaurornis phoenicurus) will soon be displaced,
I am sure.

With the rapid addition of the houses and the concomitant planting of
garden plants and fruit trees including the ubiquitous coconut tree, there have
appeared many bird species in stages. My house has an added attraction to the
birds, the compound 'wall' being of Ipomea, coral trees and prosopis besides
others, in the compound. Since 1981 the birds that have occupied the housing
colony and raised broods are: the tailor bird (Grthotomous sutorius), the red
vented bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer), the ashy wren warbler (Prinia socialis), the
purple rumped sunbird (Nectarinia seylonica), the loten's sunbird (K. lotenia),
the common sparrow (Passer domesticus), the jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos),
the common crow (Corvus splendens), the drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis), the common
babbler (Turdoides caudatus), the pied crested cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus) and
the spotted dove (streptopelia chinensis). The weaver bird (Ploceous philippinu;
has usurped the coconut trees at the periphery of the colony. The Indian myna
(Acridotheres tristis), the black headed myna (sturnus pagodarum), the white
throated munia (Lonchure malabarica), the Indian robin (Sacticoloides fulicata)
and the hoopoe (Upupa epops) have not yet found the colony environment suitable
for breeding in, although they forage in there. Only once - 7 April 1985 -
did the small green billed malkoha (Rhopodytes viridirostris) pass through the
colony. likewise the tree pie (Dendrocitt a vagabunda) visited the area only
once. It is however heard and seen in the dense vegetation 200 metres away,
outside the colony.

Among the non-aquatic migratory species, the golden oriole (Oriolus
oriolus) is a regular visitor to the coral trees as also are the grey headed
myna (sturnus malabaricus). The rufous backed shrike (laniu3 schach) and the
bay backed shrike (Lanius vittatus) had not been observed since last seen on
5 October 1983 and 2 September 1984 respectively. The brown shrike (Lanius
cristatus), however, is a regular visitor to the area, roosting in the coral
trees and the prosopis most of the season- The two swallow sub-species
Hirundo rustica rustica and H.r.gutturalis are active birds, most of the time
on the wing and resting occasionally in groups on the electric and telephone
wires in the colony. last winter a black naped blue flycatcher (Monorcha
szurea) landed in the coral trees and was around for a day. Another new comer
since last year, alternately the female and the male in non-breeding plumage,
was the paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradise). . The blue tailed bee eater
(fcferops philippinus; appears overhead, on the paddy fences and wires mostly
during the rains; the small green bee eater (M- orientalis) is observed most
of the year on the wires and fences.

A small sleek warbler (Acrocephalus ?) that eludes identification, about
the size of the sparrow with uniform upper plumage, white undersurface and
supercilium is a regular winter visitor, moving about in the lew fences end tall
trees calling as it goes Tick, Tick* Trrr. Trrr or a cheee.

- 8 -

All these birds will have deserted my house when I have yielded to the
pressure for having a brick wall for the compound.

Further Notes on the Local Movements of the Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii) by
V. Santharam, C/o Salijn Alj School of Ecology, P.B.I 54, Pondicherry - 6C5 001

Before giving further details on the local movements of the Pond Heron,
I would first like to make a mention of the local movements of the author -' I
shifted to Pondicherry in August 1987? to pursue a post-graduate course leading
to M.S. in Ecology, offered by the Salim Ali School of Ecology, Pondicherry
University. I have, however, been keeping in touch with Madras, by coming at
least once a month over the week-ends.

Coining back to the Pond Herons, I shall continue from where I left last
time. After the sighting on 1.8.€ff. at the Simpson Estate, Madras, I sav my
next Pond Heron on 29-8.87- at a ditch close to the Chinglepet Lake and again
on 27-9-87. noticed 2-3 in flight near Chingleput.

Cn 8th October, there was a single bird at the marshes, close to the
lighthouse at Pondicherry, and another was noticed flying over the town on 11th
October. On 19th October, in Madras, at the Theosophical Society, I noticed

4 Pond Herons in w rn-out summer plumage. On a field trip to the Kaliveli
Tank, 20 kms. north of Pondicherry on 24th October, I noticed at least 15-20
birds v in the inundated paddy fields, besides several others in flight. The
next day at the Pondicherry town, I noticed small flocks of 8-10 birds and at
times even solitary ones, flying at low heights, heading southwards. The
flocking pattern was loose and the flight was erratic. In the brief period
of observation that morning, I counted over 38 birds and the same evening, I
sav a flock of 32 besides several* smaller groups. Some of the birds even
landed briefly on the coconut trees in the neighbourhood. On 26th, I saw

5 individuals. On 28th October, on a field outing to the Ousteri Lake, 6 kms.
S.W. of Pondicherry, there were 15-20 birds in the fields and 30-40 in flight.
On 4th November, I sav another flock of 3 Of Pond Herons, this time heading
westwards. % this time, the Pond Herons were well established in the fields,
marshes and wetlands and were once again a part of the rural landscape.

In my last note, I had hesitated to write on the local movements of yet
another heron since I had only made scanty observations on this species. But
this season, I was able to see the migration in greater detail that I felt I
should mention it for comments and views from other readers. The species here
is the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) which is not regularly seen ai the Adyar
Estuary and so I am not sure if the bird is around in summer months. However,
I have never come across the nests of this species anywhere so far in this
part of the country, and most of the birds that I have seen in breeding plumage
were during the early part of summer. However, Ali & Eipley (1983) say that
this species nest "even within populous cities like Bombay, Madras and Calcutta
not necessarily close to water." The breeding season is "mainly June to August
in N. India, November to February in the South, February to July in Ceylon."

- 9 -

This season, I noticed a lone cattle egret on 4th October 1987, at the
Adyar Estuary. On 7th October, I noticed over 100 cattle egrets heading
southwards over Pondicherry Tov/n. i I kept seeing flock after flock heading in
the same direction both in the early morning hours and in the evenings, and
this continued till about the first week of November (and possibly even later).

1 have seen flocks of cattle egrets over Madras city during October/flovGciber in
the last few years but I am too lazy to dig out the dates from my notes.'

I hope it would' be possible for every reader to keep notes on these two
extremely common bird species in their respective areas for at least the next

2 or 5 years and compare them in order to get a good picture of the local
movements in the sub-continent.

With reference .to the note by Kr. Eric J. Lott on "Birds of the Kaveri
Valley - Additions" (ELBW Sept-Oct 1987), I wish to point out that the white
winged black tit (Parus rauchalis) has earlier been recorded from southern
India, "once from each of the following localities: Eastern Ghats west of
Nellore, Bangalore, and Satyamangala (Biligirirangan Kills). The occurrence
of this species and P. major is mutually exclusive." - "Handbook". There was
also a typographical error in the note - "Green bearded bee eater" which should
be read as "Blue bearded bee eater."

•

Bird Migration and Ringing by Mrs. Jamal Ara, M-7 Single Storey, Hara p Housing
Colony, Ranchi - 834 012 (Bihar) .

One of the greatest mysteries and adventure of bird life is migration or
travelling. Migration covers the annual movements of birds, from their breeding
haunts in the northern regions of Asia, Europe and America to the warm lands
lying south during autumn and early winter, and the return journey during spring
and early summer. During this period the bird population keeps on changing
every few days with the constant coming and going of flocks of feathered
travellers. Oar winter friends come to spend their Christmas holidays with
us after covering long distances through the air to reach their own particular
place. When the nights grow warm, back they all flock to their breeding
grounds. So forward and backward, these travellers pass over the country twice
in the year - autumn and spring. They are wonderfully punctual too - unless
they are delayed by bad weather. We may calculate almost to a day when we may
expect our bird friends to return from their summer holidays. How eagerly we
watch for them and welcome the first visitor, carrying the winter on its back-
Not only are the birds punctual but they are faithful souls as well. Many
return year after year to their old haunts.

Another type is local migration. Some species move out of an area into
another, not very far away. All birds have a certain amount of local movement,
caused by the stresses of living and the variations in food supply. So local
migration means a complete disappearance of a species from a particular area,

- 10 -

and its simultaneous presence in another area, from where it had been absent
formerly*. This kind of movement is particularly noticeable in Northern India
where the seasons are well marked and well defined. Allied to it is vertical
movement, in which birds that spend the summer in the higher reaches of mountains
come down during the winter to the lower foothills or even the plains. This
type is very common within India, where the mighty Himalayas lie next door to
the Indo-G-angetic plain. A number of birds which breed during summer at
altitudes exceeding 10,000 feet, become common all over the plains. In such
cases the local race mixes with those that have arrived from such distant lands
as Siberia.

The brave little voyagers take great risk while travelling long, long
distances through the air over hill and dale, forest and plain, large stretches
of water to reach the land of their heart's desire. They face many dangers and
hardships on the way. Sudden storms arise and drive them far out of their
course. Often they are blown right out "bo see and sink down into the wild
waves* Shen at night bright lights often attract and confuse the birds -
thousands of them dash against tall lighted buildings and monuments as they pass
over towns and cities.' And in a fog the birds may become hopelessly lost.

Migrating birds do not fly at their fastest. The migration speed is
usually from 30-40 miles an hour and rarely exceeds 50. Snail birds seldom
exceed 30 miles per hour, most shore birds between 40 and 50 miles per hour,
while many ducks travel at 50 to 60. Migrants generally fly at under 3000 ft.
-But some traveller;- have been found t greater heights: golden plover at
6000 ft., lapwings at 6500 ft., rooks .11000 ft., godwit and curlew at 20,000 ft
and geese have been found flying at an altitude of 29,000 ft. above the sea.

Some birds make the long journey in easy 3teges, stopping to rest and
picnic on the way. Others are in a great hurry and fly enormous distances
without pausing to re&t and feed. Some fly by day, 3ome both by day and night?
but most of them speed on their way through darkness after the sun has set.
On many a soft autumn and spring night we hear the faint mysterious calls of
winged travellers as they pass far above us.

Birds of gregarious habits travel usually in flocks. The 'V shaped
formation of cranes and geese attract much attention as they speed across the
sky. Some birds start off alone, or with just one or two companions. When
the time for journey approaches nearer, the birds grow restless. Svallcws,
flycatchers, warblers, shore birds, water birds, begin to gather in flocks -
each with their own kind - and after a great deal of excited fluttering,
twittering and calling, they rise up into the air and away all go. Usually
the male birds go first to their breeding grounds in bachelor parties and the
hen birds follow them in a few days. When leaving our country they put on
their brightest costumes, for spring time in bird land, is a courting *ime,
and all wish to look their very best.'

The movement of birds with the changing seasons is known from the
earliest times. in the Bible, the books of Jeremiah and Job both contain
references to the southward movement of hsvks and cranes, and in the Iliad
a similarity has been drawn between the movement of the Trojan Army and that
of cranes during the winter.

Very nueh later scientific studies of migration started. The first, step
was of the establishment of lighthouses - where lighthouse keepers spent their
lonely hours by watching the flocks of birds that came and rested there -
attracted by the light beams. Specially in the foggy and stormy weather it
was they who first noticed the seasonal movement of particular species. From
here onwards, scientific investigation moved along three distinct lines :-
direct observation, ringing and creating artificial conditions to study their
effect on migration.

Most of the information about bird movements, has come from ringing of
young and old birds. Ringing is done by capturing the bird and putting on
the bird's leg a light band, maybe of aluminium, celluloid or plastic, bearing
registration number, date, identifying mark, and the address to which the finder
is requested to return- the ring. The place -vhere such a bird is shot or
captured or found dead, gives the locality to which it has migrated. To collect
the facts about the birds' flight and destinations, the bird-ringers have ringed
millions of birds. The return from these ringings are under 10 percent, but
from many thousands of results which have been collected it has now been possible
to plot regular routes of flight and indicate dates of arrival and departure
with accuracy.

Bird ringing did not begin until 1740, when Johaun Ieonhard Friseh of
Berlin first tied real strings around the legs of swallows before the autumn
migration. But real scientific bird ringing scheme was started in 1899 by
ilortensen in Itenmt_k, who used rings with a complete address and identification
marks, followed a few years .-later by schemes in Germany and Hungary. The
United Kingdom entered the field in 1909, followed much later by the U.S.A.
and the U.S.S.R. Today the U.S.A. and the U.S.5.R. are leaders in the field,
doing ringing on a very large scale. Our own country has started this work
comparatively recently in 1958, on a small scale, but is conducting an organised
work on ringing. From the records we gather that United States and Canada
between them, mark about 600,000 birds, every year. The U.S.S.R. and British
Isles have ringed more than three million birds, Germany about -four million,
Holland and aveden more than a million each, India hay rinsed more than
CO, 000 birds so far.

Prom ringing it has been proved that the main migratory movement is
generally north to south in the autumn and vice versa in the spring. Thus the
main travellers come to India.through the north-west, and start from between
Lake Baikal and the Sea of Aral in Siberia. But some storks do ccce over from
as far west as Brauncheveig in Germany. The other route used by birds from
Mongolia and Chinese Turkestan is over the passes in north-eastern Himalayas.
The main routes of entry to India are through the passes on the north-western
and north-eastern flanks of the Himalayas - but certain birds on the direct
route ily straight across the main Himalayan range and do not detour. Those
birds are capable of flying at very great heights.

Ringing has proved the large distances covered by birds. The Arctic

Tr^ 11 ®? fr ° m the Aretic Circle t0 the toort i c Circle, covering more than
n, MX) miles each way. A snipe breeds in Japan and flies 3,000 miles non-stop
over the ocean to spend the winter in Tasmania and eastern Australia. The

-12-

wood cock on its winter movement flies from the Himalayas to the Nilgiris without
pause, a distance of 1,500 miles. The wild duck come to our jheels and tanks
from Central Asia and Siberia - flying 2 to 3 thousand miles over the Himalayas.
The white storks come from Germany and the Rosy Pastors from E. Europe or Central
Asia . Wagtails, about the size of a sparrow, come from the Himalaya regions
and Central Asia into the plains- anallest of all, the willow warblers - half
the size of a sparrow, cover as many as 2,000 miles to reach us every winter.

Why do birds migrate inspite of heavy loss of life on the way? Primarily
to escape lev/ temperatures and restricted food supply, which in the case of v/ater
birds disappear altogether due to freezing. .tod the shorter time available for
feeding due to the long winter nights. The main reason for the spring movement
is the availability of nesting sites, and to escape the summer heat.

The migration of birds is a fascinating study, indeed, and there are many
unsolved problems that lie ahead. For example, how do the birds know when to
start? How do they know their way over the sea without any landmark? How do
they manege to return year after year to the same locality? How do the young
cuckoos rejoin the adult birds without previous experience, and without any
guidance by any adult cuckoo, who fly to India and Africa several weeks before
the young cuckoos are ready to leave their foster-parents. 1 And there are still
many more, equally interesting problems lie for you to solve.'

C orre spondence :

Tanks in Gondal. Gujar at by Dr. G.R. Joshi. gani Bazar. Gondal - 560 111 .

In the year 1903 our late Maharaja Ehagwetsingh built a Talav Veri Talav
for Gondal 's water supply. It was then 33 ft. deep but now it can store onlv
8 ft. of water, the rest being filled with silt and mud. Another small talav
was also built downstream. A third Talav (Ashapura) was by Siri Ehojrajji in
the year 1947. All the three are now filled with silt and mud and hence the
total storage of water has decreased considerably.

The Veri Talav was surrounded by neem trees till 1950, when an enthusiastic
Deputy Engineer ordered all of them to be raised to the ground.

Our late Maharajas were very fond of trees and in olden times, one would

immediately know when one would enter the boundaries of old Gondal State. But

in came independence and along with it the campaign to increase acreage of land

for cultivation, resulting in decrease in the area of jungle and thus affecting
i lor a and launa. *

Recently young boys and girls have formed a forest youth club and are

? u, i"S treeS and ^^ afctend cem P s organised by the Forest Department and
by WVff.F.

(Dr. Joshi has sent a list of 83 birds seen at Veri Talav These include
a wide variety of aquatic and land birds ranging from the bar headed goose,
curlew, the Kashmiri roller, Brown fish owl and the common iora) Editor

- 13 -

Peculiar Feeding Behaviour of Nilkant (Coracias benghalansis) by R.S. Kanoge,
Forest Ranger, Forest Colony, Jaipur Road, PO Jagdalpur Elst., Bastar (MS) 494001

I have been observing a blue jay feeding along the fire lines. These
birds keep going ahead of the approaching fire and eat the locusts which fly up
at the approach of the fire. Kence, they perform a valuable service by keeping
down these pests.

The Indian Pitta by g.K. Surendran, Cloth Merchant, Market Road, Mulanthuruthy
P.O., Kerala - 682 3U

I have been watching birds around our village Mulanthuruthy 20 kms. east
of Cochin city during the past 15 years, but never came across an Indian Pitta
here. But on 20th Iteceraber, early morning, a rubber tapper from a nearby
rubber plantation told me that he heard some strange whistling noises in a
rubber estate and saw some new birds. When I reached the area at about
7-30 a.m. , I sav more than 30 Indian Pittas there. Whistling noises were
heard from other plantations and a total area of 100 acres of lend including
rubber, tapioca and banana plantations were covered, and a total of 183 birds
were counted within two hours of walk. The local people and rubber tappers
of the plantations told me that they have not seen such birds before in that
area. The birds remained here for two days and left.

In the Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, while referring to
Indian Pitta, Dr. Salim Ali says "Details of the movements have not vet been
studied".

I wish to draw your kind attention to this new movement of Indian
Pittas and would like to get your comments.

The House Crow - A Verminous Bird, and Aggressive Behaviour of Roseringed
Parakeet, by Indra Kumar Sharma, Bhagwari Bharan, HatanadaRa., Jodhpur 342 020

Dr. V.G. Prasad's comments in support of crows are far from correct.
Not only the crow, but a good many other birds, can also become friendly when
fed regularly by the same person. But the cunning of the house crow is
something proverbial. It is known to be a thief and a nuisance as well.
Yes, crows do pick up grube and insects when ploughing operations are on, but
many other bird3 like mynas, drongos, blue jays and egrets do the job better
and prove a more reliable friend of the farmer than crews. Even in the
matter of disposal of dead creatures lying in the open, vultures and stray
dogs do a more thorough job. It is equally well known that crews invade the
nests of smaller but positively useful birds and carry avay the tender

- 14 -

nestlings thus endangering the very existence of such smaller birds. I have
no hesitation in saving Dr. Prasad's sympathy for crows appears misplaced
Vlllsgers.who knov^ better will- never support his views. In fact, crows cause
them so much .annoyance that they hang a deed crow in their -fields to scare svay
the crows in the vicinity. . _CrOws are pes-ts undoubtedly and should be treated
as such.

Aggressive behaviour of rosering ed parakeet

House crows scaring off birds of prey is a matter of common observation
in urban and rural areas. But ofi 20th October 1987, while observing bird
activity in the vicinity of my house, I saw to my surprise a rose-ringed
■ parakeet chasing end attacking a tawny eagle. The parakeet kept up the
attack unrelentingly to a distance of nearly two kms. when both went out of
sight. The attack, I presume, must have been from a parent bird - male or
female - for protecting its offspring unmindful of the size and strength of
the intruder.

Trishna Calling (Birds - Our Feathered Friends) by P. Chakraborty, D.F.O. ,
Research Division, Tripurs .

In the first week of March* after a hard day's work, Sri A.K. Singh,
By. Conservator of Forests, and myself, reached Rajnsgar. We were dog tired
and devoid of any feelings about our enchanting surroundings. We woke up to
the music of birds, bee-eaters, sunbirds, bulbuls and others. I am listing
only 27 birds to give an indication of the rich bird life of this area:

Chestnut bittern, red jungle fowl, spotted dove, roseringed parakeet,
eastern slatyheaded parakeet, cuckoo, redwinged crested cuckoo, pond heron,
little egret, emerald cuckoo, crow pheasant, common green tee-eater, hoopoe,
small kingfisher, goldmantled chloropsie, red vented bulbul, red whiskered
bulbul, lesser racket tailed drongo, hair crested drongo, black drongo,
green magpie, black browed treepie, white bellied yuhina, yellow bellied
f entail flycatcher, black necked tailor bird, rufous bellied niltava,
common myna.

Limited Index for 19ff7

sracrss

Painted Snipe Daniel Wesley Jan-Feb

Tropic Bird in Madras T.R- Sridhar Jan-Feb

Redwattled lapsing A.Z. Babi Jan-Feb

- 15 -

Swimming ability of herons

Glossy Ibis

A grebe in hand

Painted storks of Kokrebellur

Painted storks

Partridges

The Pond Heron

V. Ssntharam

Sep- Oct

Weaver Birds

M- Siashidhara

Nov-Ite c

Sffif t Disposal

T.R. Sridhar

Nov-Dec

Roosting habits of Grey
Partridge

Harkirat Sangha

Jul- Aug

Brown Eooby

S.N. Varu

Sep- Oct

-4

-AREAS

Birds of the Kaveri Valley

Eric J. Lott

Jan-Feb

Pilgrimage to Bangalore

Aamir Ali

Hay-Jun

Zambian Reminiscences

l.A. Hill

May~Jun

Jamnagar Birds

Bantu Nansey

tfay-Jun

Avifauna of a temple

environment in Kerala

E. Narayanan

Jul- Aug

Bird problems of Mali

Marc' Thauront

Jul- Aug

Aquatic birds in Western

Raj aethan

Indra Kumar Sharma

Sep-Oct

Birds of J. P. Nagar Tank

Milind Desai * -

Sep- Oct

Birds of Kula Mutha Sanctuary,

A

-

Pune

Jamal Ara

Sep-Oct

Kadalundy - A unique bird

pre serve

Naraassivayan

Nov-Dec

- 16 -

Correspondence

Post script

<
letter from M.K. Himmatsinh.ii, Jubilee Ground, Bhu.1, Kutch

I would like to correct one serious error on my part which I made in my
last article/note on 'rare birds in Kutch' published in the Newsletter Vol. XXVII
No, 11 & 12. Among the birds recorded recently here I had mentioned the
Spottedbilled or Grey Pelican. They were actually the Dalmatian Bslican -
Pelicanus philippensis crispus - which I sav again at an irrigation dam a few
kilometres west of Mandvi on 14th January this year, and I was able to have a
good look at them through my binoculars. This is a typical example of how one
should not jump to conclusions when identifying birds. I cannot understand how
I did this. For it is my normal practice over the years that whenever in doubt
about the identity of a bird, I never add it to my list, but make a note in my
field book (which I did in this case too) saying identity to be confirmed. After
coming back home on seeing the pelicans, I consulted the Handbook (Handbook of
the Birds of India and Pakistan, Ali & Ripley), wherein the Grey Pelican is
properly described. However below the descriptive partgraph Alexander is quoted
as saying that the grey colouring of the wings and tail are distinguishing
characteristics of this pelican. The over all colour above of the Dalmatian
relican is dirty greyish white, and I took it for granted that the birds I. saw
at the Rudraraata &ia were the Spottedbilled Pelican. I mention this fact at
length for the benefit, of the readers of the Newsletter, excluding the category
of those experts such as Lavkumar. Por this is an example of how one should
avoid haste in bird identification, and also to curb one's overenthusiasm for
adding birds in this unmethodical way to one's list.

Mentioning the Handbook, I am reminded of the very sound advice given
by Mr. Lavkumar Rhacher in the above-mentioned volume of' the Newsletter, of
following the practi«2 of using names of birds as given in that great work-
However, in the first edition of the Handbook (the evcond edition is yet to be
completed) osrtain old English names, subsequently changed, are still there.
This, however, is not such an important issue; but in my humble opinion the
handbook with its ten volumes may be out of reach of many of the persons who
read or contribute information to the Newsletter. In keeping with the good
advice given by Mr. lavkumar, I may- also suggest that (although it may not have
all the English names in common use of birds listed therein, particularly some
Cf the subspecies), the 2nd edition of 'A synopsis of tb$ birds of India and
Pakistan 1 by S. Dillon Ripley, should be used as a standard work which contains,
if I mistake not, most, if not all, latin names of birds in common use today

The above paragraph now brings me to the subject of the change of the
older English names of birds in recent years, such as European Roller for
Kashmir Roller, leaf Warblers for Willow V/arblers, etc. V/ithout meaning to
challenge the knowledge or authorities of Drs. Selim Ali (now deceased) and
Dillon Ripley, merely for the interest and for the sake of knowledge and guidance
of not-so-knowledgeable contributors of tho Ifewslettor like myself, it would be •
nice if Mr. Lavkumar or any other expert could give his comments, including on

:

/

- 17 -

the change in 'English names owing to reclassification of birds, for example,
the Greybacked Warbler, now called Rufous- Chat (Vol. 8 of Handbook (1st Edition]
has called it Greybacked Warbler, or Rufous Chat. 1 ) - Erythropygia galactotes.

THE NEWSLETTER 1988

Those who have not sent in their contribution of
Rs. 20/- or over may kindly do so.

ZAFAR FUTEHALLY

Editor

IEVEL0IMEI7P AlffiERNATIVES

- a non-profit society

22, Palam Marg, Hew Lelhi - 110 057

- In his quest for 'a better life, man has come a long way. He has probed and
solved many mysteries of the universe - of time and space, of matter and mind, of
life and death. He has conquered long, dreaded diseases, built complex systems and
miraculous machines, extended his reach into the most inhospitable corners o* this
planet .

Eevelopment

Science and technology have given him now the ability to choose a future and
design new paths of development; the ability to be a master of his aestiny to a
degree inconceivable only a few generations ago.

For Whom ?

Yet one half of the world's people live in poverty. And everywhere, the
environment, on which our and our children's well-being so heavily depends, is
--pidly deteriorating.

Science and Technology

Science and technology offer the knowledge and tools to fashion a just and
long-term development - one which improves the quality of life for all without
destroying the resources which will sustain future generations. The challenge
is to translate the scientific knowledge and technological tools into products
for the welfare of the people.

How?

This technology must be relevant, adaptable and in tune with local resources,
skills and needs. In other words, Appropriate Technology. Technology that is
usable, affordable, renewable. Technology which opens the doors to opportunities,
work satisfaction and material rewards that never existed before. A cooperative
effort in which everyone gains and no one loses.

* A technology where man is the master, not the slave.

* A technology which enhances man's spirit without cramping his mind.

* A technology which generates sustained benefits rather than temporary relief.

* A technology that conserves resources and respects the limits of the
environment •

* A technology which creates wealth for the community and not merely money
for the few.

* A technology that is economically viable, and widely available.

- A technology for the people.

Bangalore Office - 17/1 Victoria Road, Bangalore - 560 047-

Front Cover; WHITE - EYED BUZZARD Courtesy: E. HANUMANTHa RAO

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