TIGHT BINGING
BOOK
CD
OU158708>
LIBRARY
the date last marjced below.
POPULAR HANDBOOK -OF
INDIAN BIRDS
All rights reserved
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF
INDIAN BIRDS
BY
HUGH WHISTLER, F.Z.S.
LATE INDIAN (IMPERIAL) POLICE
FOURTH EDITION
REVISED AND ENLARGED BY
NORMAN B. KINNEAR
BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) LONDON
llustrated with twenty-four full-page plates of which seven
. are coloured, and one hundred and eight figures
in the text, from drawings by H. Gronvold
and Roland Green
GURNEY AND JACKSON
LONDON: 98 GREAT RUSSELL STREET, W.C.
EDINBURGH: TWEEDDALE COURT
1949
FIRST PUBLISHED .... 1938
SECOND EDITION .... 1935
THIRD EDITION .... 1941
FOURTH EDITION .... 1949
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN BY
OLIVER AND BOYD LTD., EDINBURGH
PREFACE TO THE FOURTH EDITION
THE Popular Handbook of Indian Birds was first published in 1928,
followed by a second edition in 1935, and a third in 1941. This
last edition was becoming exhausted when the author died, and
Mrs Whistler asked me to prepare this new edition. Mr B. B.
Osmaston, who has such a wide knowledge of Indian birds and their
habits, has given very great assistance and, in addition, several
ornithologists in India, Mr Salim Ali, Mr C. M. Inglis, Mr W. H.
Mathews, and the Rev. F. S. Briggs, sent to Mrs Whistler their notes
and suggestions which, as far as possible, have been incorporated.
In the original edition 250 birds were described, and in each
succeeding issue the number was increased. In the present edition
7 more species have been added, and 12 referred to in the text.
There is also one new coloured plate and five text figures all of which
are the work of Mr Roland Green.
When the author of this work was preparing a new edition he was
taken ill, and died on 7th July 1943. By his death, ornithology, and
Indian ornithology in particular, has suffered a grievous loss. Hugh
Whistler was in his prime and had become the recognised authority
on everything connected with birds in India. During his seventeen
years' service in the Indian Police he had made himself thoroughly
acquainted with Indian birds, about which he has written so delight-
fully in this book. He had a happy knack of putting into words the
salient characters of a species which enables them to be readily
recognised in the field. Their habits too, he described in vivid
word pictures, so helpful to the beginner.
Hugh Whistler was a scientific ornithologist and his name will
be handed down as one of the most careful and- teriscigntious workers.
He had amassed copious notes on every aspect of Indian bird-life
which were always at the disposal of other ornithologists. But the
real purpose of these notes was to form a basis for a Handbook of
the Birds of the Indian Empire, which he and his great friend and
brother-ornithologist, the late Dr C. B. Ticehurst, had planned
and, indeed, commenced to write. After the lamented death of
Dr Ticehurst, Whistler had intended to carry on alone, but increasing
war-work hindered this. He never let his great love of ornithology
interfere with his official work, and in India those in authority did
not discourage his hobby since the search for birds took him into
out-of-the-way places seldom visited in the ordinary routine of duty,
v az
vi PREFACE
At his home near Battle, Whistler had brought together a wonderful
collection of bird skins, for the most part beautifully prepared by his
own hands, and nothing pleased him more than to show his collection.
He was ready to help others, and his many correspondents in India
will miss him, since he was the authority to whom they turned for
advice and guidance. Much of the recent work done there was
initiated by him, and many casual observers became good ornithologists
through his enthusiasm. Whatever work he undertook he did with
the same thoroughness and enthusiasm with which he studied birds,
and the high standard aimed at made him loved and rfespected by all
who knew him.
N. B. KINNEAR
CONTENTS
Order PASSERES
Family CORVIOSE
PAGE
Corvus corax Linnaeus. Raven i
macrorhynchos Wagler. Jungle Crow . ' . . . . . 3
splendens Vieillot. Common House Crow ..... 5
monedula Linnaeus. Jackdaw ....... 8
Urocissa flavirostris (Blyth). Yellow-billed Blue-Magpie . . .10
Dendrocitt a vagabunda (Latham). Indian Tree-Pie v-*". . . .12
Garrulus lanceolatus Vigors. Black-throated Jay vx" . . . 1 5
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax (Linnaeus). Chough . . . . 17
Family PARIM:
Parus major Linnaeus. Indian Grey Tit . . . . . .18
monticolus Vigors. Green-backed Tit . . . . .21
Machlolophus xanthogenys (Vigors). Yellow-cheeked Tit ... 22
Lophophanes melanophus (Vigors). Crested Black Tit .... 24
sEgithaliscus concinnus (Gould). Red-headed Tit .... 26
Family SITTID^E
Sitta castanea Lesson. Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch .... 28
frontalis (Swainson). Velvet-fronted Nuthatch .... 30
Family TIMALIIDJE
Garrulax albogularis (Gould). White-throated Laughing-Thrush . . 32
Trochalopteron erythrocephalum (Vigors). Red-headed Laughing-Thrush 34
variegatum (Vigors). Variegated Laughing-Thrush . . -35
cachinnans (Jerdon). Nilgiri Laughing-Thrush . 37
lineatum (Vigors). Streaked Laughing-Thrush . . . -38
Turdoides somervillei (Sykes). Jungle Babbler . ... 40
striatus (Dumont). White-headed Babbler ..... 42
Argya caudata (Dume"ril). Common Babbler ..... 43
malcolmi (Sykes). Large Grey Babbler ..... 45
Pomatorhinus horsfieldii Sykes. Deccan Scimitar-Babbler ... 47
erythrogenys Vigors. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler ... 48
Dumetia hyperythra (Franklin). Rufous-bellied Babbler . . .50
Chrysdmma sinensis (Gmelin). Yellow-eyed Babbler . . . 5 1
Pellorneum ruficeps Swainson. Spotted Babbler . . . . -53
Alcippe poioicephala (Jerdon). Quaker-Babbler 54
Rhopocichla atriceps (Jerdon). Black-headed Babbler . . . 56
Leioptila capistrata (Vigors). Black-headed Sibia .... 58
vii
viii CONTENTS
PAGE
Siva strigula Hodgson. Stripe-throated Siva . . . . -59
Leiothrix lutea (Scopoli). Red-billed Leiothrix 61
JEgithina tiphia (Linnaeus). Common lora . . . . .62
Chloropsis jerdoni (Blyth). Jerdon's Chloropsis ..... 64
Family PYCNONOTID^E
Microscelis psaroides (Vigors). Black Bulbul 66
Molpdstes cafer (Linnaeus). Red-vented Bulbul '68
leucogenys (Gray). White-cheeked Bulbul . . . * . .71
Otocompsa jocosa (Linnaeus). Red-whiskered Bulbul .... 73
lole icterica (Strickland). Yellow-browed Bulbul 75
Pycnonotus luteolus (Lesson). White-browed Bulbul .... 76
Family CERTHIIDJE
Certhia himalayana Vigors. Himalayan Tree-Creeper ... 77
Tichodroma muraria (Linnaeus). Wall-Creeper ..... 79
Family CINCLID>E
Ctnclus pallasii Temminck. Brown Dipper ..... 82
Family TURDID^E
Luscinia brunnea (Hodgson). Indian Blue-Chat . . . . .83
Saxicola caprata (Linnaeus). Pied Bush-Chat . . . . -85
torquata (Linnaeus). Stonechat ....... 87
Rhodophila ferrea (Gray). Dark-grey Bush-Chat .... 89
(Enanthe picata (Blyth). Pied Wheatear 90
deserti (Temminck). Desert Wheatear 92
Cercomela fusca (Blyth). Brown Rock-Chat ..... 94
Enicurus maculatus Vigors. Spotted Forktail ..... 95
Phcenicurus ochrurus (Gmelin). Black Redstart ..... 97
Chaimarrhornis leucocephala (Vigors). White-capped Redstart . . . 98
Rhyacornis fuliginosa (Vigors). Plumbeous Redstart . . . .100
Cyanosylvia svecica (Linnaeus). Bluethroat . . . . . 101
lanthia cyanura (Pallas). Red-flanked Bush-Robin . . . .103
Saxicoloides fulicat a (Linnaeus). Indian Robin . . . . .104
Copsychus saularis (Linnaeus). Magpie-Robin . . . . .106
Kittacincla malabarica (Scopoli). Shama . . . . . .108
Turdus simillimus Jerdon. Nilgiri Blackbird . . . . .no
boulboul (Latham). Grey- winged Blackbird . . . .in
unicolor Tickell. Tickell's Thrush 113
Geokichla citrina (Latham). Orange-headed Ground-Thrush . .114
Monticola cinclorhyncha (Vigors). Blue-headed Rock-Thrush . .116
solitaria (Linnaeus). Blue Rock -Thrush . . . . .117
Myophonus cteruleus (Scopoli). Whistling Thrush . . . .119
Family MUSCICAPID/E
Siphia parva (Bechstein). Red-breasted Flycatcher . . . .121
Muscicapula tickelliee (Blyth). Tickell's Blue Flycatcher . . .122
Eumyias tkalassina (Swainson). Verditer Flycatcher . . . .124
albicaudata (Jerdon). Nilgiri Blue Flycatcher . . . .125
CONTENTS ix
PAGE
Ochromela nigrorufa (Jerdon). Black and Orange Flycatcher . .127
Culicicapa ceylonensis (Swainson). Grey-headed Flycatcher . . 128
Niltava sundara Hodgson. Rufous-bellied Niltava . . . .130
Tchitrea paradisi (Linnaeus). Paradise Flycatcher . . . .131
Hypothymis azurea (Boddaert). Black-naped Flycatcher . . .133
Leucocirca aureola (Lesson). White-browed Fantail-Flycatcher . .135
Family LANIID^S
Lanius excubitor Linnaeus. Great Grey Shrike . . . . 137
vittatus Valenciennes. Bay-backed Shrike . . . . .139
cristatus Linnaeus. Brown Shrike . . . . . .140
schach Linnaeus. Rufous-backed Shrike . . . . .141
Hemipus picatus (Sykes). Pied-Shrike 144
Tephrodornis pondicerianus (Gmelin). Common Wood-Shrike . .145
Family CAMPEPHAGIM:
Pericrocotus speciosus (Latham). Scarlet Minivet . . . 147
brevirostris (Vigors). Short-billed Minivet 148
peregrinus (Linnaeus). Little Minivet .... 1 49
Lalage sykesi Strickland. Black-headed Cuckoo-Shrike . . .151
Family ARTAMID/E
Artamus fuscus Vieillot. Ashy Swallow-Shrike . . . . .153
Family DICRURIDJE
Dicrurus macrocercus Vieillot. King-Crow . . . . 155
longicaudatus Jerdon. Indian Grey Drongo . . . .158
Dissemurus paradiseus (Linnaeus). Large Racket-tailed Drongo . .159
Family SYLVIIOSS
Acrocephalus stentoreus (Hempr. and Ehrn.). Indian Great Reed-Warbler 161
dumetorum Blyth. Blyth's Reed-Warbler 163
Hippolais caligata (Lichtenstein). Booted Warbler . . . .164
Orthotomus sutorius (Pennant). Tailor-bird . . . . .166
Cisticola juncidis (Rafinesque). Fantail- Warbler . . . .168
Fran klinia buchanani (Blyth). Rufous -fronted Wren- Warbler . .170
gracilis (Franklin). Franklin's Wren- Warbler . . . 172
Sylvia curruca (Linnaeus). Lesser Whitethroat . . . . 173
Phylloscopus collybita (Vieillot). Chiffchaff 175
inornatus (Blyth). Yellow-browed Warbler . . . .176
trochiloides Sundevall. Greenish Willow- Wren . . . . 177
occipitalis (Blyth). Large Crowned Willow- Wren . . .178
Seicercus xanthoschtstos (Gray). Grey-headed Flycatcher- Warbler . 179
Suya crinigera Hodgson. Brown Hill-Warbler . . . . .181
Prinia gracilis (Lichtenstein). Streaked Wren- Warbler . . .182
socialis Sykes. Ashy Wren- Warbler 183
sylvatica Jerdon. Jungle Wren-Warbler 185
inornata Sykes. Indian Wren-Warbler 187
x CONTENTS
Family IRENIDJE
PAGE
Irena puella (Latham). Fairy Blue-bird . . . , . .189
Family ORIOLID/E
Oriolus oriolus (Linnaeus). Golden Oriole . . . . . .191
xanthornus (Linnaeus). Black-headed Oriole . . . .192
Family GRACULIDJE
Gracula religiosa Linnaeus. Indian Crackle . . . . 194
Family STURNID^E
Pastor roseus (Linnaeus). Rosy Pastor . . . . . .196
Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus. Starling . . . . . . .198
Sturnia malabarica (Gmelin). Grey-headed Mynah .... 200
Temenuchus pagodarum (Gmelin). Brahminy Mynah . . .201
Acridotfarfs tri ft ** (Linnaeus). Common Mynah .... 203
ginginianus (Latham). Bank Mynah ...... 205
dBthiopsar fuscus (Wagler). Jungle Mynah ..... 206
Sturnopastor contra (Linnaeus). Pied Mynah ..... 207
Family PLOCEIDJE /
Ploceus philippinus (Linnaeus). Baya Weaver-bird .... 209
manyar (Horsfield). Striated Weaver-bird . * . .211
Uroloncha malabarica (Linnaeus). White-throated Munia^ . . .213
punctulata (Linnaeus). Spotted Munia . . . . .215
Amandava amandava (Linnaeus). Red Avadavat . . . .216
Family FRINGILLIM:
Perissospiza icteroides (Vigors). Black and Yellow Grosbeak . .218
Pyrrhula erythrocephala Vigors. Red-headed Bullfinch . . .219
Carpodacus erythrinus (Pallas). Common Rosefinch .... 220
Hypacanthis spinoides (Vigors). Himalayan Greenfinch . . . 222
Gymnorhis xanthocollis (Burton). Yellow-throated Sparrow . . . 224
Passer domesticus (Linnaeus). House-Sparrow ..... 226
rutilans (Temminck). Cinnamon Sparrow . . . . .228
Emberiza stewarti Blyth. White-capped Bunting .... 229
da Linnaeus. Meadow-Bunting ...... 230
melanocephala Scopoli. Black-headed Bunting . . . .232
Melophus lathami (Gray). Crested Bunting * . . . . .233
Family HIRUNDINID^
Riparia paludicola (Vieillot). Indian Sand-Martin . . . .235
concolor (Sykes). Dusky Crag-Martin 236
Hirundo smithii Leach. Wire-tailed Swallow . . . . .237
fluvicola Jerdon. Cliff-Swallow 239
daurica Linnaeus. Red-rumped Swallow . . . . .241
CONTENTS xi
Family MOTACILLID^E
PAGE
Motacilla alba Linnaeus. White Wagtail ...... 243
maderaspatensis Gmelin. Large Pied Wagtail .... 245
cinerea Tunstall. Grey Wagtail 246
flava Linnaeus. Yellow Wagtail ...... 248
Anthus hodgsoni Richmond. Indian Tree-Pipit . . . . .250
rufulus Vieillot. Indian Pipit 252
Family ALAUDID^S
Alauda gulgula Franklin. Little Skylark . . . . . . 253
Calandrella brachydactyla (Leisler). Short-toed Lark . . . .255
Mirafra assamica McClelland. Bengal Bush-Lark . . . .256
erythroptera Blyth. Red- winged Bush-Lark . . . .258
Galerida cristata (Linnaeus). Crested Lark . . . . .259
Ammomanes phcenicura (Franklin). Rufous-tailed Lark . . .261
Eremopteryx grisea (Scopoli). Ashy-crowned Finch-Lark . . . 262
Family ZOSTEROPIDJE
Zosterops palpebrosa (Temminck). White-Eye .....
Family NECTARINIID^E
JEthopyga siparaja (Raffles). Yellow-backed Sunbird .... 265
Cinnyris asiaticus (Latham). Purple Sunbird ..... 268
zeylonicus (Linnaeus). Purple-rumped Sunbird .... 270
"Family
Diceeum erythrorhynchos (Latham). Tickell's Flower-Pecker . . 272
Piprisoma agile (Swainson). Thick-billed Flower-Pecker . . . 274
Family PITTIDJE
Pitta brachyura (Linnaeus). Indian Pitta . . . . . .275
Order PICI
Family PICIDJE
Picus squamatus Gould. Scaly-bellied Green Woodpecker . . . 277
Dry abates auriceps (Vigors). Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker . . 279
mahrattensis (Latham). Mahratta Woodpecker .... 280
Micropternus brachyurus (Vieillot). Rufous Woodpecker . . . 282
Brachypternus benghalensis (Linnaeus). Golden-backed Woodpecker . 285
Family CAPITONID/E
Megalcema virens (Boddaert). Great Himalayan Barbet . 287
Thereiceryx zeylanicus (Gmelin). Green Barbet ..... 289
Cyanops asiatica (Latham).. Blue-throated Barbet .... 290
Xantholcema hamacephala (P. L. S. Miiller). Coppersmith . . , 292
xii CONTENTS
Order ANISODACTYLI
Family CORACIAD^
/ PAGE
Coracias benghalensis (Linnaeus). Blue-Jay \/ ..... 293
Family MEROPIDJE
Merops orientalis Latham. Green Bee-Eater ..... 295
superciliosus Linnaeus. Blue-tailed Bee-Eater .... 297
leschenaultii (Vieillot). Chestnut-headed Bee-eater . . . 298
Family ALCEDINID^E v'
Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus). Pied Kingfisher ...... 299
(Linnaeus). Common Kingfisher ..... 301
'Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus). White-breasted Kingfisher . . 303
Family BUCEROTID^E
Dichoceros bicornis (Linnaeus). Great Hornbill ..... 304
Tockus birostris (Scopoli). Grey Hornbill ...... 306
Family UPUPIM:
Upupa epops Linnaeus. Hoopoe ....... 308
Order MACROCHIRES
Family MICROPODIDJE
Micropus affinis (Gray). Indian Swift . . . . ..311
Cypsiurus batassiensis (Gray). Palm-Swift . . . . .313
Hemiprocne coronata (Tickell). Indian Crested Swift . . . .314
Family CAPRIMULGIDJE
Caprimulgus asiaticus Latham. Indian Nightjar . . . . .316
Order COCCYGES
% Family CUCULIM:
canoriis Linnaeus. -Cuckoo 318
Hierococcyx varius (Vahl). Common Hawk-Cuckoo . . . .321
Cacomantis merulinus (Vahl). Indian Plaintive Cuckoo . . .322
Clamator jacobinus (Boddaert). Pied CrestecT Cuckoo . . . .324
Eudynamis scolopaceus (Linnaeus). Koel ^< . . . . .325
Rhopodytes viridirostris (Jerdon). Small Green-billed Malkoha . .328
Taccocua leschenaultii Lesson. Sirkeer /. . . . .329
Centropus sinensis (Stephen). Crow-Pheasants' . . . . 331
Ouler PSITTACI S
Family PSITTACID^E /
Psittacula eupatria (Linnaeus). Large Indian Parrakeet J . .332
krameri (Scopoli). Green Parrakeet . . . \/ . -334
cyanocephala (Linnaeus). Blossom-headed Parrakeet . . -336
Coryllis vernalis Sparrman. Indian Lorikeet . . , . 337
CONTENTS xiii
Order STRIGES S
Family STRIGID^E
PAGE
Strix ocellatum (Lesson) Mottled Wood-Owl . . . . -339
Ketupa zeylonensis (Gmelin). Brown Fish-Owl ..... 340
Bubo bengalensis (Franklin). Rock Eagle-Owl . . . . .342
coromandus (Latham). Dusky Eagle-Owl ..... 344
Otus bakkamcena Pennant. Collared Scops-Owl .... 345
Athene brama (Temminck). Spotted Owlet ..... 347
Glaucidium radiatum (Tickell). Jungle Owlet ..... 348
Order ACCIPITRES
Family GYPIDJE
Sarcogyps calvus (Scopoli). King Vulture . . . . .350
Gyps himalayensis Hume. Himalayan Griffon . . . . -352
Pseudogyps bengalensis (Grnelin). White-backed Vulture . . -353
Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus). Neophron . . . . 356
Family FALCONID^E v /
Gypaetus barbatus (Linnaeus). Lammergeier . . . . -358
Aquila rapax (Temminck). Tawny Eagle . . . . . .360
Spizaetus cirrhatus (Gmelin). Crested Hawk-Eagle . . . .361
Hamatornis cheela (Latham). Crested Serpent-Eagle . . . .364
Butastur teesa (Franklin). White-eyed Buzzard 366
Haliaetus leucoryphus (Pallas). Pallas' Fishing-Eagle .... 367
Haliastur indus (Boddaert). Brahminy Kite ..... 370
Milvus migrans (Boddaert). Common Pariah Kite . . . 371
Circus eeruginosus (Linnaeus). Marsh Harrier ..... 374
macrourus (S. G. Gmelin). Pale Harrier ..... 375
Buteo rufinus (Cretzschmar). Long-legged Buzzard .... 378
Astur badius (Gmelin). Shikra . . . . . . .380
Falco jugger ]. E. Gray. Lugger Falcon ...... 382
chicquera Daudin. Turumtee . . . . . . .384
tinnunculus Linnaeus. Kestrel . . . . . . .385
Order COLUMB^E
Family COLUMBIOE;
Crocopus phoenicopterus (Latham). Common Green Pigeon . . .388
Sphenocercus sphenurus (Vigors). Kokla Green Pigeon . . .389
Muscadivora cenea (Linnaeus). Green Imperial Pigeon . . . 391
Columba livia Gmelin. Blue Rock-Pigeon ..... 392
Streptopelia orientalis (Latham). Rufous Turtle-Dove . . . 394
chinensis (Scopoli). Spotted Dove . . . . . .396
senegalensis (Linnaeus). Little Brown Dove .... 397
risoria (Linnaeus). Indian Ring-Dove ..... 399
(Enopopelia tranquebarica (Herman). Red Turtle-Dove . . . 401
Macropygia unchalla (Wagler). Bar-tailed Cuckoo Dove . . . 402
Order PTEROCLETES
Family PTEROCLIM:
Pterorles orientalis (Linnaeus). Imperial Sandgrouse .... 403
exustus Temminck. Common Sandgrouse ..... 405
xiv CONTENTS
Order GALLING
Family PHASIANID/E
PAGE
Pavo cristatus Linnaeus. Common Peafowl ..... 407
Callus sonnerati Temminck. Grey Jungle-Fowl . . . .410
gallus (Linnaeus). Red Jungle-Fowl .... / . .412
Gennceus leucomelanus (Latham). Common Kalij Pheasant \/ . .415
Lophophorus impejanus (Latham). Monal . . . . . .418
Galloper dix spadicea (Gmelin). Red Spur-Fowl / . 420
Coturnix cotumix (Linnaeus). Common Quail ^y 422
coromandelicus (Gmelin). Rain-Quail ^< / .... 424
Perdicula asiatica (Latham). Jungle Bush-Quail . ... 426
Alectoris grceca (Meisner). Chukor ....... 428
Francolinus francolinus (Linnaeus). Black Partridge .... 430
pondicerianus (Gmelin). Grey Partridge . . . . .433
Order HEMIPODII
Family TURNICIM:
Turnix sylvatica (Desfontaines). Little Button-Quail .... 434
Order GRALL^E
Family RALLIDJE
Amaurornis phoenicura (Pennant). White-breasted Waterhen . . 437
Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus). Waterhen .... 438
Porphyrio poliocephalus (Latham). Purple Coot . . . 440
Fulica atra Linnaeus. Common Coot .... . 441
Family GRUID;E
Grus grus (Linnaeus). Common Crane .... . 443
Antigone antigone (Linnaeus). Sarus Crane . . . 445
Family OTIDID&
Sypheotides indica (Miller). Likh Floriken ... . 447
Order LIMICOL^
Family BURHINID^
Burhinus oedicnemus (Linnaeus). Stone-Curlew ..... 450
Family GLAREOLTD^E
Cursorius coromandelicus (Gmelin). Indian Courser .... 452
Glareola lactea Temminck. Little Indian Pratincole .... 454
/
Family JACANIDJE
Metopidius indicus (Latham). Bronze-winged Jacana .... 456
Hydrophasianus chirurgus (Scopoli). Pheasant-tailed Jacana . . 457
CONTENTS xv
Family CHARADRIIDJE
PAGE
Lobivanellus indicus (Boddaert). Red-wattled Lapwing . . .459
Lobipluvia malabarica (Boddaert). Yellow-wattled Lapwing . .461
Charadrius dubius Scopoli. Little Ring-Plover ..... 462
Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus). Black-winged Stilt . . 464
Tringa hypoleucus Linnaeus. Common Sandpiper .... 466
ochropus Linnaeus. Green Sandpiper ..... 468
nebularia (Gunner). Greenshank ...... 469
Erolia minuta (Leisler). Little Stint . . . . . 471
Scolopax rusticola Linnaeus. Woodcock . ... 472
Capella gallinago (Linnaeus). Common Snipe ..... 475
stenura (Bonaparte). Pintail Snipe ...... 477
Family ROSTRATULID/E
Rostratula benghalensis (Linnaeus). Painted Snipe . . . 478
Order GAVI^E
Family LARID/E
LOTUS ridibundus Linnaeus. Black-headed Gull . . . . .481
Chlidonias hybrida (Pallas). Whiskered Tern 482
Sterna aurantia Gray. Common River Tern . . . 484
melanogaster Temminck. Black-bellied Tern .... 486
Rhynchops albicollis Swainson. Indian Skimmer .... 487
Order STEGANOPODES
Family PELECANIDJE
Pelecanus roseus Gmelin. Spotted-billed Pelican . . . 489
Family PHALACROCORACID^
Phalacrocorax niger (Vieillot). Little Cormorant . . . .491
Anhinga melanogaster Pennant. Indian Darter ... . 493
Order HERODIONES
Family IBIDID/E
Threskiornis melanocephalus (Latham). White Ibis .... 495
Pseudibis papillosus (Temminck). Black Ibis ..... 497
Family PLATALEID/E
Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus. Spoonbill ...... 498
Family CICONIIM:
Dissoura episcopus (Boddaert). White-necked Stork .... 500
Xenorhynchus asiaticus (Latham). Black-necked Stork . . .502
Ibis leucocephalus (Pennant). Painted Stork ... -503
Anastomus oscitans (Boddaert). Open-bill ... 505
xvi CONTENTS
Family ARDBID/E/
/ PAGE
Ardea cinerea Linnaeus. Common Heron \/ . . . . 507
Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus). Little Egret . . . . . 509
Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus). Cattle Egret . . . . . .511
Ardeola grayi (Sykes). Paddy-bird 512
Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus). Night Heron . . . . .514
Ixobrychus cinnamomeus (Gmelin). Chestnut Bittern . . . .515
Order ANSERES
Family ANATIDJE
Sarkidiornis melanotos (Pennant). Nukta ^/ . . . . .51?
Nettapus coromandelianus (Gmelin). Cotton-Teal . . . .519
Anser indicus (Latham). Bar-headed Goose . . . . .520
Dendrocygna javanica (Horsfield). Whistling Teal . . . .522
Casarca ferruginea (Pallas). Ruddy Sheldrake 524
Anas platyrhyncha Linnaeus. Mallard . . . . . .526
pcecilorhyncha Forster. Spotbill . . . . . .52?
Chaulelasmus streperus (Linnaeus). Gadwall . . . . .529
Nettion crecca (Linnaeus). Common Teal . . . . . .530
Dafila acuta (Linnaeus). Pintail . . . . . . -532
Spatula clypeata (Linnaeus). Shoveller . . . . . -534
Nyrocaferina (Linnaeus). Pochard . . . . . . .536
nyroca (Giildenstadt). White-eye 538
Order PYGOPODES
Family PODICIPIDJE
Podiceps ruficollis (Pallas). Little Grebe ...... 539
INDEX ' . 542
LIST OF PLATES
PAGE
PLATE I (Frontispiece in colours) ..... Frontispiece
Fig. i. Black and Orange Flycatcher (Ochromela nigrorufa)
2. Fairy Blue-Bird (Irena puella)
3. Yellow-browed Bulbul (lole icterica)
4. Velvet-fronted Nuthatch (Sitta frontalis)
PLATE II
Fig. i. Spotted Munia (Uroloncha punctulata)
2. Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava)
3. Red-breasted Flycatcher (Siphia parva)
,, 4. Red-headed Tit (ffigithaliscus concinnus)
5. Indian Grey Tit (Parus major)
,, 6. Himalayan Tree-Creeper (Certhia himalayana)
PLATE III 44
Fig. i. Variegated Laughing-Thrush (Trochalopteron variegatum)
,, 2. Yellow-eyed Babbler (Chrysomma sinensis)
3. Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus)
4. Common Babbler (Argya caudatd)
,, 5. Streaked Laughing-Thrush (Trochalopteron lineatum)
PLATE IV (in colours) ........ .66
Fig. i. Grey-headed Flycatcher- Warbler (Seicercus xanthoschistos}
2. Nilgiri Blue Flycatcher (Eumyias albicaudata)
3. Orange-headed Ground-Thrush (Geokichla citrina)
4. Nilgiri Laughing-Thrush (Trochalopterom cachinnans)
5. Red-billed Leiothrix (Leiothrix luted)
PLATE V 88
Fig. i. White-throated Laughing-Thrush (Garrulax albogularis)
2. Deccan Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii)
3- Jerdon's Chloropsis (Chloropsis jerdoni)
4. Black-headed Sibia (Lioptila capistrata)
xvii
xviii LIST OF PLATES
PAGE
PLATE VI (in colours) no
Fig. i. Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassina)
2. Grey-headed Flycatcher (Culicicapa ceylonensis)
,, 3. Ashy Wren- Warbler (Prinia socialis)
4. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Muscicapula tickellia)
,, 5. Little Minivet (Pericrocotus peregrinus)
PLATE VII 132
- Fig. i. Grey- winged Blackbird (Turdus boulboul)
2. Whistling Thrush (Myophonus cceruleno)
PLATE VIII 154
Fig. i. Black Redstart (Phcenicurus ochrurus)
2. Plumbeous Redstart (Rhyacornis fuliginosa)
,, 3. Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
4. White-capped Redstart (Chaimarrhornis leucocephala)
5. Brahminy Mynah (Temenuchus pagodarum)
PLATE IX 176
Fig. i. Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus)
2. Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone parodist)
3. Common Wood-Shrike (Tephrodornis pondicerianus)
,, 4. Blue-headed Rock-Thrush (Monticola cinclorhyncha)
5. Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasii)
6. Bluethroat (Cyanosylvia svedca)
PLATE X (in colours) 198
Fig. i. Green Bee-Eater (Merops orientalis)
,, 2. Red-vented Bulbul (Molpastes cafer)
,, 3. Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
,, 4. Coppersmith (Xantholcema hcemacephala)
,, 5. Jungle Babbler (Turdoides somervillei)
PLATE XI 220
Fig. i. Black-naped Flycatcher (Hypothymis azurea)
,, 2. Dark-grey Bush-Chat (Rhodophila f erred)
3. White-throated Munia (Uroloncha malabaricd)
,, 4. Spotted Babbler (Pellorneum ruficeps)
5. Red-winged Bush-Lark (Mirafra erythroptera)
PLATE XII 242
Fig. i. Rufous-fronted Wren- Warbler (Franklinia buchanani)
,, 2. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca)
3 . Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita)
,. 4, Large (ft-owned Willow- Wren (Phylloscopus occipitalis)
,, 5. Indian Wren-Warbler (Prinia inornata)
6. Brown Hill-Warbler (Suya crinigera)
LIST OF PLATES
xix
PLATE XIII (in colours) ......
Fig. i . White-Eye (Zosterops palpebrosa)
,, 2. Baya Weaver-bird (Ploceus philippinus)
3. Short-billed Minivet (Pericrocotus brevirostris)
4. Purple-rumped Sunbird (Cinnyris zeylonicus)
5. Common lora (JEgithina tiphia)
6. Tailor-bird (Orthotomus sutorius)
PAGE
264
PLATE XIV
Fig. i.
2.
3-
4-
>, 5-
6.
286
Indian Pipit (Anthus rufulus)
Stonechat (Saxicola torquata)
Red-whiskered Bulbul (Otocompsa jocosa)
Desert Wheatear (CEnanthe deserti)
Little Skylark (Alauda gulgula)
White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)
PLATE XV
308
Fig. i. Allied Grosbeak (Furctus)
,, 2. Great Himalayan Barbet (Megalcema vireus)
PLATE XVI
Fig. i.
,, 2.
3-
4-
5-
330
Green Barbet (Thereiceryx zeylanicus)
Blue-tailed Bee-Eater (Merops superciliosus)
Brown-fronted Pied Woodpecker (Dryobates aurireps)
Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)
Common Hawk- Cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius)
PLATE XVII (in colours) .......
Fig. i . Green Parrakeet (Psittacula krameri)
2. Blue- Jay (Coracias benghalensis)
3. White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
4. Golden-backed Woodpecker (Brachypternus benghalensis)
5. Common Kingfisher (Alcedo at this) ~
352
PLATE XVII
Fig. i . Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax)
,, 2. Brown Fish-Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)
374
PLATE XIX
Fig. i. Turumtee (Falco chicquera)
,, 2. White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa)
3. Lugger Falcon (Falco jugger)
4. Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)
396
xx LIST OF PLATES
PAGE
PLATE XX 418
Fig. i . Little Brown Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
,, 2. Red Turtle-Dove (CEnopopelia tranquebarica)
,, 3. Rain-Quail (Coturnix coromandelica)
4. Indian Courser (Cursorius coromandehcus)
,, 5. White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurorms pnaenicnra)
PLATE XXI (in colours) % 44
Fig. i . Common Green Pigeon (Crocopus phcenicopterus)
2. Blue Rock-Pigeon (Columba livid)
3. Red-wattled Lapwing (Lobivanellus indicus)
PLATE XXII 462
Fig. i . Paddy-bird (Ardeola grayi)
,, 2. Green Sandpiper (Tringa ochropus)
3. Little Ring-Plover (Charadrius dubius)
,, 4. Black-bellied Tern (Sterna melanogaster)
5. Grey Partridge (Francolinus pondicerianus)
PLATE XXIII 484
Fig. i . Common Sandgrouse (Pterocles exustus)
,, 2. Jungle Bush-Quail (male and female) (Perdicula asiatica)
,, 3. Cotton-Teal (male and female) (Nettapus coromandelianus)
4. Gadwall (Chaulelasmus streperus)
PLATE XXIV 506
Fig. i. Pochard (male and female) (Nyroca ferina)
2. Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)
3. Ruddy Sheldrake (Casarca ferruginea)
INTRODUCTION
(TO THE FIRST EDITION)
BEFORE proceeding with the actual purpose of this book, which is
to provide a popular and scientific, but not too technical, account of
the Common Birds of India, there are a few general observations
which I should like to make by way of introduction.
First to explain why the book has been written.
One of the commonest questions that is put by the new arrival
in India is jbr the name of a book to teach him or her a little about
the birds which intrude themselves on every one's notice. There
are many excellent books on Indian ornithology, but the majority
are either too advanced and scientific for the beginner or else too
expensive. One search for a common bird in the volumes of the
splendid Fauna of India series is enough to send the inquirer away
frightened by the mere wealth of material and by the technical terms
in the descriptions. -The few popular books that have appeared of
recent years have suffered from the necessity of sacrificing fullness
to cheapness, and in particular the majority lack illustrations.
Pictures are what the beginner requires ; a few pictures are worth
pages of description. In Europe and America, where Nature-studies
have made such vast strides and have now such a general appeal,
the demand has made it posirble to bring out numbers of cheap
natural history books with excellent coloured illustrations.
In India this is not yet possible. The area is so great and the
fauna and flora so rich and diverse that to describe them requires
more space and wealth of illustration than in the West, while the
public to purchase such books is much smaller and at present
practically confined to the European population. It is, however,
to be hoped that educated Indians may turn more and more to the
study of the natural wonders of their land.
This book is an earnest attempt to supply a well-illustrated guide
to Indian birds at a price suited to the moderate purse. That the
illustrations are good is guaranteed by the name of Mr Gronvold,
who stands in the front rank of living bird-artists. That the price
is moderate is due to the generosity of three gentlemen, Mr F.
Mitchell, Sir George Lowndes and Mr W. S. Millard, who have
taken the publication outside the sphere of commercial profit ;
whoever buys this work should realise that their public spirit and
generosity have reduced the price by a very large amount. While
xxii INTRODUCTION
Mr Millard in addition has kindly undertaken the work of arranging
all the details of publication, and promised to see the book through
the press.
The nomenclature follows the recognised international usage.
This may be briefly explained.
Scientific nomenclature started with the Swedish naturalist
Linnaeus, who invented what is known as the Binomial System.
In this each living creature has two Latin names, the first repre-
senting the genus, the second the species. To take an example
from the first family in the book we have the Raven (Corvus corax)
and the Common House Crow (Corvus splendens).
Now a species is a group in which all individuals resemble each
other consistently except in such details as are due to age or sex
or individual variation. Individuals of a species normally breed
together and produce fertile offspring.
A genus is a wider term. It embraces one or more species
which, from the possession of certain characteristics, are clearly
worth separating from other groups of species. The Raven and
the House Crow are obviously very nearly related to each other
as compared with the Blue Magpies, though at the same time they
are not one and the same species. We therefore place both birds
together in the genus Corvus, and give them their individual specific
names of corax and splendens. The Blue Magpies have each their
own specific name, but their common characterise, ies group them
together in another genus Urocissa.
Genera which have certain features in common are similarly
linked together into families ; Families are combined with other
families to form Orders ; while the .various Orders together make
up the great class Aves. It is merely a system of classification or
labels, made partly for convenience and partly to express the differ-
ences and affinities that appear amongst birds. No space has been
devoted in this book to a diagnosis of the Families and Orders, but
their extent has been indicated in the list of species that precedes
the main text.
Increased study has shown that the Binomial System alone is
not sufficient to express all that is required. Abundant and widely
spread species vary more or less consistently in different parts of their
range, chiefly in response to climatic and geographical conditions.
These geographical races or subspecies require to be recognised, and
this is done by the addition of a third name after the specific name.
Thus our Raven in India, which is clearly the same species as the
European Raven, slightly changed by difference of habitat, is called
Corvus corax lawrencei, to recognise the fact and to distinguish it
from the typical race Corvus corax corax of Europe.
The selection of the Latin name is fixed by the Law of Priority,
INTRODUCTION xxiii
that the first name published for a species must be used for that
species irrespective of any names that may have been given to it
later. The various provisos to this rule need not trouble us here.
If a species is divided into races the first-named race is known as
the typical one, and its name gives the specific name ; so that the
typical race may be recognised as having its second and third names
the same Corvus corax corax. The surname given after the scientific
name is that of the writer who originally described the species. If
this surname is placed within brackets it means that he originally
described the species with a different generic name to that now
used.
In the heading to each species I have given the name binomially,
the races, if any, being indicated under the paragraph on Distribution.
Vernacular names have not been given. In my experience published
lists are of little value, as few species have really established
vernacular names and local names vary from district to district.
My aim throughout has been to emphasise the position of our
Indian birds as part of a wider scheme, and that their range in
India is almost always part of a wider range.
This leads us naturally to J-the question of Geographical
Distribution. No student of zoology can fail to observe that the
fauna of the various portions of the world differ markedly in
character in different areas. There have been many attempts to
define the limits of these areas, though their boundaries must
necessarily be vague. Six regions are now commonly accepted,
the Hclarctic, with its Palaearctic and Nearctic subdivisions (extending
across tbs whole Northern Hemisphere and including Europe, a
small portion of Africa, Northern and Central Asia and North
America), the Ethiopian (Africa and Arabia), the Indian or Oriental
(India, China, Ceylon and the Malays), the New Zealand, the
Australian (including also the Pacific Islands), and the Neotropical
regions (Mexico to Cape Horn).
The boundaries of the Western Palaearctic subregion of the
Holarctic region march with those of the Indian region roughly along
the line of the Himalayas and the Afghan and Baluchi borders ; and
it must be remembered that the desert areas of the Punjab, Sind and
Rajputana are part of the great Palaearctic desert which starts on the
Atlantic coast of North Africa and reaches the heart of China.
The Indian region of course needs to be further subdivided, as
China and the Malays have characteristics that separate them off from
India. India, Burma and Ceylon are usually considered as 'forming
an Indian subregion, while the Himalayas are regarded as having
closer affinities with China than with the Indian plains at their base.
The student of Indian ornithology must from the beginning
realise that the avifauna of his area is not homogeneous, spread
xxiv INTRODUCTION
over India evenly as butter on a slice of bread. He must obtain
a conception of it as divided into sections. He must realise that
the most comprehensive knowledge of the birds of Simla will leave
him ignorant of the species that he will meet at Ootacamund, that
the avifauna of the Sind desert has hardly a common feature with
the avifauna of the forests of Malabar.
The most recent endeavour to express these differences is that
of Blanford in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society
(Vol. 194, 1901, pp. 335-436). He divides India, Burma and Ceylon
into five primary subdivisions as follows :
(a) The Indo-Gangetic plain, This extends across the whole
of Northern India from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of
Bengal. Its boundaries run up the hill ranges from
Karachi to Peshawar and thence along the outer spurs of
the Himalayas to Bhutan and thence roughly southward
to east of the Sunderbunds. The southern boundary
takes a line from the Rann of Cutch to Delhi and from
about Agra to Rajmahal whence it goes south to the Bay
of Bengal. \ a
(b) The Indian Peninsula, southwards of the above area.
(c) Ceylon.
(d) The Himalayas. This subdivision includes the whole area
of the mountain ranges from their i, jt-hills up to the limit
of tree-growth. Above forest limits *he fauna becomes
Palaearctic in character.
(e) Assam and Burma. .
These five subdivisions may again be further divided largely in
accordance with the influence of rainfall, while along the Himalayas
there are distinct altitudinal zones which affect the fauna. Those
who are interested in the subject are advised to consult Blanford's
paper in the original. It is too long to be quoted here, and its
conclusions may have to be modified when the geographical races
of Indian birds are fully worked out.
The races of Indian birds follow some fairly defined lines.
Himalayan species generally have an Eastern and Western race,
meeting about Nepal, the Eastern race being generally darker and
smaller. In the Peninsula the races vary to some extent in correlation
with the total distribution of the species. If a bird is common and
widely distributed throughout India and the neighbouring areas of
the Indian subregion it will often be found to have special races
in (i) the semi-desert area of the north-west ; (2) the humid area
of Assam and the Eastern Sub-Himalayan duars and terais ; (3) the
heavy rain-area of the lower Western Ghats from about North
Kanara to the southern limit of the Travancore ranges ; (4) Ceylon ;
INTRODUCTION xxv
while a more generalised form occupies the intervening mass of the
Peninsula, grading in turn into each race.
If, on the other hand, a bird has a more limited range, the
influence of these areas in the formation of races appears to be less
strong and the distribution of its races is harder to forecast. Humid
areas produce dark birds, desert areas pale birds. North and west
enlarge, south and east dwarf their birds.
Finally, one must regard the influence of migration. The
avifauna of India or of any square mile of it is never stationary,
but changes season by season in response to the great tide of bird-
life which sweeps across it with the regularity of the tides of the sea.
The fundamental principle of migration is easy to understand. With
the changing of the seasons a bird which summers and nests in
northern latitudes is unable to find food in those latitudes in winter.
It therefore moves southwards to an area that time and circumstances
have fixed as its winter quarters. In the north the bird is known as
a " summer visitor " and in the south as a " winter visitor," while in
the intervening countries that it travels over it is a " passage migrant."
The southerly route followed in the " autumn passage " is not
necessarily the same as the route by which it returns north on the
" spring passage."
India lies south of the great mass of Northern and Central Asia,
where winter conditions are very severe following on a short but
luxuriant summer. It is not strange, therefore, that a huge wave of
bird-life pours down to winter in India where insect and vegetable
food is so abundant. The movement starts as early as July, and
reaches its greatest height in September ; it crosses the Himalayas
from both ends, and gradually converges down the two sides of the
Peninsula spending its strength until it ends finally in Ceylon. In
spring the wave again recedes, starting at the end of February, and
all the migrants have gone by the end of May.
Ceylon is one of the few countries of the world that has no
summer visitors, for it lies at the end of the migration routes through
India, with no land of any size to the south of it.
The Indian winter, luxuriant after the monsoons, is more suit-
able to the needs of bird-life than the parched Indian summer.
Geographical position and physical features, therefore, combine to
account for one of the chief ornithological characteristics of India,
that it is practically without summer visitors from beyond its borders.
The few species that fall under this category are confined to North-
western India, where they are able to take a route round the head
of the Arabian Gulf to winter in Africa.
The effect of migration on status is most easily shown by an
example. I will take a station in the Punjab and indicate the various
categories of birds to be found in it.
xxvi INTRODUCTION
There are first of all the Resident species, which breed there and
remain the whole year round, such as the Parrakeets and Babblers.
A few Summer visitors arrive to breed, such as the Purple Honey-
sucker and Yellow-throated Sparrow. These, if they are late arrivals,
dependent on monsoon conditions for their food-supply, are known
as Rains visitors. But both Summer and Rains visitors have this
in common, for the most part, that they are species which are
residents farther south in India, i.e., they are summer visitors merely
in the northern part of their range in India and not, as our summer
visitors in England, arrivals from distant countries. A very numerous
class is that of the Winter visitors which breed north of India
altogether, like the Waders and Ducks. No winter visitor arrives
from the south. There are two more large classes, the Spring and
Autumn Passage Migrants, such as Rose-Finches and Red-breasted
Flycatchers, temporarily abundant on their way to and from winter
quarters farther south in the Peninsula and Ceylon.
It must be remembered, however, that Nature is seldom clear-cut
in her distinctions, and a species may fall under more than one
heading. The mass of Red-breasted Flycatchers, for instance, that
pass through in autumn and return again in spring, will leave a few
of their numbers as winter visitors. Some individuals of another
species may remain as residents while the remainder migrate.
The movements indicated above come under the heading of true
migration, a tide which ebbs and flows year by year in response to
the annual changes of the seasons. But they are supplemented by
smaller and more irregular movements known as Local migration.
These are due to different causes. In India the most frequent cause
is variation in the rainfall and its consequent effect on food-supply.
A prolonged drought will drive away the birds from a locality, good
rains will fill it with birds where previously there were none.
Along the Himalayas and the neighbouring ranges there is a
marked seasonal altitudinal movement, which moves the resident
birds down through the various zones in response to the lowering of
the snow-line. This, particularly in severe winters, sends a wave
of stragglers into the plains of Northern India in January and
February. A plague of locusts or an unusual crop of seeds may
temporarily upset the usual distribution of several species. And
finally the rudiments of local migration may be seen in the way
in which some species shift their ground in a district while breeding.
This movement may be very slight, merely a matter of a few miles,
yet it is of interest as showing the evolution of the great migrations
from hemisphere to hemisphere.
At present we have practically no detailed knowledge on the
subject of migration in India, whether true or local ; records and
observations on it are badly needed.
INTRODUCTION xxvii
Hitherto Indian ornithology has fallen into very definite periods.
The first period revolves around the pioneer work by Hodgson,
Jerdon and Blyth, and found its expression in Jerdon's Birds of India,
published in 1862.
The second period is dominated by Hume (also the founder of
the Indian Congress) who directed and marshalled the labours of a
number of notable workers. This period found its fitting expression
not in a single comprehensive work but in the packed and
miscellaneous volumes of Stray Feathers, a periodical which
appeared in parts from 1872 to 1888.
With 1889 appeared the first volume of the Fauna of British
India, Birds, by Blanford and Gates, followed at intervals by three
other volumes. This work completely dominated Indian ornithology
down to about 1922.
In 1922 Mr Stuart-Baker produced his first volume of the second
edition of the Fauna. With this has opened the fourth period of
Indian ornithology, which will be memorable for its introduction
of the trinomial system. Its progress is still in the moulding, and
I can only hope that this book of mine will help more than one
beginner to take his share in the advancement of Indian ornithology.
The day is now over in which it was necessary to collect large
series of skins and eggs in India. Enough general collecting has
been done ; concentration on filling in the gaps in our knowledge
is now needed. Those who wish to help in the work should first
familiarise themselves with what has been accomplished and learn
what remains to be done. With some species the distribution of the
different races still needs to be worked out and this implies careful
collecting in certain areas. Of other species we still need to know
the plumage changes ; for this specimens collected at certain times
of the year are required. In other species the down and juvenile
plumages are unknown. But the greatest need of all is* accurate
observations on status and migration. In this all can help. Keep
full notes for a year on the birds of your station, noting those that
are resident and the times of arrival and departure, comparative
abundance and scarcity of all the migratory kinds ; and you will
have made a contribution to ornithology that will in the measure
of its accuracy and fullness be a help to every other worker.
The wonderful avifauna of India is still unspoilt and almost in its
entirety. Let us chronicle and appreciate it while we may and
endeavour in return to awake an appreciation of its value *and
interest so that steps to preserve it may advance part passu with the
destructive influences. These have already started. The irrigation
of vast tracts has already made considerable changes in the fauna,
the interesting desert forms giving place to less specialised and widely
common birds. With the passing away of the Arms Act one of the
xxviii INTRODUCTION
greatest barriers to the wasteful destruction of bird-life by ignorance
and greed has been broken down, at the very moment when the
opening up of the country by the motor-car has lessened the number
of natural sanctuaries. So in return for the interest of your study
of the Indian avifauna, endeavour to protect it and awaken public
opinion to the task.
In conclusion, I have to acknowledge my indebtedness on many
sides in the writing of this book. While I owe something directly
or indirectly to every naturalist who has worked in Jndia, my
obligations are very deep to the authors of .both editions of the
Fauna series, Messrs Blanford and Gates and Mr Stuart-Baker.
Mr N. B. Kinnear of the British Museum has given me much
valuable advice and encouragement. And especially I owe much
to the help and enthusiasm of Dr Claud B. Ticehurst, who has
kindly read through the text of the book in order to ensure its
accuracy.
HUGH WHISTLER
The Common Mynah. (J nat. size).
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF
INDIAN BIRDS
FIG. i Raven
({ nat, size)
THE RAVEN
CORVUS CORAX Linnaeus
Description. Length 24 inches. Sexes alike. Entirely black,
glossed with steel-blue, purple and lilac.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
The feathers of the throat are prolonged into conspicuous
hackles.
Field Identification. Plains of North-western India. Distinguished
from all other Crows by the large size, complete blackness, the throat
hackles, and the distinctive call-note. Only likely to be confused with
the Jungle Crow, but both species do not usually occur in the same
locality.
Distribution. The Raven is found in almost every part of the
Northern Hemisphere, in Europe, Northern Africa, Asia, and North
America, and is divided into several races distinguished by size and
the shape of the bill. We are only concerned with one race, C. c.
subcoraXy which is the resident bird of Western Asia, Turkestan,
Baluchistan, and North-western India, though it appears to some
A
z POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
extent to be locally migratory. In India it is found in the Punjab,
North-west Frontier Province, Sind, and the desert portions of
Western Rajputana and occasionally in British India. No Raven
occurs in the Himalayas proper until the Tibetan tracts of their
northern face are reached, and there in the barren wastes above
10,000 feet is found the so-called Tibetan Raven (C. c. tibetanus),
a huge bird, perhaps identical with the Greenland form.
Habits, etc. In North-western India the Raven is a very abundant
species in the drier and more barren portions of the plains and about
the low rocky hill ranges which crop up here and there. In the
irrigated and better cultivated tracts it is scarcer, as also in the more
thickly wooded districts.
Although while nesting it prefers solitude, at other times it
is distinctly social, and fifteen or twenty birds may often be seen
together on the outskirts of villages, towns, and camps, marching
sedately about the ground, turning over and examining the refuse
of man. For in India the Raven is a common scavenger, bold and
dissolute as any Crow ; though it retains when need arises all the
wariness that in England is associated with a scarce and shy bird
that avoids the haunts of man. It is particularly common about
cantonment stations.
The food is very varied ; in addition to the scraps collected
in the course of its scavenging the Raven does a certain amount of
damage to crops, for instan.ce cutting off and carrying away whole
heads of millet, and a pair are generally found with the Vultures
at every carcass.
The ordinary call-note is a frequently uttered deep pruk, pruk.
The flight is strong and straight, and the massive head and beak
project conspicuously in advance of the wings. The birds seem
to pair for life, though many pairs collect together where food is
plentiful. Like the other Crows the Ravens roost in companies,
often fifty or sixty together, flighting to the selected spot towards
the fall of dusk, flying fast and moderately low over the ground.
The breeding season lasts from December to March, though most
eggs will be found in January and February.
The nest is a large, stout structure of sticks with the cup thickly
lined with rags, wool, hair, and similar rubbish. It is placed either
in the fork of a large tree, often close to a well or house, or on the
ledges of rock and clay cliffs. The birds often exhibit a tendency
to attack the climber who goes up to secure their eggs.
The clutch varies from four to six eggs.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, considerably pointed towards
the smaller end ; the shell is close and firm, with only a slight gloss.
The ground-colour varies from greenish-blue to dingy olive or pale
stone-colour. The markings are blackish-brown, sepia, olive-brown,
THE RAVEN 3
and pale inky-purple, distributed in spots, speckles, blotches, and
streaky clouds, the eggs in one clutch usually being all of one type,
though there is much variety between different clutches.
In size the eggs average about 1-94 by 1-31 inches.
THE JUNGLE CROW
CORVUS MACRORHYNCHOS Wagler
Description. Length 17 inches. Sexes alike. Entire plumage
black with a dark blue or purple gloss.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. A typical Crow, entirely black, and inter-
mediate in size between the ordinary House Crow and the Raven ;
to be distinguished from the former by the absence of any grey on
the hind neck and breast, and from the latter by the smaller size
and the difference in call caw caw, that of the Raven being a hoarse
bark pruk, pruk. Usually gregarious, except at nest.
Distribution. India, Burma, Ceylon, extending to South-east
Asia. It is divided into various races which are separated on minor
points of size and coloration of the base of the feathers, and are
distinguished with difficulty except in a series. Three races concern
us. C. m. intermedius is found along the whole length of the Himalayas
from Afghanistan to Bhutan and is the familiar Crow of all the
Himalayan hill stations from Gulmurg to Nepal. It occurs from
the foot-hills up to 13,000 feet. The smallest race, C. m. culminatus,
occurs in Ceylon and the whole of the Indian Peninsula up to a line
through Thar and Parkar, Delhi and Ambala on the west, growing
gradually in size until about Calcutta it becomes the large bow-beaked
C. m. macrorhynchos found in Assam and Burma. All these races are
strictly resident and they may prove to be races of the Carrion Crow
(Corvus corone) of Europe, which certainly has a race C. c. orientalis
in Ladakh and Baltistan. The Rook (Corvus frugilegus) which occurs
in North-west India in winter in vast numbers may be distinguished
by its finer, more pointed beak and the bare white scabrous patch
round its base in adults.
Habits, etc. The Jungle Crow is, as its name implies, and in
contradistinction to the House Crow, a bird of the forests and jungles
rather than of the haunts of men throughout the Peninsula of India ;
though it often visits cities and villages for the sake of scavenging.
It is not as bold 'as the House Crow in entering verandahs or in
deliberately stealing food from the actual possession of man. The
Himalayan race, however, is bolder in this respect than the plains
bird, and in all the Himalayan sanatoria this Crow replaces the House
4 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Crow as the common scavenger round houses, though it is never as
much at home in the bazaars as is the smaller bird.
Although not actually nesting in rookeries, the Jungle Crow is
found scattered throughout the extensive sal forests of the U.P. and
Central India. It is usually the first bird to discover the more or
less well concealed kill of a tiger or leopard, which it advertises by
a peculiar loud " caw " recognised by other crows in the vicinity and
of great assistance to the shikari on the look-out for tiger " Khabbar."
It is a highly gregarious species, numbers feeding in company or
collecting together at the scene of any object of interest, whether food
to eat, a fox or bird of prey to mob, or a disturbing human element to
swear at. Large numbers collect to roost in special patches of forest,
though never so many together as in the case of the House Crow.
In the hills this Crow is very fond of soaring and circling at a great
height in the air and twenty or thirty often do this in company,
exhibiting a complete mastery of all the arts of flying.
Like other Crows this species is omnivorous, scraps of human
food, refuse, flying ants, fruit, berries, small mammals and birds,
insects, carrion, all are welcome to it ; while it is particularly destruc-
tive to the eggs and young of all birds. I have seen it settling on
the packs of mule trains crossing the high passes, travelling with
them and tearing holes in the packs to get at the contained corn.
Its voice is not disagreeable, the ordinary call being a variable
caw rather reminiscent of that of the English Rook, sometimes harsh,
sometimes almost melodious in tone, and very often distinctly like
the quack of a domestic duck ; a harsh allah or ayah is also uttered,
and in addition as it meditates on a shady bough during the heat
of the day it indulges in a succession of amusing gurgles and croaks.
As I write, several are conversing in the trees outside my room, the
sound recalling memories of early spring in England, with swaying
elms and rooks preparing to nest.
The various races of the Jungle Crow throughout our area agree for
the most part in laying their eggs from March to May, but in the plains
a few nests will be found with eggs as early as the middle of December.
The nest is a large, moderately deep cup, composed of twigs and
small sticks, lined with hair, dry grass, wool, coco-nut fibre and similar
substances. Some nests are massive and well built ; others are
somewhat sketchy affairs.
In the Himalayas they are often placed in deodars or species
of pine, while in the plains mangoes and tamarinds are said to be
preferred ; but with these reservations, the nest may be built in any
species of tree, and it is often surprising how well so bulky a structure
is concealed from a casual glance. The tree selected is occasionally
in the midst of a bazaar or garden, but most pairs build away in the
jungle but in easy reach of some village.
THE COMMON HOUSE CROW 7
lower temperature of the Himalayas and the comparative abundance
there of the stronger Jungle Crow.
This Crow is highly gregarious, and this trait is nowhere more
clearly demonstrated than at the roost. Many thousands of birds
sleep together in company in a selected patch of trees, often acres
in extent ; and the morning and evening flight from and to the roost
is a most conspicuous event, as an unending stream of birds arrives
or departs. In the morning the birds leave in a body, hungry and
impatient for food, and the flight is soon over, but in the evening
their arrival is much more protracted. An hour or two before dusk
the first stragglers appear and their numbers gradually increase,
until at the end an unbroken line of birds extends across the sky,
till darkness falls and puts an end to the unceasing clamour that
accompanies every operation of this bird's life.
During the flight small parties have the habit, so often seen
amongst Rooks in England, of swirling suddenly down from a
height in the sky almost to the ground. The roosting-places are
always littered with the remains of dead Crows, and their mortality
is heavy, partly no doubt from disease and partly from the
depredations of Peregrines and Eagle-Owls. These roosting flights
show no apparent diminution even during the breeding season, and
this is due to the fact that this species does not breed during its
first year. While not nesting in colonies after the fashion of the
Rook, the House Crow is so numerous that numbers of nests may
be found within a small radius.
Familiarity with man has made the House Crow bold and thievish
to a degree. It sidles into rooms, alert and keen, ready to retreat
at the least alarm, and with a sudden bounce and dash removes food
from the table ; it robs the shops in the bazaar if they are left
unattended for a moment ; it snatches sweetmeats off the trays of the
vendors* at railway stations. Yet with all this familiarity and boldness
it retains the wariness and sagacity of the family and is quick to take
a hint of real danger and evade it.
And not only man suffers from this impudent Crow ; it mobs
birds of prey, more especially the Owls and Eagles, on occasions
actually buffeting them ; and I have seen Vultures sitting gorged
on the ground much worried by a sort of game of " Tom Tiddler's
Ground " played by Crows who insisted on hopping on and off their
backs. They perch on the backs of bullocks and mules pecking
bits of flesh from raw saddle-galls, though at times their attentions
are welcome for they also remove ticks and other vermin. They
rob dogs and fowls of their food, and in general steal and bully
to the utmost extent of their opportunities. Yet with all their
manifold villanies there is much that is attractive about the sleek,
intelligent, shameless bird that is the companion of our daily life
8 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
in India. There is only one living thing that habitually gets the
better of the House Crow a claim which man certainly cannot
make ; the KoeFs whole life-history is based on the assumption
that it can at will circumvent and deceive the Crow, and this it
does, substituting its own eggs for those of the Crow and making
the latter bring up its young.
This bird is absolutely omnivorous ; it will eat anything that man
will eat, and innumerable things that he will not.
The ordinary call is a cawing note rather softer in tone than that
of the larger Crows.
The breeding season is very regular in the North-west, eggs
being laid from the middle of June till the middle of July. In the
rest of India numbers also lay in April and May, and occasionally
nests are found in November, December and January.
The nest is built in a fork of a tree, and is a shallow cup of sticks,
sometimes neat and well made, sometimes sketchy and ragged ; it is
lined with grass roots, wool, rags, vegetable fibre, and similar miscel-
laneous substances. Instances are on record of nests built partly or
exclusively of wire.
The normal clutch consists of four or five eggs, but six or seven
are occasionally met with. The egg is a broad oval, rather pointed
at the smaller end. The texture is hard and fine and there is a fair
gloss. The ground-colour is any shade of blue-green, and is blotched,
speckled and streaked with dull reddish-brown, pale sepia, grey and
neutral tint.
In size the eggs average about 1*45 by 1*05 inches.
THE JACKDAW
CORVUS MONEDULA Linnaeus
Description. Length 13 inches. Sexes alike. The whole upper
plumage, wings and tail glossy black ; a broad collar from the sides
of the head round the back of the neck dusky grey, becoming so pale
in parts as to be almost white ; chin, throat, and fore-neck black ;
remainder of lower plumage dull slaty-black.
Iris whitish ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Extreme North-western India and Kashmir.
Distinguished from the House Crow by the smaller size, the fact
that the grey is confined merely to a collar, the white eye, and the
very musical call.
Distribution. The Jackdaw is widely distributed in Europe, in
Algeria, and in parts of Northern and Western Asia. Of its races
THE JACKDAW 9
we are only concerned with C. m. monedula, which apparently breeds
from Scandinavia and Russia to the Yenisei and south to Persia,
Afghanistan, and Kashmir. In winter numbers appear from the
middle of October to the beginning of March in the North-west
Frontier Province west of the Indus, and in the Punjab districts
along the base of the North-western Himalayas.
The traveller to Baltistan and Ladakh will find the Magpie (Pica
pica) common in the sparse groves in the valleys and he will Jbe
agreeably surprised at its tameness compared with the persecuted
English bird. It is also found in Baluchistan.
Habits, etc. No one who has visited the Vale of Kashmir can
have failed to notice the Jackdaws, which are extremely common
there all the year round, and with their cheerful, familiar calls
largely contribute to the extremely English air of the European
quarters, of Srinagar. Great numbers live in the trees and buildings
all round Srinagar, feeding in the fields and on the grassy lawns,
and becoming as tame and impudent in their behaviour as the
House Crow is in the plains. These birds roost in the willows of
the Dal Lake, and the morning and evening flight of the Jackdaws from
and to their dormitory is one of the ornithological sights of Srinagar.
In winter when it arrives in the Punjab the Jackdaw is found in
flocks which associate with the immense flights of Rooks (Corvus
frugilegus) that appear about the same time and in the same
localities. The flight is strong and fairly fast, but the Jackdaw has
rather quicker wing-beats than the Rook and can also be distinguished
in the air by its smaller size. The call is more musical than that of
most Crows, being a melodious Jack and cae, ringing with cheerful-
ness and well-being ; these calls are responsible for the English
name, the first syllable also exemplifying the English practice of
personifying familiar species, as in Magpie and Jenny- Wren. The
whole demeanour of the bird is pert and knowing, and it makes
a delightful pet, some individuals learning to talk ; though the
irresistible attraction which small bright articles have for the
Jackdaw often makes it a nuisance about a house when tame
enough to be allowed out of its cage.
In Kashmir the breeding season is from April to June. The
nest is a massive cup of dirty wool, rags, and hair on a foundation
of sticks and thorny twigs, and it is placed in holes in rocks, buildings,
and trees. Numbers of pairs breed in colonies wherever suitable
nest-holes are available.
The clutch consists of four to six eggs.
The egg is an elongated oval, somewhat compressed towards the
smaller end ; the shell is fine and stout but there is only a faint gloss.
The ground-colour is pale greenish-blue, speckled and spotted with
deep blackish-brown, olive-brown, and pale inky-purple ; these
io POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
markings are sometimes fine and close, at other times bold and
thinly set, but on the whole the eggs of the Jackdaw are more lightly
marked than those of most of the family of Crows.
In size they average about 1-40 by 0*98 inches.
THE YELLOW-BILLED BLUE-MAGPIE
UROCISSA FLAVIROSTRIS (Blyth)
Description. Length 26 inches, including tail of about 18 inches.
Sexes alike. Head, neck, and breast black, with a white patch on
the nape ; remainder of lower plumage white, faintly tinged with
lilac ; whole upper plumage purplish-blue, brighter on the wings and
tail ; flight-feathers tipped with white, the outermost edged with the
same ; tail long and graduated, the feathers blue, broadly tipped
with white, all except the very long central pair having a band of
black in front of the white.
Iris bright yellow ; bill waxen yellow ; legs bright orange-yellow.
Field Identification. Purely Himalayan form ; in noisy parties
amongst trees. A conspicuous long tail, greatly graduated, and at
the end drooping in a graceful curve. In jungle appears dull greyish-
blue, with white under surface and white tips to tail-feathers.
Distribution. The Yellow-billed Magpie is found throughout
the Himalayas from Hazara to the Brahmaputra. It is divided into
two races. Of these U. f. cucullata is the better known and is
found from the Western boundary of the range to Western Nepal,
being a common species about most of the hill stations of the
Western Himalayas, breeding in a zone from 5000 to 10,000 feet.
The typical form is found from Eastern Nepal eastwards and differs
in that the under parts have a darker lilac tinge ; its zone is slightly
higher than that of the Western form, as it seldom occurs 'as low
as 6000 feet. A resident species, but during the winter months it
usually deserts the higher parts of its summer zone.
From Simla eastwards the closely allied Red-billed Blue-Magpie
(Urocissa melanocephala) is often found in the same areas as the
yellow-billed species ; it is particularly common about Mussoorie,
Tehri-Garhwal, -Kumaon, and in Nepal, and may be easily
distinguished by its red beak and the greater extent of the white
nape-patch.
The lovely Green-Magpie (Cissa chinensis) is found in forest along
the lower Himalayas from the Jamna eastwards and in parts of Assam,
Eastern Bengal and Burma. It is brilliant green in colour (which has
a tendency to fade to blue) with a black band through the eye and
red bill, wings and tail.
THE YELLOW-BILLED BLUE-MAGPIE 11
Habits, etc. The Blue-Magpies are, as may be judged from their
handsome tails, essentially arboreal birds ; though, while they are
most usually to be met with in heavy jungle areas, they also venture
out into the trees amongst cultivation, and at times on to bare
mountain sides at high elevations. They frequently feed on the
ground and then adopt a curious hopping gait, with the tail held
high to prevent it coming into contact with the ground. They live
in parties of seven or eight birds and are very partial to particular
localities, so that once a party has taken up its abode in any particular
p IGt 3 Yellow-billed Blue-Magpie (i nat. size)
nullah or patch of forest it will generally be found there. They are
very active, flying incessantly from bough to bough and not hesitating
to launch high into the air when flying from ridge to ridge ; a party
of these bird crossing a nullah out of gun-shot above one's head is
a curious sight, with their long tails waving in the air and the light
shining through the feathers. The flight is rather slow, laboured
and undulating once the bird comes into the open. The food consists
of small mammals, the eggs and young of other birds, insects, and
wild fruits and berries of various kinds. This bird is very noisy ;
the ordinary call is harsh and grating, but it has a wide variety of
notes, some of which are melodious enough.
The nest is built in a fork of a tree, usually of moderate size but
12 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
with dense foliage, and is difficult to find. It is a rather large and
roughly constructed cup of sticks with a lining of fine grass, roots
and fibres.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs. The ground-colour
varies from a pale, dingy yellowish-stone colour to a darkish rather
reddish-stone colour, and there is very occasionally a faint greenish
tinge. The markings consist of small specks, blotches, streaks, and
mottlings of various shades of brown, sienna 1 or purple, and they
generally tend to collect in a cap or zone about the broad end of
the egg.
The egg measures about 1-20 by 0*92 inches.
THE INDIAN TREE-PIE
DENDROCITTA VAGABUNDA (Latham)
Description. Length 18 inches. Sexes alike. The whole head
and neck with the breast sooty brown ; remainder of the body plumage
bright rufous, darker on the back ; wing-coverts greyish-white ; wings
dark brown, with a large conspicuous greyish-white patch on the sides
extending almost their whole length when closed ; tail long and
graduated with the central feathers elongated, ashy-grey, each feather
broadly tipped with black.
Iris reddish-brown ; bill slaty horn-colour, albescent at the base ;
legs dark brown, claws horn-colour.
Field Identification. A bright rufous magpie with sooty head and
neck, and impressions of grey, black and white in the wings and tail ;
a strictly arboreal bird of open forest, often near gardens, usually in
pairs, with a very musical call.
Distribution. The whole of India and Burma from the Indus and
the Lower Himalayas to Travancore, and from Assam to Tenasserim
and Siam. A strictly resident species.
Like most widely-spread and common birds the Indian Tree-Pie
is divided into several races, distinguished by size and the relative
depth in colouring of the body plumage. There is much intergrading
between them, and authorities in consequence differ as to their number
and distribution. The typical race is found in North-east India including
the outer fringe of the Himalayas from Nepal to Assam and Central
India, being replaced by D. v. pallida in the North-western Hima-
layas, North-west Frontier Province, Sind, Punjab, and Rajputana.
A small dark race, D. v. parvula, occurs in the rain area of the
Western coast from South Kanara to Cape Comorin, while a small
pale race, D. v. vernayi, occurs in the rest of Southern and Eastern
India up to the Godavari River. Although essentially a bird of the
THE INDIAN TREE-PIE 13
plains of Continental India this Tree-Pie is found in hill country up
to about 5000 feet, including the outer fringe of the Himalayas.
Two closely allied species, the Himalayan Tree-Pie (Dendrocitta
formosa) and the Southern Tree-Pie (Dendrocitta leucogastra), are
common in the Lower Himalayas and from Mysore to Travancore
respectively. The former is grey and brown with no rufous in the
plumage except below the base of the tail. The latter has a black
mask in sharp contrast to the white collar and under parts.
FIG. 4 Indian Tree-Pie (i nat. size)
Habits, etc. The Tree-Pie is, as its name denotes, essentially
arboreal, and it is practically never seen to visit the ground ; though
I have known it come into a verandah and climb about the chicks
in order to catch the yellow wasp which habitually builds its nest
in houses. It also climbs about trunks and branches of trees, hanging
on with the claws and partly supported by the tail as it searches the
crevices of the bark for insects. It is found not so much in heavy
forest as in open country where large trees grow in clumps and
avenues, and it is also very partial to gardens. But although it is in
14 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
consequence common in the immediate vicinity of man it is a some-
what shy bird, living amidst the thicker foliage and usually only seen
in glimpses as it flies from tree to tree in front of the observer. It
is found in pairs or small parties. The flight is dipping, the bird
alternately flapping the wings for several beats and then gliding with
them stiffly outspread. The food consists of fruit, berries, insects,
caterpillars, lizards, and small snakes, and this bird has the reputation
of being one of the most destructive enemies in India to the eggs
and young of other species.
The Tree-Pie is found throughout the sal forests of Northern
and Central India and is invaluable to the initiated in pointing out
the whereabouts of tiger or leopard kills. In the discovery of kills
the Tree-Pie competes with the Jungle Crow.
The ordinary call is a loud and most melodious kokli or googeley,
which is one of the familiar bird-notes of India. But it has a variety
of other notes, some quite charming and soft, others less pleasant,
particularly a raucous scolding note which 'is as ugly as the first is
melodious.
The breeding season extends from February until the first week
in August, but the majority of nests will be found in April, May, and
June.
The nest is placed in trees or large bushes, in a fork usually
towards the top of a tree. Mango and babool trees are most
commonly favoured, though sheeshum and neem trees are also
often selected, and the nest has even been found in cactus clumps.
It is a shallow, open cup, sometimes large and loosely constructed,
sometimes small and compact. There is a foundation of large twigs
usually thorny in character, and on this is built the nest proper of
finer twigs and roots, with a lining of grass roots and occasionally a
little wool or straw.
The normal clutch is four or five eggs in the north, and generally
two or three in the south.
The eggs are typically somewhat elongated ovals, a good deal
pointed towards the small end ; there is sometimes a slight gloss.
In colour they are very variable, though there is always a family
resemblance between the eggs composing one clutch. There are
two leading types of coloration ; one pale greenish in ground-colour
with blotches and spots of light and dark grey brown, somewhat
resembling the eggs of the Grey Shrike ; the other pale reddish-white
or salmon-colour with blotches of reddish and dark brown and
underlying markings of lilac and neutral tint, similar in type to the
eggs of the Drongos.
In size they average about i* 17 by 0*87 inches.
THE BLACK-THROATED JAY
THE BLACK-THROATED JAY
GARRULUS LANCEOLATUS Vigors
Description. Length 13 inches. Sexes alike. Top and sides
of the head black ; chin and throat black with broad white streaks,
the black ending in a patch of iron-grey ; body plumage vinous-grey,
brighter towards the tail ; wings black, closely barred with bright
blue, a black patch on the coverts being bordered outwardly by a
white patch ; innermost flight-feathers vinous-grey with a black and
FIG. 5 Black-throated Jay ( nat. size)
a white band at the end of each feather ; tail black, broadly tipped
with white, all but the outermost feathers closely barred with bright
blue.
Iris reddish ; bill steely slate, darker at tip ; legs steely grey,
claws darker.
The head is conspicuously crested, and the throat-feathers are
long and pointed. The tail is long and slightly graduated.
Field Identification. West Himalayan form. A noisy active bird
found in parties in trees. The black crested head, with untidy
white streaking on the throat, and the bright blue and black barring
on the wings and tail contrast sharply with the nondescript body
plumage.
16 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Distribution. The Suliman Hills ; the Western Himalayas from
Hazara and Chitral to Nepal, breeding from 5000 to 8000 feet,
and occasionally higher to 10,000 feet, and in winter descending
to 3500 feet. A resident species with no races.
The Himalayan Jay (Garrulus bispecularis), sometimes considered
a race of the familiar English bird, is also resident throughout the
Himalayas. It lacks the black head and crest of the Black-throated
Jay, and is brighter, more rufous in colour with a squarer tail.
Loud harsh calls also draw attention to the Nutcracker (Nucifraga
caryocatactes), another Himalayan species of Crow, which feeds
largely on pine seeds. It is dark chocolate brown, spotted with
white. The white of the outer tail-feathers is conspicuous in flight.
Habits. The Black-throated Jay is a familiar species in the
outer ranges of the Western Himalayas where it comes freely into
the various hill stations. When in pairs in the breeding season it is
quiet and secretive in habits until disturbed in the neighbourhood
of the nest when it immediately becomes excited and noisy, screaming
and chattering at the intruder. At other seasons it is found mostly
in parties of four or five birds which in winter often combine into
considerable flocks, up to twenty individuals in number, and these
sometimes join forces with the Himalayan Jay and the Yellow-
billed Blue-Magpie. These parties keep to trees, whether in forest
or in the neighbourhood of houses and cultivation, and their where-
abouts is sooner or later betrayed by the harsh schack, similar to the
call of the English species. The food consists of grubs, caterpillars,
beetles, insects, fruits, berries, seeds and the like, and some of it is
taken on the ground.
From the hostility that this Jay awakens in other species in the
breeding season it is obvious that they consider it a danger to their
eggs and young.
The breeding season extends from the middle of April to June,
most eggs being found in May.
The nest is a moderately shallow cup built of slender twigs and
sticks and lined with dry roots and fibres, particularly the black
horsehair-like rhizoids of fungi. It is placed in trees or thick
bushes, never at any very great height from the ground. An upper
fork of a small sapling affords a very favourite situation.
The clutch varies from three to six eggs, four or five being the
usual number. The eggs are somewhat lengthened ovals in shape,
and there is little or no gloss. The ground-colour varies from
brownish-stone to pale greenish-white, and it is very minutely and
feebly freckled and mottled all over with pale sepia-brown. There
are usually a few dark brown hair-like lines, more or less zigzag,
about the larger end.
The eggs measure about i- 12 by 0-85 inches.
THE CHOUGH 17
THE CHOUGH
PYRRHOCORAX PYRRHOCORAX (Linnaeus)
Description. Length 17 inches. Sexes alike. The whole plumage
glossy black.
Iris dark brown ; bill coral-red ; legs dark coral-red ; claws black.
Bill slender and curved and the feathers at the base of the bill
short and dense.
Field Identification. Himalayas and Baluchistan. A very graceful
black Crow with a pleasant call which is immediately identified by
the coral-red bill and legs.
The slightly smaller Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) with
shorter yellow bill and red legs has roughly the same distribution
in our area as the Chough. The traveller in Lahul and Ladakh will
find it a bold scavenger about his camp. It is commonly stated that
these two Choughs are always found in separate valleys, but this is
not a fact.
Distribution. The Chough has a very wide distribution from
Europe and Africa to China, mostly as a mountain bird. We are
concerned with the race P. p. himalayanus, separated from the typical
race on its slightly larger size, and this is found in North-eastern
Baluchistan, Chitral and the Himalayas from Hazara to Bhutan.
It is a bird of high elevations, seldom breeding below 8000 feet, most
commonly in the zone from 10,000 to 12,000 feet, and sometimes
up to 15,000 feet. It has been recorded up to 20,000 feet in summer,
an elevation attained by very few species. In winter, stress of weather
sometimes drives it down as low as 5000 feet or even 3000 feet.
Habits, etc. Except in Baluchistan, where the Chough visits the
Quetta Valley in winter, this delightful bird will only be met by the
observer who leaves the ordinary Himalayan stations and travels a
little further into the hills. On the outer ranges he will meet it on
the Pir Panjal and the Duala Dhar, but for the most part he must
enter the Main Himalayan range before he can expect to see its buoyant
flight and hear its cheerful call. Once in its haunts, he will find the
bird common enough in flocks and pairs and parties sometimes in
the same valleys and in the same ranges as the Alpine Chough and
sometimes alone. Its local distribution is a little erratic. In some
places it is common ; in others it is apparently absent and the reasons
for this are not apparent.
The Chough usually roosts and breeds in precipitous cliffs though
in the Chumbi Valley and in Tibet it also uses the numerous holes
in the walls and under the flat roofs of the houses in the Tibetan
villages. It feeds for the most part on the alpine pastures where it
probes and digs in the soil or scatters the yak dung for the beetles
B
i8 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
and their larvae, the wireworms, the insects and the small seeds which
form its food. Further down it takes the berries of various mountain
bushes such as the Ladakh thorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) and robs
the tillage of its sparse supplies of corn. As a rule it is far from shy
though it is not the shameless scavenger of the camp like its cousin
the Alpine Chough. On the ground the loose thigh-feathers are
conspicuous.
This Crow is an excellent flier. A party will often obviously fly
for pleasure, playing and circling in the air currents in front of the
cliffs where they live, or mounting high to soar in the sky till bird
after bird comes plunging down again with swift slanting flight, closing
the wings almost to the body.
The ordinary call is a melodious kew or jack much like that of the
Jackdaw ; another note is a high-pitched squeaky chee-o-kah and the
alarm is a clear quoick or kor-qmck. The voice carries far in the
mountain valleys and draws attention to birds above almost out of sight.
Nidification begins in March and eggs are to be found in April
and May. The nest is built in a crevice of a precipice or a hole in
the roof of a hill cave and is usually quite inaccessible. In Tibetan
villages it may be built in a hole in a house. The nest is made of sticks
and twigs and the cup is lined with wool, though some nests consist
merely of a pad of wool.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs. They are rather variable
in size and shape but are typically a moderately elongated oval, slightly
compressed towards the small end. The shell is tolerably fine and
has a slight gloss. The ground-colour is white with a faint creamy
tinge and the whole egg is profusely spotted and streaked with a
pale, somewhat yellowish brown and a pale purplish grey. The
markings are most dense at the broad end.
The egg measures about 1-75 by 1-20 inches.
THE INDIAN GREY TIT
PARUS MAJOR Linnaeus
(Plate ii, Fig. 5, opposite page 22)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Head, neck, breast
and a broad line down the centre of the abdomen glossy black ; a
conspicuous white patch on the cheek and a fainter one on the nape ;
remainder of under parts white tinged with vinaceous ; remainder
of upper parts bluish ashy-grey, with a white bar across the wing ;
tail black and bluish ashy-grey, with a large amount of white on the
outer feathers.
THE INDIAN GREY TIT 19
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs slaty plumbeous.
Field Identification. A typical Tit ; bluish-grey above and whitish
below, with black head, neck and broad abdominal stripe, and a white
cheek-patch. Purely arboreal, generally single or in pairs.
Distribution. The Great Tit (Parus major) is an interesting species
of wide range. It extends throughout the whole of Europe, North-
west Africa and the greater part of Asia to Japan and Southern China.
But as is to be expected with such a wide range the species has been
divided into a great number of geographical races or sub-species.
These fall into two main groups ; the European group with green
backs and yellow under parts (exemplified by the familiar Great Tit
of England), and the Asiatic group with grey backs and whitish or
buff under parts.
To this latter group belong our Indian birds, and they fall again
into several races, which differ from each other in the depth and
purity of their colour and in the relative amounts of black and white
on the tail-feathers.
P. m. caschmirensis occupies the Western Himalayas from Kashmir
to Gahrwal, visiting the Punjab plains in winter. P. m. nipalensis
extends from Lower Nepal through Behar, Bengal, and the Duars
into Assam and Western Burma. P. m. stupce is found at Mount
Aboo, in the Central Provinces and Orissa, and southwards to Cape
Comorin, while a fourth race P. m. ziaratensis overlaps from Afghanistan
into parts of Baluchistan and Trans-Indus Punjab. An insular race in
Ceylon is the true P. m. mahrattarum. A resident species with slight
local migrations. This species must not be confused with the White-
winged Black Tit (Parus nuchalis) locally common in Rajputana.
Habits, etc. The Indian Grey Tit is more properly to be considered
a hill than a plains bird, and each race breeds throughout the more
wooded ranges of its area from a height of about 3500 feet to their
summits, even to 9000 or 10,000 feet when this is possible. But
above 6000 feet it is usually rather scarce. While not strictly migratory
it wanders a good deal after the breeding season, and then is found
commonly in the plains area contiguous to the ranges on which it
breeds. It is* a bird of the more open types of forest, and while really
arboreal wanders freely into bushes and scrub-jungle, and frequently
visits the ground in search of food.
Although often found in small parties or included in the large
mixed hunting parties of small insectivorous birds this Tit is more
usually found singly and in pairs. When feeding it is very methodical,
carefully examining the branches and twigs for small insects and theii
caterpillars and eggs, peering into every nook and cranny and bunch
of leaves, and when necessary for the purpose indulging in a variety
of acrobatic postures for which its sturdy build and strong legs are
admirably adapted. At times it holds some article of food between
20 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
its feet on a branch and hammers at it with pickaxe blows of the
beak, and the noise thus made is frequently mistaken for the work
of a small Woodpecker. It is a cheerful bird both in demeanour and
note, and the loud whistle tsee tsee tsee is always a cheery welcome
sound. With the spring and the approach of the breeding season this
is supplemented by a number of louder and clearer calls, of which the
most familiar is zwink zwink. When disturbed in the nest the bird
endeavours to frighten away the intruder by hissing and spitting like
a snake.
It is interesting to note that the young bird in the juvenile plumage
is greenish in colour on the back and yellower underneath than the
adult, a clear indication of the relationship between the two main
types of Parus major and the fact that the Western birds must be
considered the older and original type.
This Tit appears to be double-brooded wherever found. In the
Himalayas the breeding season is from the end of March to July :
while in the Peninsula the breeding season is more extended, com-
mencing in February and lasting until November, but it varies in
different localities, and the majority everywhere lay before July.
The nest is a large, shapeless mass of downy fur, cattle hair,
feathers, and wool, with a foundation of grass roots and moss, the
whole forming a soft pad with a saucer-like hollow for the eggs.
The fur is often obtained from the droppings of carnivorse. It is
placed in a hole of some kind, whether in a wall, bank, tree or rock,
and sometimes in the old nest-hole of a Woodpecker or Barbet. On
one occasion I found two nests built side by side touching under
the coping-stone of a wall, with one and four eggs respectively, both
apparently the property of the same bird. Similar cases have been
reported of the Great and Blue Tits in England. Hume has recorded
two instances in which the nest was built in the open on a branch of
a tree, but this is very unusual.
The normal clutch consists of four to six eggs. In shape they
are a broad oval, somewhat elongated and pointed towards the small
end, and have a faint gloss. In colour they are white, speckled and
spotted with reddish-brown and pale purplish, these markings often
tending to coalesce into a zone round the broad end.
They measure about 0*70 by 0-54 inches.
THE GREEN-BACKED TIT 21
THE GREEN-BACKED TIT
PARUS MONTICOLUS Vigors
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Tfye whole head,
neck, breast, and a broad line down the centre of the abdomen
glossy black : a conspicuous white patch on the cheek and a fainter
one on the nape ; remainder of lower plumage deep yellow ; back
greenish-yellow ; rump slaty-blue ; wings mixed slaty-blue and black
with two white bars ; tail black and slaty-blue, edged and tipped
with white.
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs plumbeous-slate.
Field Identification. Himalayan form ; the common Tit of all
Himalayan hill stations. A typical Tit with white cheek-patch,
black head and breast and abdominal band ; distinguished from the
Grey Tit by the brighter coloration, greenish back instead of grey,
yellow under parts instead of greyish- white.
Distribution. The Green-backed Tit is found throughout the
Himalayas, and also further eastwards through Manipur, Chittagong
and the Chin Hills to Yunnan and Formosa. Its normal breeding
zone lies between 5000 and 8000 feet, but a few may be met with
up to 10,000 and even 12,000 feet ; during the winter numbers
descend to the foot-hills below 4000 and a few even to the fringe
of the plains beyond them. Apart from this seasonal altitudinal
movement it is a resident species. All birds in our area belong to
the typical race.
Habits, etc. This bird resembles other Tits in being a forest-
loving bird though it wanders a good deal and may be found in any
type of country in the hills, cultivation or scrub -covered hill-side.
While properly speaking arboreal it freely descends to undergrowth
and to the ground. It is occasionally found in small flocks and
parties, but is more usually found singly or in pairs, and one or
more of these birds will invariably be found attached to the mixed
hunting parties of small birds which are such a familiar feature of
the Himalayan forests.
The food consists chiefly of insects in their various stages and
also of fruits, and it is less of a seed eater and less omnivorous than
the Grey Tit.
Although without a proper song, this bird has a number of not
unmusical calls, which are amongst the most penetrating and familiar
of the bird sounds in a Himalayan station. One note is described
as a very loud four-syllable whistle which may be written ti-ti-tee-ti>
the third syllable much prolonged. Its ordinary spring call at the
commencement of the breeding season is a mewing whistle pheeow
B2
22 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
or pawee, while other calls may be syllabilised as peeweet or tweentwee
and sit-here and teacher. But it must be remembered that most of
the Tit family have a variety of very similar calls, hard to distinguish
from one another. This species is very fond of water, bathing more
regularly than most other Tits.
Nidification begins in the latter half of March and most clutches
of eggs will be found in April, though fresh eggs may be still found
until June ; it is possible that some birds are double-brooded.
The nest is a shapeless mass, with a hollow on top for the eggs,
of soft downy fur and feathers with more or less moss by way of
foundation. It is placed in a hole, either in a tree, wall, bamboo or
even in a bank, though a hole in a wall is usually chosen.
The clutch consists normally of six to eight eggs, though some-
times as few as four eggs are laid.
The eggs are moderately broad ovals, some almost symmetrical,
others slightly pointed at one end. In colour they are white, almost
without gloss, spotted, blotched, and speckled with different shades
of red and brown ; the markings vary in quantity and intensity but
tend to be most numerous towards the large end. The eggs of this
species in a series will be found to be rather longer and more slender
and more richly marked than those of the Grey Tit.
In size they average about 0-72 by 0-52 inches.
THE YELLOW-CHEEKED TIT
MACHLOLOPHUS XANTHOGENYS (Vigors)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Crown and a long
pointed crest, a line through the eye and a broad band from the
chin to the vent glossy black ; a line over each eye to a patch on
the hind neck, the cheeks and the sides of the body canary-yellow ;
upper parts yellowish-green ; wings black, the small coverts spotted
with pale yellow-white, the flight-feathers edged and variegated with
blue-grey and white ; tail black, washed with blue-grey, the tips of
all feathers and the outer edge of the outer feather white.
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs dark slaty-blue.
Field Identification. A typical greenish and yellow Tit with a
pointed black crest and a heavy black band down the centre of the
lower parts ; distinguished from the Green-backed Tit by the crest
and the yellow cheeks. Strictly arboreal and confined to well-wooded
country, particularly hills.
Distribution. This species is confined to India and is divided
into three races. The typical form occurs in the Western Himalayas
from Murree to Eastern Nepal, breeding in a zone between 5000 and
PLATE II
i. Spotted Munia.
headed Tit.
about ^ nat. size.)
2. Red Avadavat. 3. Red-breasted Flycatcher. 4. Red-
5. Indian Grey Tit. 6. Himalayan Tree-Creeper. (All
\Fact ft. aa
THE YELLOW-CHEEKED TIT 23
7000 feet, though its distribution is somewhat capricious. M. x.
aplonotus is found across the centre of the Peninsula from Mount
Aboo and Mahabaleshwar to Parasnath Hill and the Krishna River.
M. x. travancoreensis, a larger and duller bird, is confined to the
Western Ghats and the neighbouring wooded areas from the South
Konkan to the Asambo Hills. These two races are found at air
elevations and differ from the typical race in having a shorter crest,
the spots on the wing-coverts white instead of yellow, and the yellow
parts of the plumage paler. In these two races the females have
the black band on the lower plumage replaced with olive green, and
in M. x. travancoreensis some females also have the crest olive-green.
f '
FIG. 6 Yellow-cheeked Tit (g nat. size)
Habits. The Yellow-cheeked Tit is a very sociable bird. Except
when actually breeding it is found in small parties which are apt
to attach themselves to the mixed hunting parties that are commonly
found in the woods which they frequent. It is arboreal in habits,
spending its life in an incessant hunt in the trees for the small insects
and their eggs and larvae and the various seeds and fruits which
form its food. Even the largest caterpillars are attacked and torn
into pieces. Like many other birds it catches flying ants and feeds
at the flowers of the cotton-tree. The call-notes are loud and joyous in
tone, being very distinct from and more musical than those of other Tits.
Those of the Himalayan race may be syllabilised as tyuji tyuja and again
as teetweenh twit-teetweenh, while the breeding call is a loud towit towit.
There is also a low jarring note and a chatter like that of the Grey Tit.
24 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The Himalayan race breeds from April to June. The Continental
races evidently breed a good deal later, from July to August or even
September and October, though in the north of the Peninsula some
pairs start in April.
The nest is built in holes in trees at any height up to about 20
feet. The hole may be a small natural cavity or one cut out by the
birds themselves, a large hollow in a bough or the old nesting-hole
of a Barbet or Woodpecker. The nest is the usual shapeless pad
of the family, composed of a mass of wool and hair on a foundation
of moss and other miscellaneous materials. It varies in size according
to the circumstances of the hole.
The usual clutch consists of four or five eggs. These vary in
shape from elongated to rather broad ovals and have little or no
gloss. The ground is white and they are moderately thickly speckled
or spotted all over. Some of the spots are large and blotchy, and
in some eggs the markings tend to collect at one end.
The eggs measure about 0-70 by 0-52 inches.
THE CRESTED BLACK TIT
LOPHOPHANES MELANOLOPHUS (Vigors)
Description. Length 4 inches. Sexes alike. The whole head
including a long pointed crest, neck and breast black, except for a
large white patch on the sides of the face and another on the nape ;
upper plumage iron-grey, the exposed parts of the wings and tail
paler ; two lines of rufous spots across the wing, and the inner
flight-feathers slightly tipped with white ; lower plumage from the
breast downwards iron-grey ; patches on the flanks and under the
wings and tail chestnut.
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs dark bluish-grey.
Field Identification. Purely West Himalayan form, common at
all hill stations. A small dark Tit with an erect-pointed crest and
conspicuous white patches on nape and sides of the face. Usually
found in flocks and in hunting parties in forest. The two lines of
rufous spots across the wing provide the readiest means of separation
from another larger and darker species (Lophophanes rufonuchalis)
which is locally common throughout the whole length of the Himalayas.
Distribution. The Crested Black Tit is found from the Sufed Koh
and Chitral along the Himalayas to Garhwal and Naini Tal. It breeds
in a somewhat high zone between 6000 and 12,000 feet but in winter
descends also down to about 4000 feet, and even occasionally lower,
for both the above species L. melanolophus and L. rufonuchalis were
THE CRESTED BLACK TIT 25
'found common at Rawal Pindi in January 1907. It is very common
about Gulmurg, the Galis, Dharmsala, Kulu, and Simla.
Habits, etc. This Tit is most markedly a forest bird and every
variety of evergreen tree growth is frequented by it. It is always
busy in the search for food, preferably high in some moss-grown oak
or lordly pine, and the soft chee-chee note which forms a running
accompaniment to all its activities will be heard long before its tiny
owner is seen in the branches above one's head. Occasionally it feeds
alone, but more usually two or three join together in a free-and-easy
bond of companionship, while in winter these parties in turn join
together in regular flocks numbering often as many as fifty birds.
These flocks are frequently accompanied
by Gold-crests, and in the area where this
Tit occurs it is a leading spirit in all the
mixed hunting parties.
It is as active and acrobatic in its move-
ments as the Red-headed Tit, and both of
these birds easily surpass the heavier Grey
and Green-backed Tits in this respect. The
Crested Black Tit is seldom seen at rest,
but when the first stirrings of the spring
turn his thoughts towards a mate, he occa-
sionally ceases from the hunt for food and
betaking himself to some lofty twig he
perches there and proclaims his ardour to FlG 7 _j-j ea( i O f Crested
the world with a loud clear call, want you, Black Tit (\\ nat. size)
need you, want you, need you, a sentiment
that frequently finds an echo in the human heart below. There are
a variety of other cheerful call-notes ; a favourite song-call is chak-
cha-bink or kink-ka-jou and also a loud plaintive tyu-tyu slowly re-
peated. The song is a whirring, reeling trill of the grasshopper type.
The food consists chiefly of insects .
The breeding season commences in March and the majority of eggs
are laid early in April. Nests, however, may be found until June,
and it is probable that there are sometimes two broods in the season.
The nest is invariably built in a hole, either of a tree, rock, or
wall, whether close to the ground or 30 feet up. In the hole a
substantial foundation of moss obtained from adjacent tree-trunks
is first collected so as to close in the cavity to a suitable size ; on
this is built the nest proper which consists of a mass, large and
shapeless or small and closely felted, of wool and fur, occasionally
mingled with a little vegetable down and moss.
The number of eggs is very variable from four to ten, but the
usual clutch consists of six to eight eggs.
The eggs are moderately broad ovals though somewhat longer in
26 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
proportion than those of most Tits ; the ground-colour is white with
a faint gloss, blotched, spotted, and speckled with bright brownish-
red, the markings often tending to form a dense confluent cap or
zone about the larger end of the egg.
They measure about 0-61 by 0-47 inches.
THE RED-HEADED TIT
/EGITHALISCUS CONCINNUS (Gould)
(Plate ii, Fig. 4, opposite page 22)
Description. Length including tail 4 inches. Sexes alike. Whole
top of the head chestnut ; sides of the head and a large round patch
on the throat deep black ; a broad eyebrow, a broad moustachial
streak, and the chin white ; remainder of lower plumage ferruginous.
Upper plumage and wings and tail bluish-grey, the concealed portions
of the quill-feathers dark brown, and the outer tail-feathers tipped
with white. The tail is long and graduated.
Iris pale yellow ; bill black, gape fleshy ; legs buffy-yellow.
Field Identification. A diminutive Himalayan species invariably
found in flocks in trees and bushes except when breeding ; very
small, with a longish tail and most conspicuous head markings of bright
chestnut, black and white ; no abdominal band. The flocks utter
a low, harsh churring note.
Distribution. The Red-headed Tit extends from Chitral and at
x Cherat all through the Himalayas across the various ranges of Assam
and Northern Burma into China. There are several races in the
eastern portion of its range, but in India we are only concerned with
two. JE. c. iredalei is found from Chitral eastwards to Sikkim, where it
is replaced by the smaller and more deeply-coloured JE. c. rubricapittus.
The former breeds at elevations between 5000 and 8,000 feet, occurring
in smaller numbers up to 12,000 feet and as low as 3000 feet in winter ;
the latter, however, does not go much above 7000 feet. A resident
species.
The Sultan-Tit (Melanochlora sultanea) is found in small parties
in trees at low elevations in the Eastern Himalayas, Assam and Burma.
It is larger than the true Tits, heavy in build and glossy blackish save
for a bright yellow abdomen and crown with a loose crest.
Habits, etc. This Tit is purely a hill species, and in the main
occupies a middle zone intermediate between the foot-hills and the
higher ranges. It is more strictly sedentary than most of the other
members of the family, only an occasional party descending in winter
a thousand feet or so lower than the normal zone. It never visits
THE RED-HEADED TIT 27
the ground, but is equally at home in the branches of high trees in
thick forest or amongst the indigo and berberis bushes of open grass-
clad hill-sides.
The leading characteristic of this species is its fussy sociability.
Throughout the year it is found in small flocks, and though while
actually breeding individual pairs leave the company of their fellows,
flocks may be met with throughout the breeding season, consisting
either of late breeders who have not yet settled their domestic
arrangements, or early family parties of young birds strong on the
wing. As they feed they utter incessantly a soft gentle tcheck or a
harsh trree, both notes alternating. And even their own society is
not sufficient for these sociable little birds ; the parties attach them-
selves to the mixed bands of Creepers, Willow- Wrens, Flycatchers,
and other species of Tit which wander through the hill forests,
suddenly filling with busy activity a glen or group of trees that a
moment before was empty of bird-life. In these hunting parties
the Red-headed Tit takes a leading and conspicuous share ; it
is very active and very fussy, and at the least excitement its harsh
churring note of defiance and of warning is uttered and taken up by a
dozen throats ; while its acrobatic feats surpass those of all the other
species, except perhaps the Crested Black Tit. It investigates every
leaf and twig, now circling adroitly round its perch, now hanging
upside down any angle, any position, all are the same inaction
only is abhorrent to it. The parties are strangely trusting ; one
has only to stand still and the little gymnasts will climb and
chatter in a bush a yard away, feeding with no apparent recognition
of the stranger at their gates ; then a sudden movement on his part
or a note of warning from a bird and the flock will vanish as quickly
as it came, like a little flight of arrows sped in relays by a fairy archer
through the bushes. They seldom venture into the open, and then
only for short flights between two clumps of trees. The flight is
weak and practically never sustained for more than a few yards at
a time, though when disturbed from the nest this bird can fly down-
hill as fast as any Warbler for a short distance. The food consists
almost entirely of insects in their various stages, but small seeds and
fruits are also probably eaten.
The breeding season commences about the beginning of March
and continues throughout April and May. The nest is placed in a
variety of situations ranging from a tangle of matted grass near the
ground to the bough of a deodar 40 feet up. But the majority will
be found in stunted hill-oaks and bushes within easy reach, though
seldom conspicuous. The nests are most beautiful structures, very
closely resembling and recalling the familiar " bottle " nests of the
Long-tailed Tit in England. They are large, upright, egg-shaped
structures of moss and lichen, studded and bound together with
28 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
cotton-down, cobwebs and similar substances, some 4^ inches in
height and 3^ inches in diameter, with a small entrance high on
one side. The walls are thick and closely woven, and there is a
dense lining of feathers mixed sometimes with seed- down, the whole
forming as cosy a home as it is possible to imagine.
The eggs vary in number from three to eight, but the usual clutch
consists of five or six.
The tiny eggs are broad ovals, sometimes almost globular, and
sometimes somewhat pointed at one end. In colour they are pinkish
or creamy white, almost without gloss, and round the broad end
there is a conspicuous zone of minute reddish and purple spots almost
confluent and clouding into one another.
They measure about 0-56 by 0-45 inches.
THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED NUTHATCH
SlTTA CASTANEA LeSSOn
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : Upper plumage slaty-blue,
lower plumage uniform dark chestnut-bay, except for the following
markings : a black streak through the eye from the nostril to the
shoulder ; a white patch from the chin below the eye to the ear-
coverts ; middle tail-feathers ashy-blue, the next two black, with
ashy-blue tips and edges, the remainder black with white markings ;
under tail-coverts mixed chestnut and ashy ; under surface of the
wings black with a white patch only visible from below.
Female : Under parts paler chestnut, and the white face markings
less clearly defined.
Iris dark brown ; bill black, slaty-grey at base ; legs dark greenish-
plumbeous.
The hind toe is greatly developed and the inner front toe dwarfed.
The beak is long, stout and pointed.
Field Identification. A small bird, slaty-blue above, chestnut-bay
below, with a heavy pointed beak. Purely arboreal, running like a
mouse about the bark and twigs of trees, frequently upside-down.
Most Nuthatches appear very similar in the field. Of common
species the Himalayan (Sitta himalayensis) and Kashmir (Sitta
cashmirensis) Nuthatches are much paler, more fulvous below, the
former differing from all Indian species in a white patch on the
central tail-feathers. A more conspicuous species the White-cheeked
Nuthatch (Sitta leucopsis) is found in the higher tree zone of the
Sufed Koh and Western Himalayas. This is dark blue above with
a black crown and creamy-white below with rich chestnut on the
THE CHESTNUT-BELLIED NUTHATCH 29
flanks and has a very harsh loud note rapidly repeated. Its habitat
in rocky nullahs amply identifies the large Rock-Nuthatch (S. iranica)
of Baluchistan, remarkable for its globular mud nest on a rock.
Distribution. The Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch has a somewhat
wide distribution throughout India, Assam, and Burma to Siam.
It is divided into races, of which we are concerned with four.
Except for the Vizagapatam Hills where S. c. prateri is found, the
typical race inhabits the plains of India from Ferozepore, Ambala,
and Khandesh on the west to Calcutta on the east. It is also found
in the Wynaad and about the base of the Nilgiris. An east (S. c.
cinnamoventris) and a West Himalayan race (S. c. almorce) have
FIG. 8 Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch ( nat. size)
heavier bills and differ in slight details of coloration. A resident
species.
Habits, etc. The habits of this species are typical of all the
Nuthatches. They share with Woodpeckers and Tree - Creepers
the ability to climb about the trunks and branches of trees in
order to search the crevices of the bark for the insects and larvae
that live there secure from the attentions of most insect-feeding
birds ; but the Nuthatches are by far the most skilful climbers of
the three classes ; they do not need the support of their taik against
the bark, and they are infinitely more agile and lively in consequence,
able to climb in any direction upwards, downwards, upside-down or
sideways, and they are also able to perch on twigs in the normal
passerine manner. They are very restless and hard-working. This
species is purely arboreal and is found singly or in parties, often
in company with mixed hunting parties, and keeps largely to the
tops of the highest or oldest trees ; it is more often heard than
30 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
seen, as in addition to its sharp note the sound of hammering on
bark and on seeds and nuts, as it breaks into their kernels, betrays
its whereabouts.
The main breeding season of the Himalayan races is in April and
May, and of the typical race in February and March. All races
nest in holes and hollows of trees, and the hill birds also use holes
in walls. A Nuthatch's nest may always be recognised by the habit
of plastering the entrance and sides of the hole with mud and clay
to adapt it to the needs of the bird, such plaster- work sometimes
being of considerable extent. In holes of trees the nest is usually
scanty, consisting largely of flaky material like slips of bark or the
seed-cases of trees, but in the case of nests built in holes in walls the
nest is a much more substantial affair including a moss foundation
and a lining of fur. The nest site is often close to the ground, and
even when robbed is frequently repaired and used again immediately.
The clutch varies from two to six eggs. The eggs greatly resemble
those of Tits ; they are regular broad ovals, fragile and fine in texture
with very little gloss. The ground-colour is pure white and the mark-
ings consist of small spots and speckles of brick-red and reddish-lilac.
In size they average about 0-70 by 0-55 inches.
The word Nuthatch is believed to be a corruption of an older
name Nuthack.
THE VELVET-FRONTED NUTHATCH
SITTA FRONTALIS (Swainson)
(Frontispiece, fig. 4)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : A broad band across the
forehead and a narrow streak above the eye to the nape velvet-black ;
the whole upper plumage and wing-coverts blue ; wing black, the
individual feathers more or less edged with blue ; middle tail-feathers
blue, the others blackish edged and tipped with blue ; ear-coverts
lilac ; chin and throat whitish shading into the greyish-lilac of the
rest of the under parts.
The female is similar to the male but lacks the narrow black
eye-streak.
Iris lemon-yellow ; bill coral-red, tipped above with brownish ;
mouth coral-red ; legs brown with an orange tinge.
The hind toe is greatly developed and the bill narrow and pointed.
The body has the same smell as a Woodpecker.
Field Identification. Outer Himalayas and Peninsular India. A
small bird blue above and greyish-lilac below with a heavy velvet-
black band across the forehead and a coral-red bill. Arboreal in
THE VELVET-FRONTED NUTHATCH 31
habits, running like a mouse about the trunks and branches of trees
in hill forest areas.
Distribution. The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch has two races in our
area. The typical race is found in Ceylon and in the Indian Peninsula
south of a line from Khandesh, the Central Provinces and Chota
Nagpur, being largely confined to the forests of the Eastern and
Western Ghats. It is particularly common in the Nilgiris. A slightly
smaller race S. f. corallina is found along the submontane valleys
of the Himalayas up to about 3800 feet from Dehra Dun eastwards,
in the hills and plains of Assam up to about 4000 feet and throughout
the whole of Burma up to about 5500 feet. This species is also found
through the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo to Java. A strictly
resident species.
Habits. The habits of this species are similar to those of other
Nuthatches and like them it is often found in the mixed hunting
parties. The Velvet-fronted Nuthatch is one of the most active birds
imaginable, for ever on the move, nimbly running up and down and
round the trunks of trees, climbing the moss-covered branches,
descending head-foremost and running upside down along the lower
surface of a bough. It does not, as a rule, remain long in one tree
but darts quickly on from one to another, followed by its companions
for they are usually found in pairs or parties of four or five individuals
and alights with a trilling little note which although comparatively
weak is audible at a considerable distance. This note which is variously
described as a sharp chick chick chick, rapidly repeated, or a loud
cheeping whistle is constantly uttered and is one of the latest diurnal
bird-calls to be heard in the forest, frequently well after dusk. The
male also utters a short little warble.
This Nuthatch may be found on occasion in most types of forest
but is essentially a bird of the evergreen forest, though it has a decided
preference for the edges of clearings and light patches. Dead trees
are a favourite hunting ground. It may often be seen running along
fallen logs or over small dead wood lying on the ground and sometimes
it even forages in brushwood. Usually, however, it will be seen in
trees and no tree is too high for it, so that the ear will often announce
its presence in the head of some lofty giant where the eye has difficulty
in picking up its tiny shape.
The food consists exclusively of insects.
The main breeding season gf the Himalayan race is in May and
June, but in South India and Ceylon the season is from the middle
of February until May. The nest is built in a hole in a tree at any
height from the ground up to about 40 feet but most nests will be
found below 20 feet. The hole chosen is usually a small natural
one, but the deserted nest-holes of Woodpeckers and Barbets are also
used ; and where necessary the entrance hole is modified with plaster-
32 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
work after the manner of other Nuthatches. The nest is a substantial
pad of moss, green or dry, which is lined with fur and includes a
good many feathers, both amongst the moss and in the lining.
The clutch consists of three to five eggs, which are very similar
to those of the Tits. They are broad ovals, rather compressed towards
the small end, fine and compact in texture but devoid of gloss. The
ground-colour is white and the markings consist of blotches, speckles
and spots of brick-dust red and somewhat pale purple, sometimes
gathered in a sort of irregular zone round the broad end.
The egg measures about 0*65 by 0*50 inches.
THE WHITE-THROATED LAUGHING-THRUSH
GARRULAX ALBOGULARIS (Gould)
(Plate v, Fig. i, opposite page 88)
Description. Length 12 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
greyish olive-brown, the forehead fulvous, and a black mark in front
of and below the eye ; throat and upper breast pure white, sharply
defined and bordered broadly with the colour of the upper parts
which gradually shades off into the bright rufous of the rest of the
lower plumage ; four outer pairs of tail-feathers broadly tipped with
white.
The tail is rounded and full.
Iris bluish-grey ; bill horny-black ; mouth yellow ; legs slaty-
plumbeous.
Field Identification. Himalayan form. Medium-sized olive-grey
bird with rufous belly, and conspicuous shining white throat patch.
Found in noisy parties in heavy jungle ; presence first revealed by a
curious hissing note.
Distribution. Throughout the Himalayas from Hazara to Sikkim,
and in South-west China. The Himalayan birds are divided into
two races. G. a. whistleri is the better known form and extends from
the Hazara country to about Eastern Nepal, being particularly common
at Mussoorie and is very numerous round Naini Tal but rather less so
about Simla. The typical form is more brightly coloured with more
rufous in the plumage and is slightly smaller. It is found in Nepal and
Sikkim and in North Cachar. Both forms are birds of middle
elevations, occurring from about 5000 to 9000 feet. A resident
species.
The closely related White-crested Laughing-Thrush (Garrulax
leucolophus) common along the Himalayas from Garhwal eastwards
is easily recognised by its white-crested head and black band through
THE WHITE-THROATED LAUGHING-THRUSH 33
the eye. In the Eastern Himalayas the Black-gorgetted Laughing-
Thrush (Garrulax pectoralis), an olive-brown and fulvous bird with a
marked black gorget band, is remarkable in having a smaller counter-
part the Necklaced Laughing-Thrush (Garrulax moniliger). Both are
common in the same localities, often joining in a mixed flock. The
only member of this genus found in Southern India is the Wynaad
Laughing-Thrush (Garrulax delesserti\ which is peculiar to the hill
ranges from North Kanara to Travancore.
Habits, etc. This large Laughing-Thrush is a very sedentary
species and does not move much from its chosen haunts, which
consist of heavy forest in the deeper and more secluded ravines.
In such places it lives in large parties which do not entirely break
up even in the breeding season. They feed a good deal on the
ground, turning up the dead leaves in search of insects, but they are
perhaps more often seen up in the trees, searching the crevices of
the bark and tearing off the lumps of moss which grow on most of
the oKler trees in the areas that they frequent.
While thus feeding they keep' up a low murmuring note, teh.
tehy irresistibly reminiscent of a flock of Tits, though of course
louder. At the least provocation this is changed into a discordant
concert of noisy screaming, hissing and chattering, some of their
calls being of a peculiarly eerie timbre and suited to the gloomy
surroundings in which they are uttered. In fact there is something
peculiarly ghostly about these birds, as a flock of them move about
in the shady recesses of the forest, their white gorgets shining
conspicuously as erratically moving spots of light and their weird
voices breaking in upon the silence. Though not particularly shy
they soon vanish if disturbed, slipping away one by one up the trees
from branch to branch, and so on up the hill-side with some rapidity.
The breeding season lasts from the beginning of April to the
end of June, some birds nesting until August. The nest is a large
wide cup, not as a rule very deep, and is made of coarse grass,
creepers, dead leaves, moss, and roots, with usually a lining of fern
and moss roots. It is built in a bush or small tree, usually about 3
to 10 feet from the ground, and the usual situation is at the end of
a bough or between two or three upright shoots on low, horizontal
branches.
The clutch varies from two to four eggs, but the normal number
is three.
The eggs are long and fairly pointed ovals with a high gloss
They vary from a deep dull blue to a deep intense greenish-blue,
and are darker than the eggs of all other Babblers and Laughing-
Thrushes. They are without markings.
In size they average about 1-22 by 0-83 inches.
34 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE RED-HEADED LAUGHING-THRUSH
TROCHALOPTERON ERYTHROCEPHALUM (Vigors)
Description. Length n inches. Sexes alike. Upper surface of
head chestnut ; sides of head and throat black, mixed below and
behind the eye with chestnut ; lower plumage pale fulvous, lightly
scaled with black on the throat and breast ; upper plumage olive-
brown scaled with black about the shoulders ; rump slaty-grey ; wings
and tail ashy, the feathers brightly edged with golden olive-yellow ;
a bright ferruginous bar across the wing and behind it a patch of
golden-red.
Iris pale brown ; bill black ; legs pale brown.
The tail is rather long and full.
Field Identification. Himalayan form. The chestnut crown,
spotted neck and gilded wings and tail are not conspicuous in the
forest where the bird appears nondescript in colour ,with a ver/ dark
head and neck. Very shy, found in thick undergrowth in parties
which utter a peculiar murmuring note.
Mention may here be made of the Rufous-necked Laughing-
Thrush (Dryonastes ruficollis), common along the base of the Eastern
Himalayas, a dusky-looking bird with chestnut patches on the sides
of the neck and under the tail. The Rufous-chinned Laughing-
Thrush (lanthocincla rufogularis), found in the lower Himalayan
ranges, is rich olive-brown and grey squamated with black.
Distribution. This fine Laughing-Thrush is widely distributed
along the Himalayas and in the various mountain ranges which
extend from them down to the south of Tenasserim. It is divided
into a number of geographical races, which in several cases are very
distinct. Two of these concern us. The typical race is common
in the Western Himalayas from Chamba on the west into Nepal.
It breeds from about 6000 tc 9000 feet, and in winter works down-
hill to about 4000 feet. Eastwards of Nepal to the Daphla and
Miri Hills in Assam it is replaced by T. e. nigrimentum, in which
the ear-coverts are black with pinkish-white edges ; this race is
found at similar elevations to the other. Apart from altitudinal
movements both birds are residents.
Habits, etc. The Red - headed Laughing - Thrush is a very
common bird in well-forested areas where there is plenty of under-
growth. It is, however, very shy and secretive and is therefore
little known to the majority of people, though once its various
notes have been learnt evidence of its abundance is surprising.
In the breeding season a loud, clear, double whistle, pheeou-pheeou,
a familiar sound in all the thicker forests, is its ordinary call. This
is easily imitated and the bird readily called up. This ceases in
THE RED-HEADED LAUGHING-THRUSH 35
winter, but the presence of a party in the undergrowth is revealed
as one passes along a path by a soft murmur, curious but
distinctly pleasant. If a nest is examined the pair that own
it work backwards and forwards in the bushes a few yards away
but always evading observation, and as they fuss and flirt their long
tails, bowing, bobbing, jerking from side to side, now on one bough,
now on another, they keep up an incessant squeaky murmuring,
chicky-cree-cree-cree-cree, or a harsh, low chatter, queer-que^ queer-quee,
very difficult to describe. Rarely the birds come out into the open,
but when they do so it is only to flutter and skim back into the nearest
cover at the slightest excuse.
The nesting season is extended from May to August. The
breeding zone is that of the Oaks, Q. dilatata and Q. semicarpifolia,
or say between 8000 and 9000 feet. The nest is a large massive cup
composed largely of dead leaves bound round with grass and bents,
fine twigs and long strips of fibrous bark till a very solid wall has
been made ; moss and maidenhair enter also in the construction and
the egg cavity is lined with fine grass and fine roots.
The clutch usually consists of three eggs. These are very long
ovals, fine and compact in texture with a slight gloss. The ground-
colour is delicate, pale greenish-blue, with a few spots, streaks, and
blotches of brownish-red, mostly towards the broad end.
The eggs measure about 1-2 by 0-82 inches.
THE VARIEGATED LAUGHING-THRUSH
TROCHALOPTERON VARIEGATUM (Vigors)
(Plate hi, Fig. i, opposite page 44)
Description. Length n inches. Sexes alike. Forehead at base
of beak fulvous shading into the ashy olive-brown of the whole upper
plumage ; sides of the face black, broken with a certain amount of
white behind the eye ; chin and throat fulvous with a black mark
down the centre ; lower plumage similar to the upper but paler and
gradually changing into bright tawny-buff posteriorly. Wings brightly
variegated with black, white and grey, and bright golden-yellow or red.
Tail rather long and full ; the middle four pairs of tail-feathers
black for three-quarters of their length, then ashy-grey or ashy-yellow
and tipped with white ; the other feathers ashy on the inner webs,
golden or reddish yellow on the outer and tipped with white.
Iris sage green ; bill black ; legs pale fleshy-brown, claws dusky.
Field Identification. Himalayan form, found in forest areas ; a
dull-coloured bird, chiefly conspicuous for black and white markings
on the face. Shy and elusive, but rather noisy ; generally in parties.
36 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Distribution. The Variegated Laughing-Thrush is found on the
Samana and in the Himalayas from Chitral and Gilgit to Nepal. It
is divided into two races. The meeting ground of these two races is
about Chamba and Dharmsala. The Eastern and typical race, common
in the Simla Hills, breeds mainly at higher elevations than the Red-
headed Laughing-Thrush. The silver fir, birch and rhododendron
forests at from 9000 to 11,000 feet constitute the breeding area, but
the two species sometimes overlap in the breeding season in the zone
of the high level oak. In this race the outer webs of the wing and tail-
feathers are very variable in colour, ranging from bright golden-yellow
to crimson. In the Western form, T. v. simile, which is very common
in the Galis and about Murree, these outer webs are pure french-
grey and do not vary. This is a forest-loving bird, of high elevations,
breeding in a zone between 6000 and 11,000 feet ; it is not a migrant,
but in winter the majority move somewhat downhill and may then
be found at any height from 4000 feet upwards.
Habits, etc. Steep hill-sides covered with dense undergrowth
are the haunts of this bird, and preferably those slopes where the
undergrowth is further shaded and rendered secluded by the presence
of large trees. In such situations the Variegated Laughing-Thrush
is found in small parties or even in flocks numbering about twenty
individuals, whose presence is betrayed by their noisy behaviour.
The call-note of the species is a loud clear whistle pitt-zve-weer,
frequently repeated and ascending in scale, but in addition to this
it has a variety of squeaky notes in a chattering slightly querulous
tone ; a curious sort of drumming note is also occasionally uttered.
The ordinary demeanour of the bird is fairly bold, but as soon as
it has reason to suspect the presence of danger it becomes very shy
and active, skulking in the thickest of the undergrowth, or hopping
rapidly and silently up the branches of some tree, from the top of
which it plunges into further cover. It appears to visit the ground
but seldom, though often in the undergrowth close to it. In Lahul,
where cover is scarce, the Western form simile which occurs there
is found in the willow groves taking shelter in the thick-pollarded
heads of the trees. The food consists both of fruits and berries and
of insects.
The breeding season lasts from April to July, most eggs being
laid in May and June. The nest is a large, massive and rather deep
cup composed of coarse grass, dry stems and fibres, mixed with a
few dry leaves ; it is lined with fine grass, roots, or pine-needles. It
is placed in bush undergrowth or more usually up in some tree,
preferably a fir, often at a considerable height from the ground.
Both sexes incubate the eggs.
The clutch consists normally of two or three eggs but rarely four
or five are laid ; in shape they are rather long ovals, with a fine texture
THE NILGIRI LAUGHING-THRUSH 37
and slight gloss. The ground-colour is a pale rather dingy greenish-
blue, and the markings consist of blotches, spots, and freckles of
liver-red and various shades of brown and purple ; the markings
are generally collected towards the larger end.
They measure about i-n by 0-78 inches.
THE NILGIRI LAUGHING-THRUSH
TROCHALOPTERON CACHINNANS (Jerdon)
(Plate iv, Fig. 4, opposite page 66)
Description. Length 9 inches. Sexes alike. A broad white line
over the eye, bordered above by a narrow black line and below by a
black line through the eye ; forehead and chin also black ; whole
upper plumage, wings, and tail olive-brown, the crown narrowly
scaled with black, and the back of the head suffused with ashy;
whole under surface bright rufous, duller on the flanks and
posteriorly.
Iris red ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Only in Nilgiris ; a dull-coloured bird, olive-
brown above, rufous below, with black and white markings on the
face ; noisy and shy, in parties in heavy undergrowth.
Distribution. Confined to the Nilgiris at elevations over 4500 feet.
A resident species. A very similar species (Trochalopteron jerdoni) is
represented by three hill races which are common respectively in the
Brahmagherries (T. j. jerdoni), North Travancore (T. j. fairbanki) and
South Travancore (T.j. meridionale).
Habits, etc. This Laughing-Thrush is extremely common in the
Nilgiris at all the higher elevations, as for instance at Coonoor and
Kotagherry. It is found, like most of the genus, in parties which live
in dense undergrowth and spend a large portion of their time on the
ground searching for insects and fallen berries. It is particularly
partial to the berries of the Brazil or Peruvian cherry, which has
been introduced in the Nilgiris in recent times. This bird merits
more than most of the family the title of Laughing-Thrush ; there
is something peculiarly human about the tones of its voice, and its
call is certainly a laugh a most " maniacal laugh " according to
Hume. In demeanour the bird is very shy and evades observation.
The breeding season lasts from February to June.
The nest is a deep cup composed of fine twigs, moss, grass, dead
leaves, and similar substances, and it is lined with moss roots, fibres,
fine grass, wool, and fur. It is placed in the fork of a bush or tree
at any height from the ground up to about 12 feet.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. They are moderately
broad ovals, somewhat pointed towards the small end, and of fine
C2
38 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
texture with a slight gloss. The ground-colour is a delicate pale blue
which is speckled and blotched, rather sparingly, with reddish- or
pinkish-brown, a few eggs having also blackish-brown spots and hair-
lines, often rather cloudy at the edges.
The egg measures about i-o by 0-75 inches.
THE STREAKED LAUGHING-THRUSH
TROCHALOPTERON LINEATUM (Vigors)
(Plate iii, Fig. 5, opposite page 44)
Description. Length 8 inches. Sexes alike. Hoary-grey, more
or less streaked throughout with reddish-brown, the shafts of the
feathers being particularly conspicuous ; ear-coverts, wings and tail
bright reddish-brown, the tail with obsolete rayed markings, and each
feather tipped with greyish-white, defined interiorly by a black
line.
Iris brown ; bill dusky, base of lower mandible steely-horn ; feet
fleshy-brown, claws livid-horny.
Field Identification. Familiar garden bird in the Himalayas ; a
smallish bird with a broad floppy tail ; grey and chestnut in colour,
with pale streaking, appearing dark brown at any distance ; skulks like
a rat amongst low bush growth ; movements jerky ; utters a variety
of squeaky notes. It must not be confused with the Striated Laughing-
Thrush (Grammoptila striata), a bird of very similar appearance but
larger and more arboreal, found throughout the Himalayas from Simla
eastwards.
Distribution. The Streaked Laughing-Thrush is found from the
mountains of North Baluchistan to Chitral and Gilgit and thence
along the whole of the Himalayas to Bhutan. Within this range it
has been divided into five geographical races. Starting from the
west, the Baluchistan bird, common at Ziarat, is known as T. L
ziaratensis. In Gilgit, Chitral and Northern Kashmir the race is
termed T. L gilgit, and this in turn gives place in Southern Kashmir
to the typical race T. I. lineatum, which extends through the Punjab
Himalayas to Garhwal and Kumaon. The Nepal and Sikkim birds
are known as T. L setafer, while the Bhutan bird has been separated
as T. 1. imbricatum. These races merely differ amongst themselves
in degree of coloration both of the feathers and of their shafts. A
resident species.
Habits, etc. This familiar bird breeds throughout the hill ranges
that it inhabits between about 5000 and 10,000 feet, occasionally
ascending even a little higher. While not a migrant in any sense of
THE STREAKED LAUGHING-THRUSH 39
the word, it tends to drift downhill during the winter months and then
may be met with down to about 3000 feet and sometimes lower, as
at Kohat. It may be described as a bird of the undergrowth, and
provided that it has tangles of rank grass, thick bushes, or rocks
combined with herbage in which to thread its secretive way, it is
indifferent whether these are situated on open hill-sides or in the
midst of heavy forest.
About the hill stations of the Western Himalayas, from the
Galis and Kashmir across to Naini Tal and Almora, it is one of
the most familiar of the station birds, living in the gardens and
attracting attention by its chattering antics, and along the forest
roads coming to notice by shuffling across the roads and up the
bank sides in front of passers-by ; in Lahul it even intrudes into
the courtyards of houses. Further east it is much scarcer, and on
its status there would not merit inclusion in this work.
This dull-coloured Laughing-Thrush lives both in pairs and in
small parties of four or five individuals. The greater part of its life
is lived within a height of 5 or 6 feet from the ground and it is
practically never away from thick cover. It shuffles freely about on
the ground after the manner of a large Hedge- Sparrow, working
amongst the undergrowth and climbing up into the bushes ;
occasionally it is inspired with ambition and climbs from the bushes
jnto thick and handy trees ; but so ingrained is its parasitic devotion
to Mother Earth that if it desires to proceed from one tree to
another it will not fly across the open, parachuting on open wings to
its foot like other Laughing-Thrushes ; but it hastily drops from the
first tree to the ground and thence works " in rushes, taking cover "
to the base of the second tree and climbs it afresh. A party moving
along or up and down the hill-side has the same tactics ; one by one
the individuals composing it " dribble " from cover to cover, now
hopping rapidly along the ground for a yard or two, then feebly
fluttering for another stretch. An extended flight must be virtually
unknown to the bird. Yet with all these skulking ways and excess
of caution it is in no sense shy until molested, and one may pass
along a hill-path a yard or two away from an individual sitting on
the hill-side and it will not bother to leave. In a bush it dips and
bows, turning this way and that and incessantly flirting the heavy
tail, as it utters a series of harsh squeaky notes chit-chit-chitrr, chit-chit-
chitrr, chicker-chicker or witti-kitti-cree, or a soft murmuring churring
note crrer-r.
The call-note is a loud, clear whistle pitt-wee-are or titty-titty-we-
are much like that of other Laughing-Thrushes. This miscellaneous
assortment of chattering squeaks together with the rustling of leaves
usually indicate the presence of a party in cover where they are quite
invisible ; and these are amongst the most familiar bird sounds of
40 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the Western hill stations. The food is the usual mixture of insects,
seeds, and small fruits common to most of the family.
The breeding season is very extended, and the bird is probably
double-brooded. Eggs have been taken in every month from March
to September, but most nests will be found in May and June. On
the nest the bird sits very close, almost allowing itself to be caught.
The nest is a large, solid structure of dry grass, stems of
herbaceous plants, fibrous shreds of bark, dead leaves, and similar
materials. It is nearly circular, with a deep cup-like cavity jn the
centre, and this is neatly lined with fine grass roots, pine-needles or
fine grass. It is always well concealed, and is placed in a thick
branch of a tree, preferably perhaps a deodar, in a thick bush, or
in heavy herbage on a steep bank ; but it is very seldom higher than
5 or 6 feet from the ground and usually lower than that. On one
occasion in Simla I found a nest owing to the strange choice of the
birds in lining material. There was a coir doormat at the dining-
/oom door leading into the verandah ; and as we sat at lunch the
birds kept coming and tearing fibres out of the mat in spite of the
fact that the servants waiting on us were continuously passing
backwards and forwards through the door.
Two to four eggs are laid, but the normal clutch consists of three
eggs.
The eggs are regular and moderately broad ovals,' with a slight
gloss and a very smooth satiny texture. In colour they are a perfectly
spotless, delicate, pale greenish-blue, of the tint usually known as
" Hedge-Sparrow blue."
In size they average about i-oo by 0-73 inches.
The nests of this species are often selected for the eggs of the
Indian Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus) and occasionally the Pied Crested
Cuckoo ( Clamator jacobinus) .
THE JUNGLE BABBLER
TURDOIDES SOMERVILLEI (Sykes)
(Plate x, Fig. 5, opposite page 198)
Descriptwn.Length 10 inches. Sexes alike. The whole upper
plumage dull earth-brown marked with paler and darker tints of
the same ; tail broad and full, slightly tipped with white and faintly
cross-rayed ; lower plumage paler, mixed fulvous and ashy.
Iris pale yellowish white ; bill flesh-coloured, gape yellowish ;
feet fleshy-white or yellowish-white.
Field Identification. Found in noisy squeaking parties, usually
on or close to the ground ; a moderate-sized dirty-looking brown
THE JUNGLE BABBLER 41
bird with a pale yellowish eye and a broad longish tail ; all plumage
very loose and untidy. One of the best -known birds of India.
Distribution. The Jungle Babbler is found throughout the whole
of the Peninsula of India from the Salt Range and Kohat in the
north-west along the foot of the Himalayas to about the valley of
the Brahmaputra in the north-east. It is divided into five races.
T. s. sindianus is a particularly pale race found in the Punjab and
Sind down to Mount Aboo. T. s. terricolor is found throughout
north and east India within a line drawn roughly through Meerut,
Agra, Saugor, and Hyderabad to the Godavari delta. The typical
race with a rufous tail is confined to a strip of the western coast
from Bombay and Matheran to Kanara, below that grading into the
dark T. s. malabaricus of Cochin and Travancore. A paler and
greyer race, T. s. ortentalis, occupies the rest of Southern India. A
strictly resident species.
Habits, etc. In the Jungle Babbler we have one of the few
Indian birds which possesses a recognised popular name in both
English and Hindustani, in both cases due to the social habits of
the species. The vernacular name is " Sathbhai," the Seven Brethren,
while in English for some reason (possibly their loquacity), the birds
change their gender and become the " Seven Sisters." It is often
wrongly assumed in consequence that the parties always consist of
seven birds ; but " sath " is only a reflection of the phrase " panch
sath " (5 or 7), an approximate phrase like " half a dozen."
This bird is found throughout the plains and the hill ranges up
to about 4000 feet in the north and higher in the south, but it is
usually scarce both in thick forest and in wet marshy country. In
the more desert portions of Sind and Rajputana it does not occur.
With these exceptions it is found in all types of country, and
apparently having a decided preference for the neighbourhood of
man it is a common bird in gardens both in towns and out in the
mofussil.
As indicated above, the Jungle Babbler is an eminently gregarious
species, even to the extent that the parties in which it goes about do
not break up in the breeding season. A sitting bird has only to be
disturbed from its nest and the outcry that it invariably makes at
once brings to the spot the other members of its clan. For in sorrow
and in joy these Babblers are not divided ; nor are they quiet.
Although trees are a necessity for them, for when disturbed they
immediately fly up into the branches, they feed for the most part on
the ground, turning over dead leaves with incessant industry, all the
while moving with a clumsy, hopping gait. As they do so they keep
up a muttered concert of low remarks which at the slightest excite-
ment break into a chorus of noisy, squeaking calls that aptly express
their hysterical temperaments. Yet they are brave birds also, and
42 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
at* once rally to the support of any one of their number that is in
difficulties, attacking his assailant. Although not in this respect
quite as strong as the Large Grey Babbler (Argya malcolmi) they
generally succeed in rescuing any of their party that falls into the
clutches of the smaller hawks, who indeed treat them with respect.
The captured bird grasps the assailant with its big, strong feet, and
the remainder of the party fall on the latter pell-mell in a noisy,
struggling mass till he is glad to let go his promised meal and decamp
with the best grace possible. The flight is clumsy and ill-sustained,
this species having the family habit of flying one by one for short
distances from cover to cover.
The breeding season commences at the end of March and continues
into September. The majority of nests, however, contain fresh eggs
in the first week after the setting-in of the rains, which varies according
to locality and season from ist June to the i5th July.
The nest is built in thick bushes or small trees at almost any
height from the ground, though most will be found 4 to 10 feet up.
Thorn trees are commonly selected, and the nest is usually not
particularly well concealed. It is a fairly deep cup, sometimes small
and compact, but more usually rather loosely put together, of grass
stems and roots. The lining consists of finer roots and occasionally
of horse-hair.
The full clutch consists of three or four eggs.
The eggs are usually rather broad ovals, somewhat compressed
at one end, of fine smooth texture with a high gloss. The colour is
" Hedge-Sparrow blue," varying from a pale shade to a deep intense
colour in different eggs. There are no markings.
The egg measures about i-oi by 0*78 inches.
This bird is a favourite foster-parent for the Pied Crested Cuckoo
(Clamator jacobinus) and the Common Hawk Cuckoo (Hierococcyx
varius), and it is difficult to distinguish between the eggs of host
and parasite, so close is the resemblance.
THE WHITE-HEADED BABBLER
TURDOIDES STRIATUS (Dumont)
Description. Length 9 inches. Sexes alike. Upper surface of
head and neck dingy greyish-white ; upper plumage ashy-brown,
streaked on the back with brown and white ; wings and terminal
half of the broad full tail dark brown ; ear-coverts brown ; chin,
throat, and breast dark brown, the feathers edged with grey ;
remainder of lower plumage brown, fulvous down the centre of the
abdomen.
THE WHITE-HEADED BABBLER 43
Iris creamy-white ; bill, eye-patch, and legs dead white with a
yellowish tinge.
Field Identification. Very similar in habits to the Jungle Babbler,
but recognisable by its whitish head and dark brown throat and breast.
Distribution. This species of Babbler is confined to Ceylon and
Southern India, south of a line drawn through Belgaum, Hyderabad,
and the lower Godavari Valley. The Indian birds are known as
T. s. affiniSy while the typical race from Ceylon differs in having the
head concolorous with the back and the streaks on the back less well
defined. It is a strictly resident species.
Habits, etc. The White-headed Babbler is a plains species, and
only ascends the various hill ranges up to a height of about 2000 feet.
It is the Common Babbler of Madras, and in habits is very similar
to the Jungle Babbler, going about in noisy, excitable parties that
feed on the ground and fly up into the trees when disturbed. They
hop and climb up the larger branches of the tree to the top, and then
fly off to the next tree singly in extended file, with slow dnd laborious
flight, a few rapid strokes of the short round wings alternating with
gliding on outstretched pinions. The alarm forgotten, one bird drops
again to the ground, followed in succession by the others of the flock,
and once more they are busy turning over the leaves.
The call is a loud sibilant or whispering sort of chatter.
The breeding season is somewhat extended and odd nests may
be found almost any time in the year. The majority of eggs are,
however, laid from March to July. The nest is the usual large,
loosely-constructed cup of the genus, built of roots, fine twigs, and
grass stems, and is built at no great height from the ground in shrubs
and bushes, those of a thorny nature being preferred.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs ; they are fairly regular
ovals, fine and hard in texture and exceedingly glossy. In colour
they are of a deep unmarked greenish-blue.
In size they average about 0-99 by 0-75 inches.
This is a favourite foster-parent for the Pied Crested Cuckoo
(Clamator jacobinus).
THE COMMON BABBLER
ARGYA CAUDATA (Dumeril)
(Plate iii, Fig. 4, opposite page 44)
Description. Length 9 inches. Sexes alike. Whole upper plumage
pale fulvous-brown, each feather streaked with dark brown ; quills
brown, lighter on the outer webs ; tail long, graduated, and olive-
brown, cross-rayed, and the shafts very dark ; chin and throat fulvous-
white ; lower plumage pale fulvous, albescent on the abdomen, and
the sides of the breast faintly striated.
44 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Iris yellow-brown ; bill light brown, base of lower mandible
yellow ; legs olive-yellow, claws dusky.
Field Identification. A smallish bird, brown with dark streakings
on the upper surface, and fulvous and whitish below ; tail elongated
and graduated. In flight looks singularly like a miniature hen Pheasant.
Lives in parties in every type of open ground with bushes or grass
clumps ; one of the commonest birds of Northern India.
Distribution. The Common Babbler extends from Afghanistan,
Baluchistan, and South-east Persia right through India, from the
outer fringe of the Himalayas east to Western Bengal and south
to the Palni Hills and Rameswaram Island. With this wide range
it has been divided into three races. The large and pale form from
Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and South-east Persia is known as A. c.
huttoni ; a dark form with heavy streaking on the upper surface and
brightly rufous under parts named by Hume A. c. eclipes, inhabits
the plateau from Rawal Pindi and the Salt Range to Peshawar ; and
the rest of the range is inhabited by the typical form.
This species does not occur higher than 4000 feet in the Outer
Himalayas and it avoids the higher elevations in all the continental
hill ranges. In Southern India it is less common and very local.
A strictly resident species.
Habits, etc. This bird avoids swampy ground, where it is
replaced throughout Northern India by a more richly-coloured and
larger species, the Striated Babbler (Argya earlii\ in which the chin
and throat are rufous with dark streaks. It also dislikes heavy
forest and hill areas except those low elevations within easy reach
of their bases. It is essentially a bird of open country, and in
Northern India is one of the most common and familiar of species
found everywhere alike, in cultivation and in gardens, amongst waste
rocky ravines studded with bushes, and in the desolate semi-desert
areas ; ground cover is the only factor that it insists upon, for it is
somewhat of a skulker and prefers the neighbourhood of the ground,
seldom mounting into trees or venturing right out into the open.
It particularly favours those wide open plains where patches of
cultivation shaded with occasional tamarisk and kikur trees alternate
with stretches of waste ground on which clumps of sarpat grass and
bushes of the uck and the wild caper ring their monotonous changes.
This Babbler lives in small parties of six or eight individuals
and such parties may be met with throughout the year, even in the
breeding season. They feed mostly on the ground, hopping rapidly
about with a bouncing gait, and their long tails trailing. At the
slightest alarm they take refuge in the bushes or grass near whose
shelter they have been feeding. When leaving one patch of cover
for another they fly off singly, one after another, with a weak
parachuting flight, the wings extended, and the tail partly spread,
PLATE III
I. Variegated Laughing-Thrush. 2. Yellow-eyed Babbler. 3. Purple Sunbird.
4. Common Babbler. 5. Streaked Laughing-Thrush. (All about *$ nat. size.)
[JPafij.44
THE COMMON BABBLER 45
looking for all the world like a number of miniature hen Pheasants
breaking cover. As they fly they utter a low undertoned warbling
whistle, first one bird and then another in a sort of rippling chorus.
The food consists chiefly of insects.
The breeding season is very extended, and nests have been
found in every month of the year ; but the majority will be found
from March until May and again from July to September, as the
species is double-brooded. The nest is a neat and compact cup,
rather large for the size of the bird. There is usually a deep outer
foundation of fine thorny twigs, coarse roots, bents, grass stems, and
similar materials, while the actual cup is composed of finer grass
stems and roots, often lined with a few hairs or fine mimosa leaves.
It is usually built fairly close to the ground at a height of about
3 feet, in a thick bush or a clump of grass, and is generally well
concealed. An occasional nest, however, may be found in higher
and more open situations, as for instance 8 feet from- the ground
in a fork of a kikur tree.
The usual clutch consists of three or four eggs, but occasionally
only two are laid.
The eggs are a moderately elongated oval, slightly compressed
towards one end. They are glossy, often brilliantly so, and of a
delicate pure spotless somewhat pale blue. There is very little variation
in the colour of these eggs.
They measure about 0-85 by 0-63 inches.
This Babbler is frequently selected as a foster-parent by the Pied
Crested Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus).
THE LARGE GREY BABBLER
ARGYA MALCOLMI (Sykes)
Description. Length n inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
dull brown, the feathers of the upper back with dark centres ; forehead
ashy-grey with fine white shaft-stripes ; wings dark brown, the outer
flight-feathers hoary brown on the outer webs, the others edged with
the colour of the back ; entire lower plumage fulvescent grey ; tail
full and graduated, pale brown, the central pair of feathers cross-
rayed, the three outer pairs white and the next pair edged with white.
Iris bright yellow ; bill dark brown, lower mandible fleshy ; legs
fleshy-yellow.
Field Identification. In noisy squeaky parties in open cultivation ;
a typical sandy-brown Babbler easily recognised from the other species
by its size and the broad white edge to the tail, conspicuous in flight.
Distribution. This fine Babbler is locally common throughout
46 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the greater portion of the plains of India from a line roughly through
Ludhiana, Ferozepore, and Mount Aboo in the North-west to the
western boundary of Bengal, and south to the Nilgiris and Salem.
It is a strictly resident species.
Habits, etc. This Babbler does not differ in any material respect
in habits from the more numerous Jungle Babbler, though it is not
quite so untidy in plumage. It is particularly a bird of cultivated
plains where small groves alternate with open fields and it is never
found away from trees. It appears also in gardens, both in large
towns and about small villages. Half of its time is spent in the
trees, the other half on the ground, where it turns over dead leaves
and investigates low-growing foliage in search of the insect and other
small forms of life that form the major portion of its diet ; seeds and
fruits are also eaten.
This is one of the most gregarious species that it is possible to
imagine. The birds live in small parties of six to a dozen individuals,
and these parties do not break up in the breeding season, even
though members of them may have nests and eggs in the vicinity.
Woe to any enemy that falls foul of one of the party ; the remainder
fall on it tooth and nail, and in this respect the species is more
valiant even than the Jungle Babbler, a fact that the smaller hawks
recognise, generally not attempting to molest them. These Babblers
are very noisy, with the hysterical squeaky calls typical of the family
uttered on the slightest provocation.
The nest may be found in any month in the year, though the
majority of the birds breed from March until August. Possibly
more than one brood is reared. The nest is built at a height of
some 4 to 10 feet from the ground and is usually ill-concealed,
depending for its protection more on the fact that it is generally
placed in some thorny tree of the mimosa type. It is a large,
loosely-woven but fairly neat, cup-shaped structure, made of fine
roots, small sticks, and dry grass, with generally an outer casing of
thorny twigs. The cup is sometimes lined with fine grass and roots
or horse-hair.
Two to five eggs are laid, but the normal clutch consists of four.
The eggs are indistinguishable from those of the Jungle Babbler,
rather broad ovals, compressed at one end, very glossy and smooth
in texture, and an unmarked " Hedge-Sparrow blue " in colour.
They measure about 0-99 by 0-77 inches.
This Babbler is frequently selected as a foster-parent by the Pied
Crested Cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus).
THE DECCAN SCIMITAR-BABBLER 47
THE DECCAN SCIMITAR-BABBLER
POMATORHINUS HORSFIELDII Sykes
(Plate v, Fig. 2, opposite page 88)
Description. Length 10 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
dark earthy-brown tinged with rufous and darker on the head ; a
white eyebrow-line edged above with black over the eye ; sides of
head and neck and a band bordering the breast and abdomen
blackish-brown ; chin, throat, breast, and abdomen white ; flanks
and a patch under the tail slaty-brown.
Iris brown or crimson ; bill yellow, dusky at base of upper
mandible ; legs greenish-plumbeous.
Bill long, curved and compressed, recalling a scimitar in shape ;
short rounded wings ; long graduated tail ; shape rather ungainly.
Field Identification. Lower India only. Scimitar-shaped bill,
dark plumage with the conspicuous white eyebrow and white plastron
with its dark edging are distinctive.
Distribution. Confined to the Indian Peninsula and Ceylon. This
Scimitar-Babbler is divided into a number of races distinguished by
small details of coloration of the plumage and size of the bill. A
greyish form P. h. obscurus is found in Mount Aboo, the Central
Provinces and the area round Khandesh. The typical race is found
from Khandala to Goa, in Mysore and in Orissa and the Upper
Eastern Ghats. The rich olive-brown form P. h. travancoreensis
occupies the Lower Western Ghats from North Kanara to Travancore,
including the Nilgiris. P. h. maderaspatensis is confined to the Lower
Eastern Ghats from the Krishna Valley southwards. P. h. melanurus
of the low country wet zone, S.W. Ceylon, is a bright ferruginous
bird, while P. h. holdsworthi is a more olivaceous brown and inhabits
the dry zone of both low country and hills.
This species occurs both in the plains and in the hill ranges up
to at least 8000 feet. It is strictly resident.
Habits, etc. This Scimitar-Babbler is common in evergreen
jungle, in bamboo thickets, in thorny scrub or in dense bush jungle
on hill-sides. It is usually found in pairs or in small parties of four
or five birds and sometimes double this number collect together or
join the mixed hunting parties.
Individuals keep in touch with each other by a variety of mellow
bubbling and whistling calls and when excited break into the torrent
of loud shrieks and whistles which are used by all the Scimitar-Babblers.
In the case of pairs the male acts as leader and is followed about
from one bush or tree to another by the female who acknowledges
every one of his musical whistles with a subdued kroo-kroo or kro-kant.
48 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Although very shy and seldom showing themselves they readily
respond to a decoy whistle and may be called long distances by such
an imitation. When disturbed the birds hop along the branches
with great agility as if to get under way before taking to wing.
The food consists of grubs, worms, insects and the like and in
search of it the birds descend a good deal to the ground where they
turn over the dead leaves in typical Babbler fashion. They cut and
dig vigorously with their shapely bills in the earth, cling to the face
of banks and probe the moss and bark of the trees, and when the
cotton-tree is in flower they join the many species that rifle the
blossoms for insects and nectar.
The breeding season extends from December to May.
The nest is a loosely-constructed globular structure, with the
entrance at one side, placed on the ground in thick herbage or low
in a bush. It is composed of grass or moss mixed with leaves, bracken,
and roots, and is so flimsy in build that it falls to pieces on removal.
There is no lining to the egg cavity.
Three to five eggs are laid.
The egg is an elongated oval, slightly compressed towards the
small fend. It is very fragile, smooth, and satiny in texture, with very
little gloss. The colour is pure white.
The egg measures about 1-08 by 0-77 inches.
THE RUSTY-CHEEKED SCIMITAR-BABBLER
POMATORHINUS ERYTHROGENYS Vigors
Description. Length n inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage,
tail, and the exposed part of the closed wings olive-brown ; centre' of
whole lower plumage white, striped with very pale grey on the chin
and throat ; forehead, sides of head and neck and sides of lower
plumage chestnut, washed with olive on the sides of the breast and
flanks.
Iris yellowish-white ; bill light horny ; legs brownish-fleshy.
Bill long, curved, and compressed, recalling a scimitar in shape.
Tail long and graduated ; wings small and rounded ; general build
rather ungainly.
Field Identification. Himalayan form. Curved bill, olive-brown
upper parts and chestnut and white under parts distinctive, combined
with shy habits in undergrowth and melodious call.
Distribution. The Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler has a wide
distribution, being found along the whole length of the Himalayas
through Assam, Burma, and Tenasserim to Yunnan and China.
It is divided into several races, of which two are found in the
THE RUSTY-CHEEKED SCIMITAR-BABBLER 49
Himalayas and come into our area. The Western race is the
typical one and is found from the Murree Hills to about Mussoorie.
The Eastern race is known as P. e. haringtoni and differs in its
slightly smaller size and in having the whole chin, throat, and upper
breast dark ashy mingled with white. It is found from Garhwal to
Sikkim, but the birds from the western edge of this range are very
intermediate in character.
In the Western Himalayas this Scimitar- Babbler is found most
commonly between 3000 and 7000 feet, though it certainly occurs
down to 2000 feet and up to 10,000 feet. The Eastern form
occupies a slightly lower zone between 1000 and 7000 feet. It is
a strictly resident species and appears to change its elevation very
slightly with the season.
The Slaty-headed Scimitar-Babbler (Pomatorhinus schisticeps) is
another Himalayan species found at low elevations from Kangra to
Assam and into Burma. The upper parts are olive-brown with the
top of the head dark-slate ; a white line over the eye and the rich
maroon-chestnut sides with white streaks are distinctive.
Habits, etc. This bird is a dweller in dense undergrowth, whether
in the form of thick grass and bushes on treeless hill -sides, or forests
with heavy secondary growth. The greater part of its life is spent
in the bushes, but it feeds a good deal on the ground under cover,
shuffling amongst dead leaves, and when disturbed in this occupation
it can make off at a good speed with a succession of long, bounding
hops like a rat. It is a social species, usually found in small parties,
whose presence would not be suspected from their skulking habits
were it not for their noisiness. The call of the male consists of a
pair of notes, the second rapidly following the first and being about
an octave lower. If the female is within earshot, as she usually is, she
replies with a single note immediately after the second note uttered
by the male, so that the three notes together make a mellow whistle
kor-quee-oh, which to the uninitiated sounds like the call of a single
bird. This familiar duet, varied with a clear quoip, is audible some
distance away. They have also a hard, scolding note reminiscent of
that uttered by many of the Babblers and the Tree-Pie. A faint
feeding-note tep-tep is only heard when the birds are close at hand.
These birds respond readily to an imitation of their calls and may
be decoyed in this manner. They seldom leave cover and come
into the open, but when they do take to wing the flight is swift and
strong, though the short wings combined with the heavy bill and
tail give the bird a curious, ungainly appearance. This species is
said to indulge in a habit of dancing like other members of the genus.
The food consists of grubs, beetles, earthworms, and various
insects mostly obtainable on the ground, but berries are also eaten.
The breeding season lasts from April to June.
D
50 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The nest is a domed structurewith a broad opening high on one side ;
it is loosely constructed of coarse grass, dry ferns, dead leaves, and fern
roots, and there is no particular lining. It is placed on the ground in
thick herbage near the edge of clumps of brushwood or scrub-jungle.
Two to four eggs are laid ; they are long, narrow ovals, fine in
texture with a fair gloss and pure white in colour.
In size they average about i 1 1 by o- 8 inches.
THE RUFOUS-BELLIED BABBLER
DUMETIA HYPERYTHRA (Franklin)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Front half of crown
reddish-brown ; upper plumage, wing, and tail olive-brown, the tail
cross-rayed ; sides of the face and entire lower plumage bright fulvous.
Iris light-brown ; bill livid pale horny ; legs very pale fleshy.
The feathers of the forehead have stiff shafts. The tail is much
graduated, the outer feather only reaching to the middle.
Field Identification. A small olive-brown bird with bright rufous
under parts ; a white throat-patch in one race. Found in small parties
skulking in thick cover.
Distribution. Confined to India and Ceylon and divided into
three races. The typical race is found in a wide area east of a line
from the Kumaon Bhabar through Jhansi, Mhow, the Satpuras,
Jalna, and Hyderabad to the Krishna River. It occurs as far east
as Midnapore. To the west and south of this area, from Sambhar
and Mount Aboo on the north down to the extreme south, it is
replaced by D. h. albogularis. This race differs in its lighter coloration
and in having a well-defined white patch on the chin and throat and
a tinge of white on the centre of the abdomen. D. h. phillipsi of Ceylon
is similar to the latter but has a larger bill and paler under parts.
The closely allied Red-capped Babbler (Timalia pileata) is common
in the extensive grass plains along the terais and duars of the north-east,
extending also into Assam and Burma and a considerable part of
Bengal. The deep rufous crown, white streak over each eye, olive-
brown upper parts, deeply-graduated tail, and the white breast with
fine black streaking are distinctive.
Habits, etc. The Rufous -bellied Babbler is a bird of thick cover.
It may be found in scrub-jungle, in tall grass interspersed with
thorn bushes, or in the patches and hedges of tall euphorbia plants
which are a feature of many parts of Southern India. In such cover
it is found in small parties of four to eight birds, which keep up a
low cheep cheep, varied by harsh tittering notes. It is a most
inveterate skulker, keeping as far as possible out of sight, one bird
THE RUFOUS-BELLIED BABBLER 51
following another from bush to bush. On taking alarm the members
of a party promptly dive into the thickest portions of the undergrowth
and disperse in all directions, though they soon reassemble when the
alarm is over.
The breeding season of the typical race is well defined throughout
its range, being in the monsoon from June to August. Most eggs
are laid in July. In the other Indian race it varies from the middle of
April to the middle of October, irrespective of locality.
The nest is built on, or very close to, the ground, either amongst
dead leaves, in coarse grass, or in small bushes. A favourite situation
is in amongst the roots of a bamboo clump. The nest is a loosely-
constructed ball of bamboo leaves or broad blades of grass, sometimes
incorporating a few dead leaves. It is occasionally unlined. Usually,
however, there is a slight lining of fine grass roots, fine grass stems,
or a few hairs. The entrance is in the side. An unfinished nest is
deserted on very slight provocation.
The usual clutch consists of four eggs, but often there are only
three. The eggs vary in shape from short and broad to moderately
long ovals. The texture is fine with a variable amount of gloss.
The ground-colour is pure white, spotted and speckled with shades
of red, brownish-red, and reddish-purple. These markings vary in
character, but tend to collect in a cap or zone on the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-70 by 0-53 inches.
THE YELLOW-EYED BABBLER
CHRYSOMMA SINENSIS (Gmelin)
(Plate iii, Fig. 2, opposite page 44)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. The whole upper
plumage rufescent-brown, changing to cinnamon on the exposed
portions of the wings ; a patch in front above and below the eye,
and the whole lower plumage white, tinged with fulvous on the flanks,
abdomen, and under the tail. The tail is long and graduated, and
the feathers are faintly cross-rayed.
Iris yellow, eyelids deep orange ; bill black, yellowish behind
nostrils ; legs pale orange-yellow.
Field Identification. A small rufous bird with white under parts
and a rather long full tail ; orange eyelids are conspicuous. Found
in parties in undergrowth.
Distribution. The Yellow-eyed Babbler is a bird of very wide
distribution occurring throughout India, Burma, and Siam, and in
China, but is rather local. As is to be expected with this wide range
it has been divided into several races, of which three occur within
our area. They are distinguished by depth and tint of coloration.
52 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The typical race, originally described from China, is found through
Yunnan, Siam, Burma, and Assam to Bengal, and apparently also in
Madras, the Central Provinces, and Belgaum.
A dark form, P. s. saturatior, occurs in Nepal, Sikkim, and the
Bhutan and Buxa Duars.
A pale form, P. s. hypoleucus, is found in Sind, Jodhpur, the
North-west Frontier Province, portions of the Punjab, the United
Provinces, Khandesh, and Kathiawar. While strictly speaking a
plains bird, the Yellow-eyed Babbler is found along the outer
Himalayas to a height of 4000 feet, and in the Nilgiris it is
found up to 5000 feet. A resident species everywhere.
Habits, etc. While occasionally met with in pairs this pretty
little bird usually goes about in parties. It avoids forest and wanders
about in open country frequenting tall grass, low scrub, and patches
of bushes, being also a familiar garden bird. In habits it is a typical
Babbler, and while rather inclined to skulk in thick cover is apt to be
noisy. It appears to visit the ground very seldom. Some of its notes
are quite sweet, and might almost be dignified by the name of song.
Small birds that live in parties in thick cover have all much the
same habits. The individuals work from stem to stem unseen down
in the thicket, picking insects, caterpillars, and their eggs from the
leaves and twigs. Then one bird works to the top and suns itself
for a few seconds and utters a snatch of song before plunging again
into the cover below, while another bird in turn emerges for his breath
of air and sunlight.
I have seen a bird at the nest feign m a most realistic manner to
be wounded, swaying with wings and tail outspread on a twig, as if
about to topple over and fall at any moment.
The breeding season is from June to September.
The nest is a very compact and beautiful structure, made of broad
blades of grass and long strips of fine fibrous bark, coated exteriorly
with cobwebs and gossamer threads and lined with fine grass stems
and roots. It is generally built in gardens about 4 to 6 feet from the
ground in upright forks in hedges or trees, or suspended in thick grass
sterns after the fashion of a Reed-Warbler's nest.
The normal clutch consists of five eggs.
The egg is a very broad oval, rather obtuse at the smaller end.
The texture is fine and smooth with a slight gloss. The ground-
colour is pinkish-white, and the markings are of two main types ; in
one the egg is so thickly and finely mottled and streaked all over
with brickdust-red that the ground-colour is almost concealed ; in
the other the egg is sparingly and boldly blotched and streaked with
the same colour, besides exhibiting a number of pale inky-purple
clouds. Combinations of both types occur.
The egg measures about 0*73 by 0-59 inches.
THE SPOTTED BABBLER 53
THE SPOTTED BABBLER
PELLORNEUM RUFICEPS Swainson
(Plate xi, Fig. 4, opposite page 220)
Description. Length 6 inches. Sexes alike. Top of the head
dull rufous ; a whitish line over the eye ; remainder of upper plumage
including wings and tail olive-brown, the tail-feathers tipped with
white ; sides of the head pale rufous marked with black and brown ;
lower plumage white somewhat tinged with fulvous and becoming
olivaceous on the flanks, boldly streaked with black on the breast
and sides ; a patch under the tail olive-brown and white.
Iris reddish-brown ; bill dark brown, lower mandible whitish ;
legs fleshy-white.
Field Identification. A small olive-brown bird, whitish below,
with a rufous cap and heavily streaked breast. Very shy and found
skulking in thick undergrowth. Attention usually attracted to it by
the loud call-note.
Distribution. Widely distributed throughout India, Assam, and
Burma, eastwards to the Malay Peninsula, Annam, and Cochin-China.
It is divided into several races, of which we are concerned with four ;
these vary only in depth and tone of coloration and the boldness of
marking on the sides of the neck. P. r. punctatum occurs in the Western
Himalayas from Dharmsala to Garhwal. It is common in the Tea
gardens and in the ravines around Dehra Dun, where it also breeds.
From Nepal eastwards along the Himalayas into Assam and Burma
there is P. r. mandellii. The species appears to be wanting across
the plains of Northern India, but the typical form is found in Peninsular
India south of Khandesh, Pachmarhi, and the hills of Chota Nagpur,
until in Travancore it is replaced by P. r. granti. All the races are
found at elevations from 1500 to 4000 feet, and occasionally higher,
and are resident birds.
Habits, etc. The Spotted Babbler is more often heard than seen.
Except in the breeding season it is a social species, and usually goes
about in small parties which keep to low brushwood and bamboo-
jungle. It never ascends into trees, and spends much of its life on
the ground searching for food amongst fallen leaves and tangles of
grass. In such localities it is hard to approach and observe as it
is very shy, and the sound of footsteps sends it hastening away through
the bushes with a harsh, churring alarm note kraa. But feeding at
their ease the parties are rather noisy, and keep up a continuous
chatter, and the loud call is a familiar sound of the jungles where they
live. The call is a clear mellow whistle, wheat-eeer or three-cheeer,
the first syllable short, the second long and emphasised. This call
D2
54 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
may also be expressed by the words pretty-dear. It is easily imitated,
and the bird responds freely to the imitation. There is also a sweet
song in the breeding season consisting of a number of loud whistling
notes rambling up and down the scale. The food consists chiefly
of insects.
The breeding season is from March to May, though second
broods may be found until August. The nest is placed on the
ground under the shelter of a stone or bush, or occasionally 2 or 3
inches above it in the base of a clump of bamboo. It is generally
amongst fallen leaves and similar rubbish, and is a large globular
structure composed of leaves and grass and slightly lined with moss
roots.
The clutch consists of two to four eggs. In shape they are broad
regular ovals, compact and fine in texture, with a slight gloss. The
ground-colour is a very pale greenish- or yellowish-white, profusely
speckled and spotted all over with reddish-brown and with secondary
spots of pale grey and neutral tint.
The average size is about 0-88 by 0-65 inches.
THE QUAKER-BABBLER
ALCIPPE POIOICEPHALA (Jerdon)
Description. Length 6 inches. Sexes alike. Top of head ashy-
grey ; remainder of upper plumage olive-brown, becoming ferruginous
on the wings and tail ; sides of the head and neck ashy-brown ; lower
plumage creamy fulvous, darker on the breast and flanks and under
the tail.
Iris slaty-grey ; bill horny brown ; legs greyish-fleshy.
Field Identification. A small olive-brown bird with paler under
parts and a greyer head. Found in small parties in undergrowth
and forest chiefly in the hills of Peninsular India.
Distribution. Widely distributed in several races through India,
Assam, Burma, and Siam. The typical and most richly-coloured
form is found along the Western Ghats from about Goa down to the
south of Travancore, occurring at elevations from 2000 feet to 600 feet.
A paler and greyer race, A. p. brucet, occurs irregularly in the rest of
the Peninsula south of a line from Kathiawar, Pachmarhi, and Parasnath
Hill at much the same elevations. A resident species.
The smaller Nepal Babbler (Alcippe nepalensis), common in the
lower Eastern Himalayas, Assam, and Burma, is easily distinguished
by a white ring round the eye and a blackish line over it.
Abbott's Babbler (Malacocincla sepiaria) is found in the Eastern
Himalayas and Assam at low elevations. The plumage is dark brown
THE QUAKER-BABBLER 55
with the under parts paler, the throat white and a rufous patch under
the tail. Although a forest bird and a skulker it is confiding and tame.
Habits, etc. There is very little to say about the habits of the
Quaker-Babbler. It is an undistinguished little bird which goes
about in parties of four or five individuals up to twenty or more
which are confiding enough when undisturbed but shy and wary
once their suspicions are aroused. They keep principally to patches
of forest, but may also be found in bush-jungle, orange groves, and
similar localities. They seldom or never visit the ground, and prefer
as a rule to keep to undergrowth. They frequently, however, climb
higher into the trees, ascending even to the topmost branches. The
members of a party act independently of each other, but keep up a
general communication amongst themselves by continually calling
and answering as they move about. The song is of four or five
quavering whistling notes of the tone-quality of the Magpie Robin's
effort ; it is repeated every few seconds as the bird moves about the
foliage. Little seems to be recorded about their food, but the parties
spend all their time searching the leaves for insects.
The breeding season seems to be very poorly defined, and nests
of the typical race are said to have been found in every month of the
year. The Quaker-Babbler may be double-brooded, as January to
April and again July, August and September are the principal months
in which nests have been recorded.
The nest is usually built in the depths of forest, and in such shady
spots is built in small trees or bushes at a height of some 4 to 8 feet
from the ground. It is deep and cup-shaped, composed externally
of moss and dead leaves, and lined with the fine roots of mosses and
ferns. The nest is usually fixed in a fork or suspended from two or
three twigs, and is as a rule quite conspicuous, little effort at conceal-
ment being attempted.
The clutch consists of two or occasionally three eggs.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, somewhat compressed towards
the small end. The shell is fine and somewhat glossy. The ground-
colour is pale salmon marked with primary blotches and broad smudges
of deep purple-brown or purple-black, with secondary markings of
pale grey, inky-grey or purplish-grey. There is a good deal of variation,
the markings often being reduced in size to specks and spots, while
short lines and hieroglyphs are common.
The egg measures about 0-80 by 0*60 inches.
56 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE BLACK-HEADED BABBLER
RHOPOCICHLA ATRICEPS (Jerdon)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. The whole of the
top and sides of the head black ; the whole upper plumage fulvous
brown ; wings dark brown with the exposed parts fulvous brown ; tail
brown ; lower plumage dull white, changing to olivaceous on the
flanks and under the tail.
Iris yellow ; bill dull greyish flesh-colour, the upper surface black ;
legs pinkish-grey to pale plumbeous.
FIG. 9 Black-headed Babbler (i nat. size)
Field Identification.Hilh of South-western India. A small bird,
brown above and whitish below with a more or less black cap, which
is found in parties in dense forest undergrowth.
Distribution. The typical form with a black head is found along
the Western Ghats from Belgaum to the Nilgiris, being replaced in
the Cochin and Travancore Hills by another race R. a. bourdilloni
which has the black largely replaced by sooty-brown. A third race
R. a. nigrifrons is found in Ceylon. This has the top of the head the
same colour as the back and the black is confined to a broad band
through each eye joining across the forehead. All three races occur
from sea-level up to 6000 feet and are strictly resident.
THE BLACK-HEADED BABBLER 57
Habits, etc. This quaint little bird must soon be known to all
who spend much time in the forests of Coorg and the Wynaad, the
Nilgiris and Travancore. It is very common in the dense marshy
jungles or in the heavy green thickets that border the streams, in cane-
beds and in bamboo-jungle and it is also a bird of the evergreen forest.
It does not as a rule ascend the trees but keeps to the undergrowth
and no thicket is too dense for it, though it has something of a preference
for the edges of roads and paths and clearings. In such cover the
Black-headed Babbler goes about in parties of five to ten birds or even
in troops of anything up to a couple of dozen individuals. The flocks
are found throughout the year and their members are exceedingly
active. As they move about the birds utter a continual low chattering,
a harsh rather subdued chur-r chur-r and a characteristic habit is for a
bird that has ventured too high in the vegetation to drop perpendicu-
larly like a falling leaf into the thickets below at the slightest hint of
an alarm. The food consists of insects and their larvae.
This species is remarkable for the habit of building " cock-nests "
which are apparently intended for roosting purposes. Dozens of such
nests may be found at all times of the year in the jungles where the
birds are common, for no effort is made to conceal them. They are
very loosely and untidily constructed, thick masses of bamboo leaves
with the entrance at the side and they never seem to be lined.
The true nest is much smaller and more tightly and neatly woven
and it has a lining of black rootlets or fine grass. It is also much more
carefully concealed, being placed in tangles of reeds and grass, in thick
creepers or in bushes, usually only a foot or two from the ground.
These nests also may be found in any month of the year, but the
breeding season proper is said to be from May to July in the Nilgiris
and a little earlier in Travancore.
The clutch consists of two eggs.
The egg is a moderately broad, very regular oval, only slightly
compressed towards the smaller end. The shell is fine and satiny but
has only a slight gloss. The ground-colour is white or faintly greyish-
white, profusely speckled with minute dots of brownish and purplish-
red, the dots being slightly more numerous towards the larger end.
It measures about 0-75 by 0-55 inches.
5 8 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE BLACK-HEADED SIBIA
LEIOPTILA CAPISTRATA (Vigors)
(Plate v, Fig. 4, opposite page 88)
Description. Length 9 inches. Sexes alike. Top and sides of
the head black with a bushy crest ; the whole of the body plumage
bright rufous except the back between the wings which is greyish-
brown ; wings variegated bluish-grey, black and rufous with a white
bar across the coverts ; tail long and graduated, black with a broad
sooty-grey tip, all feathers with a rufous base diminishing rapidly
from the centre to the sides.
Iris reddish-brown ; bill black ; legs fleshy-brown.
Field Identification. Himalayan form. A graceful rufous bird
with dark crest, wings, and tail ; purely arboreal and, except when
breeding, in small parties ; active and noisy.
Distribution. This species is found throughout the Himalayas
from the Hazara country to the Dafla Hills. It is divided into three
races. The large and pale typical race is found in the western portion
of this range to about Naini Tal. In Nepal it is replaced by L. c.
nigriceps which is more rusty-red in tone and has the back reddish-
brown. It is also somewhat smaller. This form grades through
Sikkim and the Chumbi Valley into L. c. baileyi of Bhutan and Southern
Tibet. This has the back sooty-brown tinged with grey. It is a strictly
resident species except for some seasonal altitudinal movements.
It breeds about 6000 to 9000 feet and in winter wanders down to
4000 feet.
Habits, etc. The Sibia is a very common bird in portions of its
range, as for instance at Simla and Darjeeling, where its striking
appearance and ringing call attract the attention of many who are
not naturalists. It is a purely arboreal species, spending most of
its time at heights of 20 to 50 feet from the ground, and only rarely
descending to the undergrowth. Out of the breeding season it is
commonly found in parties of half a dozen birds, which usually keep
to themselves but sometimes join the mixed hunting parties temporarily.
They are very active birds, running and gliding through tangles
of creepers, and are also accomplished gymnasts, clinging to slender
stems, head downwards, to probe the blossoms for insects. Super-
ficially they greatly resemble the Laughing-Thrushes. They have
the same habit of flitting very rapidly up a tree from branch to branch,
keeping close to and partly hidden by the trunk, but they are more
ready to fly from bough to bough and tree to tree and are by no means
such skulkers. They come freely into the open and often launch into
mid-air in open spaces amongst the trees to catch insects on the wing ;
but being naturally shy they disappear again into cover at the least
alarm.
THE BLACK-HEADED SIBIA 59
The plumage is not quite so loose and fluffy in appearance as
that of the Laughing-Thrushes. The crest is generally held raised.
The flight is heavy with a hard noisy beat of the wings, and is rather
erratic and jerky as if the bird had difficulty in keeping straight.
There is a characteristic habit of flying to a tree-trunk and clinging
to the bark while picking some insect or larva from it.
The Sibia has a variety of notes. In winter when the birds are
in parties they converse continuously with a faint ti-te-te note, or a
little chittering sound similar to that of a Tit, uttered in concert by
several of the party, some concealed in the foliage, others exposed
to view on open boughs where they perch, jerking their tails suddenly
up and down and occasionally flicking the wings, turning from side to
side, eternally restless. A loud scolding note tchaa-tchaa appears to
be an alarm note. During the breeding season the woods resound
with their loud ringing whistle titter ee-titteree-tweeye, which has an
astonishing thrill of joy and gladness in it.
The breeding season lasts from May to August, but most birds
do not nest till the rains have commenced.
The nest is a neat cup of green moss lined with black moss roots,
grass, pine-needles, or fibres. It is built at heights from 10 to 50
feet from the ground in deodars, hollies, and other trees, and is often
well concealed close to the trunk or in foliage ; a favourate situation
is also in briers and creepers overgrowing a tree.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. They are rather broad
ovals elongated at one end ; the texture is fine and there is very little
gloss. The ground-colour is pale greenish-white or pale bluish-green.
The markings consist of splashes, smears, and blotches of pale
and dark brownish-red with a few defined spots and hair-lines of
reddish-black.
In size they average about 0*98 by 0-68 inches.
THE STRIPED-THROATED SIVA
SIVA STRIGULA Hodgson
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Head orange-brown ;
upper plumage slate-green ; below bright yellow, the chin pale yellow
separated from the breast by a band of white feathers with narrow
crescentic cross bars ; moustachial streak and patch on either side
of the neck black, wings black, the first primaries edged with yellow
turning to orange near the base, inner feathers broadly marked with
grey on outer edge and tipped with white ; a black patch at base of
the primaries ; tail black, middle pair with chestnut-red at base,
outer feathers edged and broadly tipped with yellow.
60 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Iris reddish-brown ; bill dark brown above, paler below ; tip
white ; legs grey.
Field Identification. A bird about the size of a Bulbul, frequenting
rather open forest or woodland (not conifers) in small parties or pairs,
in the spring. General colour yellowish with several narrow crescentic
black cross-bars on the throat. These cross-bars are characteristic
of the bird.
Distribution. The Striped-throated Siva extends from Duala Dhar
in the Kangra district of the Punjab Himalayas to Assam and Yunnan,
south through Burma to Siam and the Malay Peninsula. This species
has been divided into several races and, in addition to the typical
Siva s. strigula of the Eastern Himalayas from Nepal to Assam, there
is a western race, S. s. simlcensis, with paler head, greyer back and the
chestnut on the tail more restricted. Another small babbler of similar
size and habits is the Blue-winged Siva (Siva cyanuroptera) in which
the head is bluish-grey streaked with dark blue, back, wing coverts
and rump ochraceous, wings and tail appear blue and are tipped with
white, throat and breast vinous grey merging into yellowish-white
on belly. It is not so widely distributed, inhabiting the Himalayas,
Naini Tal to the Chin Hills in Burma, breeding between 3000 and
8000 feet and moving rather lower in winter. It nests in thick
evergreen forests of oak, pines and rhododendrons.
Habits, etc. This beautiful bird breeds from 7000 to 10,000 feet
and possibly even 12,000 feet and in autumn most birds are met with
between 4000 and 9000 feet. They go about in small parties hunting
amongst the tops of broad leaves and shrubs for insects which are their
principal food. There is no song except a three-noted rather
melancholy call note uttered at fairly regular intervals. In the
Eastern parts of the range they are sometimes met with in the pine,
as well as evergreen forests. In autumn, when the leaves of trie
deciduous trees change colour, the yellow plumage of this Siva blends
extraordinarily well with the leaves, and their subdued call notes
are reminiscent of a party of babblers.
The breeding season is May and June, and the nest is generally
placed in a bush or small tree, some 4 to 12 feet from the ground.
It is cup-shaped of moss roots and leaves and lined with roots.
The eggs resemble a miniature Song Thrush's.
The average size is about 0-85 by 0-63 inches.
THE RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX 61
THE RED-BILLED LEIOTHRIX
LEIOTHRIX LUTEA (Scopoli)
(Plate iv, Fig. 5, opposite page 66)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : The whole upper plumage
dull olive-green, the throat and breast bright orange-yellow ; remainder
of lower plumage mixed olive-green and yellowish ; a ring round the
eye extending to the beak dull yellowish ; the edges of the wing-
feathers are brightly variegated with yellow, orange, crimson, and
black ; tail olive-brown, blackish at tip ; the upper tail-coverts extend
two-thirds of the length of the tail and terminate in a fine white line.
The female is duller in plumage and has no crimson on the wing.
Iris reddish-brown ; bill orange-red, base blackish in winter ;
legs brown.
The tail is slightly forked with the feathers curved outwards at
the tip.
Field Identification. Himalayan species ; usually in parties in
undergrowth ; dull olive coloration ; coral-red bill, yellow eye-patch
and bright shining yellow patch on throat and breast are conspicuous.
Distribution. This species extends through the Himalayas and
eastwards into China, and southwards into Southern Burma and
Siam. There are several geographical races, and that inhabiting the
Himalayas from Nepal to Eastern Assam, the Khasias and Chin
Hills and in Arakan is L. 1. callipyga, while it is replaced by L. I.
kumarensis from Kumaon to Simla. This last form is a greyer tinge
of green with more restricted golden colour on the crown and the
red on the outer edge of the primaries reduced or absent. In the
western Himalayas it is not very common, nor does it occur except
at low elevations of 2000 to 5000 feet in the outer ranges ; about
Darjeeling it is common from 3400 to 7400 feet. It is a strictly
resident bird. Of similar size and habits is the Silver-eared Mesia,
Mesia argentauris, a striking bird with a black head, grey back, golden
throat, and a dark red spot on the golden-edged wings. It occurs
from Garhwal eastwards to Assam.
A common garden bird in Darjeeling is the Yellow-naped Ixulus
(Ixulus flavtcollis), a small olive-brown bird with whitish under parts,
a dark brown crest and a fulvous nape. It is found throughout the
Himalayas from Dharmsala eastwards, usually in parties in trees.
Habits, etc. The Red-billed Leiothrix (or Pekin Robin of the
aviculturists in England) is a bird of the hill forests, found in every
type of jungle, but by preference in fir and pine forests with secondary
undergrowth. It is a very lively, cheerful little bird, and except in the
breeding season is eminently gregarious, going about in small parties
which hunt the undergrowth for insects and occasionally move up
62 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
into the trees. The ordinary call-note is tee-tee-tee-tee-tee. In the
breeding season the cock has a delightful song of some variety and
compass, which is sung from the top of a bush to the accompaniment
of quivering wings and fluffed-out feathers.
The breeding season lasts from early April to September, the
majority of nests being found in May and June ; there are probably
two broods. For breeding, the birds largely affect well- watered and
jungle-clad valleys and ravines.
The nests are cups of varying depth and solidity, and as a rule
they are not well hidden. They are composed of dry leaves, moss,
and lichen, some nests being entirely of moss, others of bamboo
leaves, so that there is a good deal of variety in their appearance ;
there is a lining of fine black hair-like rhizomorphs of a fungus. The
site of the nest is likewise somewhat variable, though all are placed
within 10 feet of the ground. Some are suspended in a horizontal
fork like an Oriole's nest, others in an upright fork such as a Bulbul
would choose ; others again are built between several upright shoots
like the nests of the Reed- Warblers.
The normal clutch consists of three eggs.
The eggs are rather broad and blunt in shape, with a hard and
close texture, and a certain amount of gloss. The ground-colour
varies from white to a very delicate pale green or greenish-blue.
They are speckled, spotted, and blotched, often very boldly, with
various shades of red-brown and purple, mingled with streaks and
clouds of neutral tint and pale lilac. The markings tend to form
a zone round the broad end.
The eggs average about 0-85 by 0-62 inches.
THE COMMON IORA
/EGITHINA TIPHIA (Linnaeus)
(Plate xiii, Fig. 5, opposite page 264)
Description. Length 5 inches. Adult male in full summer
plumage : whole of the upper plumage black, except the rump which
is greenish-yellow, but the head and back are usually mixed with
yellow to some extent ; two white bars across the wing, and the
quills narrowly edged with yellow ; entire lower plumage deep
yellow, duller and greenish below the breast. In winter the black
on the body-feathers is almost all lost, and the yellow becomes paler.
Female at all seasons : greenish-yellow throughout, yellow pre-
dominating on the lower surface and green on the upper ; wings
dark greenish-brown with greenish-white edges to the feathers and a
broad white bar across the shoulder.
THE COMMON IORA 63
Iris yellowish-white ; bill slaty-blue, black along oilmen ; legs
slaty-blue.
The feathers of the rump are remarkably soft and copious.
Field Identification. A quiet little greenish-yellow bird, with
dark wings and tail and a broad white bar across the wing, and in
some cases much black on the upper parts, which creeps about in
garden trees. Has a curious breeding flight.
Marshall's lora (/Egithina nigrolutea), common in lower Con-
tinental India from Delhi to Khandesh, may be distinguished by the
bright golden collar and large amount of white in the wings and tail.
Distribution. The lora is found over a very wide range of country
throughout India, east of a line through the head of the Gulf of
Cambay to Mount Aboo and Gurdaspur, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, and
the Malay Peninsula to Borneo. It is divided into several races, of
which three occur in India proper, JR. t. multicolor, the darkest race
with most black in the plumage, is confined to Ceylon and
Rameswaram Island. JE. t. humei, an intermediate race which also
grades into Marshall's lora, occupies the whole of India south of a
line roughly from Mount Aboo through Central India to Orissa.
The typical race occupies the rest of the Indian range merging into
/E. t. septentrionalis in the Punjab. In this the black on the upper
parts of the male in breeding plumage is largely obsolete, diminishing
in extent from east to west. All races are found in the plains and
lower hills up to about 3000 feet, or locally even to 5500 feet, and
are resident birds.
The lively and acrobatic Red-tailed Minla (Minla ignotinctd)
found in the Eastern Himalayas and the hills of Assam is fairly well
known at Darjeeling. The black and white head, brown back and
yellow under parts are well set off by brilliant scarlet in the wings
and tail.
Habits, etc. The lora is a familiar garden bird in the greater
part of India, frequenting the outskirts of villages and cultivation
and the edges of forests and scrub -jungle. It is usually found in
pairs, although occasionally two or three may be hunting in the
same tree for the insects that form their food. It has a variety of
notes, of which the most striking is a long-drawn wail we-e-e-e-tu,
with a sudden drop of an octave on the last syllable.
In the breeding season the lora has a striking display in which
it flies up into the air and then spirals down to its perch again, with
all the feathers, especially those of the rump, spread out until it looks
almost like a ball ; while descending it utters a strange protracted
sibilant sound, recalling the note of a frog or cricket. Arrived on
the perch it spreads and flirts the tail like a little Peacock, drooping
its wings and still uttering the sibilant note. Then, too, the rump-
feathers are arched and fluffed-out.
64 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The breeding season is from April to July.
The nest is a very neat, delicate cup of fine, soft grasses, well
plastered externally with cobwebs and spiders' cocoons. It is placed
in a fork, either horizontal or vertical, of a bush or tree at heights
from 3 to 30 feet from the ground.
The clutch varies from two to four eggs.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, slightly pointed towards
the smaller end, fine in texture but with practically no gloss. The
ground-colour is pale creamy or greyish white, with streaky
longitudinal markings of grey and neutral tint, mostly at the broad
end. Some eggs are erythristic in character with the ground-colour
pinkish and the markings reddish.
The egg measures about 0-70 by 0*55 inches.
. JERDON'S CHLOROPSIS
CHLOROPSIS JERDONI (Blyth)
(Plate v, Fig. 3, opposite page 88)
Description. Length 7 inches. Male, entire plumage bright
green except for the following markings : a black mask extending
from the nostril to the eye and thence to the lower throat broken
by a broad moustachial streak of bright purplish-blue ; forehead
and a broad band behind the black mask greenish-yellow ; a patch
of very bright malachite-blue by the bend of the wing.
The female resembles the male, except that the black mask is
replaced by pale bluish-green with a bright greenish-blue moustachial
streak.
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs pale blue.
Field Identification. An active arboreal bird, particularly fond of
feeding at the parasitic Loranthus flowers. Bright green, a black
throat-patch broken by a purplish-blue moustachial streak in the
male, a bluish-green throat-patch in the female. In both sexes the
throat-patch is faintly bordered with yellow.
Distribution. The genus Chloropsis, for which there is no English
name, except the somewhat misleading one of the Green Bulbuls,
contains a number of species of bright plumage, in which green
predominates. They are found in India, Ceylon, Burma, Siam, the
Malays, and China. Except for a large area in North-western India
at least one form is found in every part of India, though no one form
is predominantly familiar. To represent the genus, which is well
known, I have selected Jerdon's Chloropsis. This occurs throughout
the Peninsula of India from Sitapur, Fyzabad, and Basti in the north,
Baroda and the Panch Mahals on the west, the Rajmahal Hills and
JERDON'S CHLOROPSIS 65
Midnapore on the east, down to and including Ceylon. It is a
strictly resident species.
Two other species occur in India. The Gold-fronted Chloropsis
(Chloropsis aurifrons) may be distinguished by the orange-yellow
crown and by having the throat between the blue moustachial streaks
also blue. It is widely distributed along the Outer Himalayas from
the Jumna eastwards, in the Chota Nagpur area, and in Southern
India and Ceylon. The Orange-bellied Chloropsis (Chloropsis
hardwickii), which has orange under parts and most of the wing dark
blue, occurs along the outer Central and Eastern Himalayas.
Habits. All members of this genus have the same habits. They
are arboreal birds, keeping as a rule to the tops of trees where they
very often frequent the bunches of the parasitic Loranthus, but they
also occasionally descend into low bush growth and even tall grass.
Many of them prefer heavy forest, but Jerdon's Chloropsis is generally
found in open country, in gardens, orchards, and groves, or in the more
open patches of forest. It lives in pairs which often join the mixed
hunting parties and is a very active and restless bird. It is also some-
thing of a bully and drives other birds away from the flowers of the
Coral-tree at which it is a regular attendant. At the nest it is very
watchful and noisy and indeed often betrays the secret of its
whereabouts by over-anxiety.
A particular characteristic of Jerdon's Chloropsis, and indeed of
other members of the group, is a remarkable proficiency in mimicry.
It is said to have a distinct call of its own of several notes, but this is
merely an item in a very varied repertory of other bird call-notes in
which those of the Drongos hold a leading place.
The food consists of fruit, seeds, insects, and the nectar of various
flowers.
The members of this genus are favourite cage birds in the East
and have been successfully kept in aviaries in Europe.
The breeding season is from April to August.
The nest is a small, rather shallow cup composed of fine roots,
grasses, and tamarisk stems without lining, but covered exteriorly
with soft vegetable fibres. It is placed on a bough or in a fork of
the end twigs of a branch of a tree at heights of 15 to 24 feet from
the ground.
The clutch consists of three eggs.
The egg is a rather elongated oval, fine and delicate in texture
with a slight gloss. The ground-colour is white or creamy-white,
sparingly marked with spots, specks, blotches, and hair-lines of
blackish, reddish, or purplish-brown, with a tendency for the markings
to collect at the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-85 by 0-60 inches.
66
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE BLACK BULBUL
MlCROSCELIS PSAROIDES (Vigors)
Description. Length 10 inches. Sexes alike. Ashy-grey through-
out, darker above, and albescent below the abdomen ; a loose
untidy crest black, with black marks at the base of the beak and
encircling the ear-coverts.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs bright coral-red ; claws horny-
brown.
Tail bluntly forked, with the outer feathers slightly curved
outwards.
FIG. io Black Bulbul (J nat. size)
Field Identification. A dark-looking ashy-grey bird with coral-
red beak and black straggling crest ; blunt forked tail creates a rough
resemblance to a King-Crow : a bold, noisy bird with unpleasant
squeaky calls. Purely arboreal in habits.
Distribution. The genus Microscelis is of somewhat wide distribu-
tion from India to Japan, but only one species is found within the
Indian Empire. This is divided into several races, of which two come
within the area treated in this work. Both are mountain forms.
The typical race is Himalayan, extending from Chitral and Hazara to
Bhutan ; the exact limits of this range are not fully known, but on
the west it has been observed at Kohat in winter, and on the east it
apparently extends into Assam. In Southern India south of Matheran
THE BLACK BULBUL 67
the race M. ps. ganeesa, distinguished by the absence of the black
line round the ear-coverts, breeds in the various ranges at elevations
over 4000 feet. In Ceylon there is a large billed race M. p. humii.
In "the Western Himalayas it breeds from about 4000 to 7000
feet ; in the Eastern Himalayas from 2000 feet ; in both areas a small
number breed up to 10,000 feet. While not migratory in the true
sense of the word, flocks of this Bulbul wander a good deal in the
non-breeding season and may then be found in the plain areas
contiguous to the mountains in which they breed, on occasion
wandering even farther afield.
The Rufous-bellied Bulbul (Ixos mcclellandii) is found along the
Himalayas from Naini Tal eastwards, and in the Assam Hills and
Burma. It has the general build of a Black Bulbul with a similar
crest but is bright olive green above and rufous below. The throat is
untidily streaked with white. Another Bulbul which is not uncommon
but rather local is the Himalayan Brown-eared Ixos flavala. It
extends along the Himalayas from Mussoorie into Assam and North
Burma. The general colour is grey, whiter below, and wings edged
with yellowish- white.
Habits, etc. The Black Bulbul is a bird of high forest trees,
and except when breeding it is found in parties and large flocks,
consisting sometimes of as many as a hundred individuals. These
never descend to the ground, and seldom even to the undergrowth, but
keep to the tops of the trees and fly from one to the other in loose,
irregular order. They are very restless and seldom remain long in one
place. Owing to its weak feet this Bulbul does not climb or hop about
the boughs, but as compensation it is certainly one of the finest flyers
in the family, being both swift and agile on the wing. In consequence
this Bulbul is often mistaken for a Drongo by the inexperienced.
It is a very noisy, bold bird, and the whereabouts of a party is
invariably revealed by the noise that they make ; their calls are in
consequence amongst the familiar bird sounds of the hills. A
common note is a long-drawn nasal weenk, resembling the distant
squeal of a pig. There is also a pretty whistle which may be
syllabilised as whew-whe or whee-whe, something like the musical
creaking of a rusty gate-hinge ; this is often preceded by a couple
of notes squeaky-squeaky, very similar to a call of the Drongo.
Another less common note is geagluck.
The food consists mostly of berries of various shrubs and trees,
but insects are also eaten ; mulberries and bukain berries are
particularly attractive to them. In the evening the birds may often
be seen fly-catching from the tops of trees. They are said also to
sip nectar from flowers, and certain it is that they may often be seen
at the flowers of the rhododendron and other blossom-bearing trees,
but it is more probable that they are taking insects from the cups.
68 POPULAR HANDBOOK OP INDIAN BIRDS
During the breeding season, from April to the end of June, the
pairs are very affectionate, feeding together, and the male remains in
the vicinity while the female is on the nest.
The nest is a rather neat cup of coarse-bladed grass, dry leaves
and moss, lined with fine grass stems or pine-needles and moss roots,
and bound exteriorly with spiders' webs. It is placed in a fork of a
tree often at a considerable height from the ground.
Three or four eggs comprise the clutch in the Himalayas, and two
in the NiJgiris.
The egg is a rather long oval, a good deal pointed towards the
small end, fine in texture with little gloss. The ground-colour is a
delicate pinkish-white, varying in depth of colour, and it is profusely
speckled, spotted, blotched, or clouded with various shades of red,
brownish-red, and purple ; there is a tendency for a heavy zone or
cap of markings at the broad end.
The egg measures about 1-05 by 0*75 inches.
THE RED-VENTED BULBUL
MOLPASTES CAFER (Linnaeus)
(Plate x, Fig. 2, opposite page 198)
Description. Length 8 inches. Sexes alike. The whole head
and throat glossy-black ; the whole body and closed wings brown,
the feathers of the wings, upper back, and breast edged with whitish,
giving a scaled appearance, the lower abdomen and upper tail-coverts
so pale as to be almost white ; tail brown at base, darkening till it is
almost black before the white tips of the feathers ; a crimson patch
under the tail.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Throughout India. A common garden bird,
cheerful and rather noisy in demeanour ; earthy-brown in colour
with a black, slightly crested head, white-tipped tail, and a bright red
patch under the base of the latter.
Distribution. The Common or Red-vented Bulbul is a very
widely-spread species, occurring throughout the Indian Empire
and extending to the east as far as China. With such a large
and varied range it is inevitably divided up into several races
which with their intermediate forms and areas are somewhat difficult
to define ; but the main difficulties occur in the forms that are
found east of Assam. In the area covered by this work the division
of the races is easily understood so long as it is recognised that the
boundaries of the races about to be mentioned are not clearly defined,
THE RED-VENTED BULBUL 69
and in the intermediate areas between them birds will be found which
cannot be clearly referred to one or other form.
Along the Himalayas together with the plains country about
their base, we have an Eastern and a Western form meeting
somewhere about Kumaon and Western Nepal. The Western
bird is M. c. intermedius t found through Kashmir and the extreme
North-west from Kohat down to about the Salt Range and along
the Himalayas to Kumaon ; its range steadily narrows as it pro-
gresses eastwards taking in less and less plains country. It is found
commonly up to about 4000 feet and in smaller numbers a little
higher to 5500 feet.
The East Himalayan bird from Nepal to Assam is M. c. bengalensis,
and this, while not occurring so high in the hills, only exceptionally
above 4500 feet, has a wider distribution in the plains through the
Eastern United Provinces, Northern Bihar, Eastern Bengal, up to
North-west Cachar and Eastern Assam. South of the area occupied
by these two forms, M. c. pallidus extends on the west down to
Ahmednagar and Khandesh, and M. c. saturatus on the east down to
the Godavari. Southern India and Ceylon are occupied by M. c.
cafer, which, while occurring normally up to about 2000 feet, follows
the progress of man higher into the hills, even up to 8000 ftet in the
Nilgiris.
These races are distinguished by the amount of black in the plumage
and also in some cases by size. A strictly resident species.
Habits, etc. The Red-vented Bulbul is, in its various local forms,
one of the best-known birds of India, as it is very common and very
attached to the haunts of man, being essentially a garden bird. It
is, however, found in all types of country, though by preference
it eschews both heavy forest and barren plains. It is arboreal, the
short weak legs not being adapted to progression on the ground
though the bird sometimes descends to it to pick up food. The
flight is quick and strong, though seldom sustained for any distance,
and the beat of the wings is distinctly audible.
The Bulbul is usually met with in pairs and has a very evident
affection for its mate ; this fact, together with its sprightly demeanour,
boldness, handsome coloration, and cheerful call-notes, contributes
to make it a general favourite. It is one of the birds that everyone
notices, Indian and European alike. Indians frequently tame it
and carry it about the bazaars, tied with a string to the finger or to
a little crutched perch, which is often made of precious metals or
jade ; while there are few Europeans who do not recollect Eha's
immortal phrase anent the red patch in the seat of its trousers.
Occasionally small parties of this Bulbul are met with, and
numbers often collect together at a spot where some particular
food is plentiful or for the purpose of roosting ; but normally the bird
E2
70 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
cannot be described as gregarious. At times, generally in the evenings,
Bulbuls indulge in " fly-catching," sitting on the top of a bush or small
tree, launching out continuously for short flights in the air, and
returning again and again to the same perch.
But our friend has two vices. He is very quarrelsome and a
plucky fighter, and this is part of the secret of his attraction as a pet
for his Indian owners ; for one of the essential ingredients of a pet
in the East is that it should be a vehicle for gambling, and the owner
of a good-fighting Bulbul may pocket many a small bet. Our friend
is also apt to be destructive in the garden, damaging fruit and flowers
and spoiling many a promising row of peas ; though the unseen
good that he does in the way of keeping down insect pests probably
outweighs this more obvious damage.
There is something extremely cheerful and attractive about the
voice of this Bulbul, though he has only one or two call-notes and
no song. Yet forall time he will be credited with the reputation of
a famous songster owing to the association in Persian literature
between the song of the Bulbul, and the scent of roses, and the
amorous delights of Persian gardens. The Bulbul of Persian literature
is, however, as a matter of fact, another bird, a race of the Nightingale
(Daulias philomela africand).
The breeding season lasts, according to locality, from February
to August, but most nests will be found in May and June. Two
broods are probably reared.
The nest is a neat cup composed of dry grass stems and the finest
twigs and shoots of tamarisk, lined with fine roots and horse-hairs,
and intermingled with dry leaves and scraps of lichen. It is placed
usually in a bush or shrub between 4 and 10 feet above the ground,
but is often found in a variety of unusual situations as high as 40 feet.
Two to four eggs are laid.
The egg is a rather long oval slightly compressed towards the
smaller end ; the texture is smooth and fragile and there is very
little gloss. The ground-colour is pinkish- or reddish- white, marked
with red, brownish-red, and purplish-red, with secondary markings of
pale inky-purple. The markings take every conceivable form of
spot, speck, blotch, and streak, and are usually so thick as practically
to conceal the paler ground, but in many eggs they collect into zones
and caps about the broad end.
The average measurement is about 0-90 by 0*65 inches.
THE WHITE-CHEEKED BULBUL
THE WHITE-CHEEKED BULBUL
MOLPASTES LEUCOGENYS (Gray)
Description. Length 8 inches. Sexes alike. Forehead and a
long crest, curved forwards, hair brown narrowly edged with white ;
a patch round the eye to the beak, chin, and throat, and portions of
the side of the neck black ; a conspicuous white patch on the ear-
coverts ; the whole btfdy and wings olive-brown, darker and greener
above and paler below, becoming whitish on the lower abdomen ;
tail brown on the basal half, blackish on the terminal half, all feathers
except the central pair Broadly tipped with white ; a bright sulphur-
yellow patch below the base of the tail.
Iris brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. A sprightly, cheerful bird found in gardens
and open country ; appears dull brown with a conspicuous crest,
black markings about the head, and a large white patch on the face
and a patch of yellow under the tail. In the typical race the crest
is long and curved forwards
over the beak like Punch's
cap. Usually in pairs.
Distribution. The White-
cheeked Bulbul extends
throughout the Himalayas
from Afghanistan to the hills
of Assam, north of the
Brahmaputra River, and in
the north-west of the Pen-
insula down as far as Central
India ; out of India it extends
west to Mesopotamia. There
are three races of the bird in
India. The typical form with
the highly-developed " Punch
cap " crest is confined to the
Himalayas where it occurs
from the foot-hills at about 2000 up to 6000 feet in the east
and from 3000 to 9000 feet in the west. Through the plains of
the Punjab south of the Salt Range, Sind, Cutch, Guzerat,
Rajputana, the North-western Provinces south to Etawah, and Central
India as far east as Jhansi, Saugor, and Hoshungabad, the typical
race is replaced by M. I. leucotis in which the crest is short and black,
the under tail-coverts saffron-yellow, and the olive-brown of the upper
parts is without the greenish tinge found in M. I. leucogenys ; the bill
is stouter and blunter in this form. A third race, M. I. humii, is found
FIG. 1 1 Head of White-cheeked Bulbul
(] 1 nat. size)
2OOO Up tO
7* POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
connecting these two races in the Salt Range and the elevated plateau
north of it about Rawal Pindi and Campbellpur, and west of this to
Bannu and Kohat. This is a truly intermediate form, the crest in
colour and size and the bill in shape being intermediate between
those of M. 1. leucogenys and M. /. leucotis.
Habits, etc. Throughout its range and under its different names
the White-cheeked Bulbul has the same characteristics ; it is a bird
of open country not of forest, a dweller amongst bushes rather than
a bird of the trees, a familiar and cheerful companion by the % paths
of man. In the Himalayas it is one of the conspicuous birds of
the hill stations, coming freely into gardens and disporting itself on
the open spaces that fringe the roads ; it is common round the hill
villages with their cultivation. But in Kashmir its sociability reaches
its apex ; there it comes freely into verandahs and rooms, and hops
about in the house-boats with its cheery note and quaintly-cocked
crest, suspecting no harm and receiving none ; and many a picnic
party on the shores of the Dal Lake in the historic gardens of
Shalimar and Nishat Bagh have found their number added to
by a pair of Bulbuls who have hopped about their table-cloth and
gratefully swallowed the crumbs of cake thrown to them.
While not in any true sense a migrant, this Bulbul is subject
to a certain amount of local movement. In the hills, while the
majority are strictly stationary, a small proportion move down a
little from their breeding zone in the winter; and in the plains
leucotis is known to shift its quarters according to season, though
usually not to any great distance.
These Bulbuls are generally met with in pairs or small parties of
five or six individuals, but occasionally numbers are attracted together
into a small area by the abundance of some special food-supply.
They are very lively birds, incessantly bowing and posturing oh
the summit of a bush or flying from tree to tree ; and as they do so
they keep on uttering their cheery call Quick-a drink with you, which
is a pleasant and welcome sound in a land where melodious bird-voices
are scarce, and a sentiment that aptly fits the jovial roysterer that
utters it. For the Bulbul is a jovial soul and companionable, ready
for the fun of the day, whether it be a plentiful hatch of flying-ants
to chase and devour, or a hapless sun-dazed owl to bully and torment.
It feeds chiefly on insects and fruits. It is often seen on the
ground collecting ants, grubs, beetles, and the like, and in the evenings
it has a habit of flying into the air like a clumsy Flycatcher in pursuit
of insects. Of fruits it devours many kinds ; in the hills the Berberis,
in the plains the Ber and the Boquain, furnish it with a plentiful
supply of berries ; and a row of green peas frequently suffers badly
from its attentions.
Attention must be drawn to the fact that these Yellow-vented
THE WHITE-CHEEKED BULBUL 73
Bulbuls hybridise frequently in a wild state with the Red-vented
Bulbuls ; a fine series of these hybrids were collected by the late
Major Whitehead at Kohat, and other cases have been observed at
Rawal Pindi, Jhang, and Karachi.
The breeding season commences both in the hills and plains
towards the end of March and continues until August, though few
nests will be found after June. Apparently two or more broods are
reared in the year.
The nest is a well-constructed cup, light and fragile in appearance
but strong ; it is composed of fine dry stems of herbaceous plants,
generally rather rough in texture, mixed with dry grass stalks and
shreds of vegetable fibres ; there is a neat lining of some finer material,
dry grass stems or grass roots for preference. The usual situation is
in some thick bush at a height of 4 to 6 feet from the ground, but it
is occasionally built in trees at a greater height than this.
The eggs are somewhat variable in shape, size, and colour.
Typically they are a rather long oval, somewhat pointed at one end ; the
ground-colour is pinkish- or reddish-white with little or no gloss, thickly
speckled, freckled, streaked, or blotched with red of various shades, with,
in addition, tiny spots and clouds of underlying pale inky-purple.
They average about 0-88 by 0*65 inches in size, the eggs of M. L
leucotis being slightly smaller than those of M. L leucogenys.
THE RED-WHISKERED BULBUL
OTOCOMPSA JOCOSA (Linnaeus)
(Plate xiv, Fig. 3, opposite page 286)
Description. Length 8 inches. Sexes alike. A conspicuous
white patch on the sides of the face, above which is a small crimson
tuft springing from the lower eyelid ; crest, top, and sides of the head
and a narrow line below the white patch black, merging into a broad
blackish-brown gorget, which is interrupted in the centre by the white
of the breast ; remainder of upper plumage brown, darker on the
wings and tail, the latter tipped with white except on the central
pair of feathers ; lower plumage white, washed with brown on the
sides of the body ; a crimson patch under the base of the tail.
Iris brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. A sprightly and common garden bird;
appears dark brown above, white below, with a white patch on the
cheeks, and a broken gorget across the breast ; a crimson tuft below
the eye, and a similar patch of colour below the tail.
Distribution. The Red-whiskered Bulbul is another of those
74 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
common species which have a wide distribution from India to
China. It is, however, local and scarce in some parts of its range.
Within our area there are five races. Three have white tips to the
tail-feathers. These are the typical race, large and dark, which
extends from outside India into the Duars and Sikkim foot-hills :
O. j. provincialis^ a paler form found in the United Provinces, the
valley of Nepal and Bihar ; and O. j. emeria, a small dark form, which
extends from Lower Bengal to Madras and Gingee. The other two
races lack the white tips in the tail. O. j. abuensis, found at tylount
Aboo and in Rajputana, is extremely pale. O. j. fuscicaudata, a
darker bird with the gorget unbroken, extends from the Tapti to
Cape Comorin and Salem district, and also into the Central
Provinces. This Bulbul breeds up to an elevation of 7000 feet ;
but on the whole the northern race is more of a plains bird, while
the southern prefers the hills. Both, however, are strictly resident.
The Black-crested Yellow Bulbul, Otocompsa flaviventrts, is found
along the Himalayas from the Sutlej Valley eastward into Assam
and Burma, and south to the Central Provinces. It is readily
distinguished by the black head and yellow breast.
HabitSy etc. The Red-whiskered Bulbuls have very much the
same habits as the Red-vented Bulbuls, avoiding thick forest and
preferring the haunts of men, gardens, bamboo clumps, orchards,
cultivation, low scrub-jungle, and the neighbourhood of villages. They
are very cheerful, lively birds with much the same calls as the Red-
vented Bulbuls but louder and more musical in tone. Where they occur
they are often extremely abundant. In the Nilgiris and in the hill
stations of the Bombay Presidency they are amongst the commonest
birds and familiar to everyone. In Port Blair, Andaman Islands,
this Bulbul is common and extremely tame and takes the place to
some extent of the house sparrow, a bird not found in the Andamans.
The flight is strong and well sustained, but slow and jerky in character.
Their diet is both insectivorous and vegetarian ; they are
particularly fond of fruit, attacking the larger kinds while immature,
and the smaller when ripe, and as numbers often collect to the feast
they are responsible for a good deal of damage.
The breeding season is from February to May. The nest is cup-
shaped, loosely but strongly built of grass bents, roots, fibres, and
thin stalks, and is lined with finer grass stems and roots ; a certain
amount of dry leaves and ferns are worked into the bottom and are
characteristic of the nests of this species. They are placed in bushes
at heights below 6 feet from the ground.
Three or four eggs are usually laid in the north and two or three
eggs in the south.
The egg is a broad, somewhat lengthened oval, fine in texture
with a slight gloss. The ground-colour is pinkish- or reddish-white,
THE YELLOW-BROWED BULBUL 75
very thickly freckled, mottled, streaked, and blotched with red of
various shades, and a few secondary markings of pale inky-purple ;
there is a tendency for the markings to collect at the broad end.
The eggs measure about 0-85 by 0-65 inches.
THE YELLOW-BROWED BULBUL
IDLE ICTERICA (Strickland)
(Frontispiece, Fig. 3)
Description, Length 8 inches. Sexes alike. The whole upper
plumage bright yellowish-olive ; wings dark brown, the outer webs
olive-yellow, the inner edged with yellow ; tail yellowish-olive, the
shafts below and the inner edges of the feathers yellow ; a line through
and round the eye, the sides of the head and the whole lower plumage
bright yellow, the flanks washed with olive.
Iris brownish-red or blood-red ; bill horny-black ; legs and feet
pale blue or slate-blue.
Field Identification. A very sprightly Bulbul, bright olive above
and bright yellow below with a yellow line over the eye. Found in
melodious parties in the forests of the Western Ghats.
Distribution. The Western Ghats from Khandala to Travancore,
extending inland to the Nilgiris and Palnis at all heights from the
foot of the hills to 6500 feet ; most numerous about 3500 feet. Also
found in Ceylon.
Another yellowish bird is the White-throated Bulbul (Criniger
gularis) which is found at low elevations in the Eastern Himalayas,
Assam, and extreme South-east Bengal. The upper plumage is
yellowish-olive and the lower parts bright yellow with a white throat.
It is a noisy, gregarious bird found in humid forest with thick
undergrowth.
Habits, etc. The Yellow-browed Bulbul is one of the commonest
forest birds of the Western Ghats where its normal habitat is the
heavy evergreen forest which covers so many of the slopes of the hills.
Here it keeps much to the undergrowth though it is often found
about the edges of the forest and occasionally ventures into neighbour-
ing gardens ; the shade and solitude of the forest are, however, its
proper home.
This species will be observed both in pairs and in noisy parties
of five or seven birds which often join on to the mixed hunting parties.
It is very restless in character, hopping actively about the boughs
of the trees and then descending to i'he sapling undergrowth and
then again flying on to some bare bough to give out its quiet little
warble. The low-toned varying notes are difficult to describe, but
76 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the adjectives sweet and soft and mellow will at once occur to the
hearer. Some of them resemble the sounds cty eye, te white up,
te whit up and these three modulations are continuously repeated
for no small space of time. An alarm-note is somewhat harsh and
jarring. In India this Bulbul is said to be largely frugivorous, feeding
not only on the forest berries and fruits but on the more valuable
domesticated guavas, loquats, pears, peaches and the like. In Ceylon,
at any rate, it is also to some extent insectivorous.
The breeding season extends from February to May. The nest is
usually built at a height of 6 to 10 feet from the ground in a small
sapling or evergreen shrub in dense dark forest where the light is
very poor. Occasional nests are higher, even in a branch of a large
tree. The nest is not as a rule particularly well concealed. It is very
distinctive in character, being a shallow cup made almost entirely of
green moss or fine grasses and bents, bound with cobwebs and lined
with black rootlets or fine grass and slung as a rule between two twigs
in a horizontal fork. The construction is firm and compact though
some are so thin that the eggs can be seen through the bottom.
The usual clutch consists of two eggs though three are sometimes
found. The egg is a moderately long and rather perfect oval, almost
devoid of gloss. The ground-colour is dull white or pinkish-white
and sometimes even warm salmon-pink, speckled more or less thickly,
and often heavily, with pale reddish-brown or pink ; these markings
are usually more numerous at the broad end and occasionally form
a cap.
The eggs average about 0-9 by 0^65 inches.
THE WHITE-BROWED BULBUL
PYCNONOTUS LUTEOLUS (Lesson)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
dull brownish olive-green, palest on the head where it is slightly
ashy and brightest on the wings ; rump yellowish ; two dull whitish
streaks from the beak over and under the eye ; chin pale clear yellow ;
lower parts pale asny-whitish tinged with yellow, brightest towards
the tail, the breast faintly streaked with brownish-grey.
Iris red ; bill black ; legs dark plumbeous.
Field Identification. An inconspicuous but noisy bird, olive-
coloured above and paler below, with a white eyebrow, which skulks
in cactus and bushes in gardens and scrub-jungle.
Distribution. Confined to Ceylon and India south of a line from
Baroda on the west to Midnapur on the east. While common in
Western Bengal and Orissa, in the Tributary Mahals, along the
THE WHITE-BROWED BULBUL 77
Eastern Ghats and about Bombay, it is rare or absent on the Deccan
tableland and throughout the Central Provinces. A resident species.
The Ceylon race, P. I. inmlce, is smaller and darker.
The Striated Green Bulbul (Alcurus leucogrammicus) is fairly
common in the Eastern Himalayas, the hills of Assam and in Burma.
It is crested, olive-green above with white shaft streaks and yellow
below streaked heavily with olive-brown. The pleasant song will be
familiar to many at Darjeeling.
Habits, etc. This Bulbul avoids actual forest, and prefers scrub-
and bush-jungle in that netherland which is neither forest nor
cultivation. It frequents the outskirts of villages, and is a great lover
of the thick clumps and hedges of cactus and thorny bushes which
are found round every hamlet. In such cover it is a skulker, and
from the heart of its retreat it is prone to burst into a loud clear
volley of whistling notes which seem to tumble over each other, so
quickly are they produced. The sound is a lively, rowdy chatter
with no attempt at harmony just a burst of not unpleasing notes,
ending in a frightened whistle. In Bombay and Madras it is a
common garden bird. It is a plains species, and though found in
the lower hills does not ascend those of any elevation. The food
consists of various fruits and berries.
This bird may be found breeding according to locality in almost
every month of the year, but about Bombay the main breeding season
is from April to July. Apparently two broods are reared. The
nest is a loose, rather untidy, and straggling cup of small twigs, lined
with fine grass stems, coir, or hair. It is built in thick bushes at no
great height from the ground, generally from 2 to 4 feet.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. They are decidedly
elongated ovals, fine and smooth in texture, and moderately glossy.
The ground-colour is reddish- white, thickly speckled and blotched
with reddish-brown, these markings mixed with clouds and spots
of pale greyish-lilac. In some specimens these markings coalesce
into a zone round the broad end.
The eggs average in size 0-9 by 0-6 inches.
THE HIMALAYAN TREE-CREEPER
CERTHIA HIMALAYANA Vigors
(Plate ii, Fig. 6, opposite page 22)
Description. Length 6 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
a streaked mixture of blackish-brown and fulvous, the feathers at
the base of the tail strongly tinged with ferruginous ; a short streak
above the eye fulvous ; wings dark brown with a broad fulvous
78 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
band running through all the flight-feathers except the four outer-
most ; tail brown, regularly cross-barred with black ; chin and upper
throat pure white ; remainder of lower plumage pale smoky-brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill black, lower mandible fleshy-white ; legs
fleshy.
The bill is long, slender, and curved ; the toes and claws are very
long ; the tail is graduated and composed of stiff, pointed feathers.
Field Identification. A very small bird, mottled brown above
and whitish below, with a long, curved beak- and stiff tail, invariably
found climbing up the bark of tree-trunks. This species is
distinguished from all other Indian Tree- Creepers by the black
cross-bars on the tail.
Distribution. The Himalayan Tree-Creeper is generally dis-
tributed in the mountain ranges that encircle North-western India.
The typical form is found in the Central Himalayas about Simla,
Garhwal, and Kumaon. It is commonly said to occur farther
east to Sikkirn and Bhutan, but this is not the case. In Turkestan
there is a very grey race with a long bill which is known
as C. h. tceniura. Between the areas occupied by these two forms,
in Kashmir and the North-western Himalayas and the ranges running
down south along the North-west Frontier Province in Afghanistan and
Baluchistan, the Tree-Creepers are intermediate in character between
the above two races and have been given the name of C. h. limes.
The best known species in the Eastern Himalayas is the Sikkim
Tree-Creeper (Certhia discolor) a more richly coloured species with
the lower plumage earthy-brown.
Habits, etc. During the breeding season the Himalayan Tree-
Creeper is found throughout the mountain forests between 5000
and 10,000 feet. It is perhaps most numerous in the areas of the
big spruce firs, but is sufficiently common wherever it is found. It
is an early breeder and very hardy in spite of its delicate-looking
appearance and small size, and as early as March its song is a familiar
sound in the snow-bound forests of the northern slopes at a time
when they are half empty of bird-life. During the winter months
from November to March large numbers drift downhill and wander
into the plains at the foot of the ranges, occurring at that season as
far afield as Jhang, Lahore, and Saharanpur.
The Tree-Creeper cannot fail to be identified by the veriest
beginner in the study of small birds. It is as much a parasite on
the tree-trunks as the vegetable creepers that cover many of them.
Except for an occasional scramble on a rock or the face of a steep
bank the Tree-Creeper spends its entire life in a monotony of
climbing, rather like a jerky brown mouse, from the bottom of a tree-
trunk up to the thicker portions of the boughs, and then sweeping
down through the air with a cicada-like flight to the base of a
THE HIMALAYAN TREE-CREEPER 79
neighbouring tree where it repeats the performance. It invariably
climbs upwards, neither jerking backwards and downwards like a
Woodpecker may on occasion, nor running in all directions and
positions like a Nuthatch, though from its habit of rather preferring
the underside of a bough it is frequently moving with its back
parallel to the ground. It never perches on a twig, though it
sometimes climbs along the thicker ones in continuation of its
progress along a bough, and it is never still longer than the interval
necessary to dislodge some tightly ensconced insect. For its food
is obtained entirely from the bark of the trees that it climbs, picked
out from amongst the crevices and holes with the long, curved beak,
and the progress of the little bird is often interrupted by a parabola
of flight after a small moth which has escaped it for the moment by
taking wing from its diurnal resting-place. The Creeper, while living
solitary or in pairs as regards its own kind, is very social with other
species, and one or two are invariably found with the mixed hunting
parties of Tits and Warblers, working the trunks while they hunt the
leaves and twigs, so that tree after tree undergoes a thorough scrutiny.
The ordinary call of the Tree-Creeper is a long-drawn squeak,
meaningless in tone and ventriloquial in character, which comes
from nowhere in particular amongst the trees, so that the bird is
difficult to locate. The song is loud, but brief and monotonous,
quis-quis-quis-quis uttered now and again in the depth of the forest,
and chiefly remarkable as holding the field alone before most species
in the hills have started their breeding song.
The breeding season is from March to early May.
The nest is a cup composed of fine grasses, dry leaves, moss,
chips, and miscellaneous debris with a lining of feathers and fur ; it
is placed in a hole or crevice in a tree-trunk, and very frequently
behind a loose bulging section of bark and between planks in wooden
buildings. The same site is often used for many years in succession.
Four to six eggs are laid ; they are regular broad ovals, fine in
texture without gloss. The ground-colour is white, profusely spotted
with various shades of red and brown, the markings tending in many
eggs to collect in a zone about the broad end.
They measure about 0-68 by 0-50 inches.
THE WALL-CREEPER
TlCHODROMA MURARIA (Linnaeus)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Summer plumage :
the whole of the body plumage ashy-grey, except the chin and
throat which are black ; a large crimson patch on the wings,
including the coverts and edges of the flight-feathers ; flight-feathers
8o POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
black, the four outer feathers each with two conspicuous white
spots ; tail black tipped with ashy which gradually changes to white
and increases in extent towards the outer feathers.
FIG. 12 Wall-Creeper (i nat. size)
In winter plumage the chin and throat are white and the top of
the head is brownish.
The bill is long and slender, the wings rounded and the hind
claws very large.
THE WALL-CREEPER 81
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Can be confused with no other species ; a
french-grey bird with a long slender bill and crimson patches and
white spots in the wings, which spends its life climbing on banks,
walls, and rocks.
Distribution. The Wall-Creeper is found in the mountain ranges
of Central and Southern Europe, and eastwards to Mongolia,
Turkestan, and the Himalayas. Breeding under very similar Alpine
conditions in these widely-distant areas it has not been influenced
by climate towards the formation of geographical races.
In the Himalayas it breeds at great elevations between 12,000
and 16,000 feet, and also apparently in the neighbouring ranges
between the North-west Frontier Province and Afghanistan. In
winter it descends to the outer ranges and the foot-hills, individuals
wandering well out into the plains.
The stumpy little dark brown Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) with
its cocked-up tail is found in the Sufed Koh, Kashmir and the Himalayas
generally in the high forest zone, descending lower in winter. There
are two different races but their habits are the same as those of the
British bird.
Habits, etc. This beautiful bird can scarcely escape notice
where it occurs. In the Alpine fastnesses, where it breeds, it spends
its life on the faces of stupendous precipices, but in winter when it
comes lower down to the milder haunts of men it may be found
wherever small cliffs, steep-cut banks, walls, rocks, or boulders
provide the vertical surfaces on which it lives. For as the Tree-
Creeper is to the tree, so is the Wall-Creeper to the stone, and it is
equally rare for the one bird to invade the haunt of the other. The
Wall-Creeper progresses up the vertical face of stone in a curious
jerky fashion with a continual downward flick of the outermost
wing-feathers ; occasionally it flutters out into the air and endeavours
on the wing to capture some insect disturbed by its progress, and
the curious butterfly effect of this action has given the name of
" Butterfly-bird " in many languages from Switzerland to Tibet.
Unlike the Tree-Creeper, the Wall-Creeper has perforce to undertake
long flights in the air as it passes from cliff to cliff. Then it is
curiously reminiscent of a Hoopoe, the same hovering, uncertain
flight as if the bird was wondering where to go, the same rounded
spotted wings, the same general build, the long curved beak too, a
curious case of parallelism still unexplained.
In its occasional wanderings into the plains it is often hard put
to find the conditions necessary to its life and is in consequence
sometimes found in curious places. Every winter one or two live
on the structure of the Khalsa College at Amritsar.
The breeding season in the Himalayas is about May and June.
F
82 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The nest is a pad of moss and wool, more or less mixed and lined
with wool, fur, hair, and feathers, placed in some crevice in the face
of a precipice, almost invariably in an inaccessible situation.
The clutch consists of four to six eggs ; they are broad ovals,
compressed and pointed towards the smaller end. The colour is a
rather dull white sparsely freckled with deep reddish-brown, chiefly
towards the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-85 by 0-55 inches.
THE BROWN DIPPER
CINCLUS PALLASII Temminck
(Plate ix Fig. 5, opposite page 176)
Description. Length 8 inches. Sexes alike. Entire plumage dull
chocolate-brown ; the eyelids covered with white feathers.
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs pale brown, soles yellow.
The young bird is paler and greyer with the plumage squamated.
Field Identification. A sombre dark-brown bird, squat in shape,
with a short tail and sharp beak like a large Wren, found on running
open water in the Himalayas ; flies very swiftly low over the water
with a shrill call.
Distribution. This sombre species of Dipper is found throughout
the greater part of Northern Asia from Siberia and Manchuria to
the Himalayas and Japan ; it is divided into several races, of which
we are only concerned with one (C. p. tenuirostris). This is found
in Afghanistan and Turkestan, and throughout the Himalayas to
Eastern Assam north of the Brahmaputra. It is a resident species
breeding mainly from the foot-hills up to about 6000 feet, but it
occurs also at all heights up to 12,000 feet.
A race of the Common Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) of Europe is found
at high elevations of the Inner Himalayas, being best known from
Kashmir to Gurhwal. It is easily recognised by the pure white throat
and breast.
Habits y etc. The Brown Dipper is entirely aquatic in its habits,
and is found commonly on all the open perennial streams and
rivers of the Himalayas, both amongst the wooded ranges of their
southern slopes and amid the arid, stony mountains of their central
and inner ranges. It obtains from the water all its food, consisting
mainly of aquatic insects and their larvae, and these it captures
by wading, swimming, and diving, having also the faculty of walking
about on the bed of the stream under water. For these methods
it is admirably adapted in structure. It is short, rotund, and
stoutly built, the plumage is everywhere very dense and incapable
THE BROWN DIPPER 83
of penetration by water, and even the eyelids are clothed with
feathers ; the head is narrowed in front and the feathers of the
forehead are very short and lie flat.
It is a most active bird, never still and always busy. The harsh
call dzchit-dzchit is a familiar sound along hill streams, shrill enough
to be heard easily above the roar of the waters ; it heralds the approach
of the small plump brown bird that flies swiftly along a foot or two
above the surface of the water, swaying from, side to side amongst
the boulders and only making a detour over land to avoid some
intruder at the water's edge ; the wings appear rather small for the
stout body, and to make up for this they are vibrated very quickly
in flight in sustained beats followed by a pause.
Settling on a stone the bird bows and jerks from side to side,
or immediately starts feeding, keeping its foothold easily on slippery
stones and disappearing under water either diving or walking. It
swims freely on the broader pools, looking like a miniature Water-hen,
now and again diving and disappearing for a while.
The breeding season is from December to May.
The nest is a large globular structure of moss and grass, stoutly
constructed with massive walls, and the entrance placed at one side
is comparatively large. The egg-chamber is lined with moss, roots
and leaves.
The situation chosen is always close to or above the water, and
the nests are wedged into hollows and clefts of rocks and boulders
overgrown with mosses and ferns and damp with moisture.
The clutch consists of four or five eggs. In shape they are rather
elongated ovals, very soft and satiny in texture, and almost without
gloss. The colour is pure white, and the average size is about i-oo
by 0*72 inches.
THE INDIAN BLUE-CHAT
LUSCINIA BRUNNEA (Hodgson)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : The whole upper plumage,
including the exposed parts of the wings and tail, dull blue, the
hidden parts of the wing- and tail-quills brownish-black ; a conspicuous
white line over the eye ; the sides of the face and neck black ; throat,
breast and sides of the body bright chestnut, paler on the chin ;
thighs ashy-grey ; remainder of lower plumage white.
Female : The whole upper plumage and the exposed parts of
the wings and tail olive-brown, tinged with russet on the sides of
the wings and above the tail ; sides of the face russet flecked with
paler ; middle of chin and throat, the abdomen and a patch under
84 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the tail white ; remainder of lower plumage warm fulvous-brown or
olive-brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill black in male, dark horny-brown in female ;
legs steely-brown.
Field Identification. A spry looking bird found on or near the
ground in thick undergrowth in forest in the Himalayas in summer
and in South India in winter. Male looks very dark blue above and
chestnut below with a conspicuous white line over the eye ; female
an inconspicuous olive-brown bird, more fulvous and white below.
Has a characteristic song.
Distribution. The typical race of the Blue- Chat breeds in a zone
between 6500 and n,ooo feet in the Sufed Koh, through Kashmir
proper and in the Himalayas to Bhutan ; also in the Lichiang Range
of North Yunnan. It winters mainly in the hills of South-west India
between 2000 and 5000 feet from the Wynaad to South Travancore
and in the central hills of Ceylon. On passage from August to October
and from March to mid May it may be found here and there throughout
the Peninsula except west of a line from Delhi to Agra and Baroda.
A slightly smaller race L. b. wickhami breeds in Burma and is apparently
resident.
Habits, etc. During the breeding season the Indian Blue- Chat
is a common bird in the forests of the Western Himalayas, being
particularly numerous about the hill stations of Murree and the Galis,
in the ranges of Kashmir proper and at suitable elevations about
Dalhousie, Dharamsala, Simla and in the Gahrwal ranges. In these
forests it affects patches of undergrowth and scrub and the sheltered
sides of nullahs. By the ordinary passer-by it is seldom seen, being
a skulker of secretive habits ; but its commonness is vouched for by
the rich though quite short song, and a good way to observe the singer
is to creep quietly into the centre of a patch of cover and sit there
till his alarm has been forgotten. The male may then be seen at
quite close quarters as he hops warbling and whistling through the
cover, or sings from a perch in the undergrowth or on the lower
bough of a tree. The sombre female is still more difficult to observe.
The song consists of three or four rather monotonous notes
jerri- jerri- jerri or phwee-phwee-phwee in an ascending scale, followed
by a rapidly repeated trill, tre-tre-tre-tretre, the last rather reminiscent
of an English Robin's song. Once learnt it cannot be mistaken. The
alarm-note is a harsh tack-tack like that of the Stonechat and in
the close neighbourhood of the nest a faint, anxious squeak is uttered.
A very characteristic habit is the fanning of the tail and the jerking
of it slowly downwards from the level of the back, every fifth or sixth
movement bringing it up again.
In its winter quarters the Blue-Chat is still a bird of shady thickets,
marshy spots and banks of streams and it may also be found under
THE INDIAN BLUE-CHAT 85
coffee bushes and cardamum plants. Here it is usually found singly,
flitting about the undergrowth, alighting on the ground and hopping
along easily and swiftly in search of the insects that make up its food.
The alarm-note and the faint squeak may be heard, but the song is
not uttered in the winter quarters.
The breeding season lasts from the end of May till the end of July.
The nest is a cup of lichens and dead or skeleton leaves, lined
with a little wool, pine-needles, hair or a few feathers. It is built
on the ground, either in a hollow on a steep bank or between the
roots and buttresses of trees, particularly large firs.
The clutch consists normally of four eggs. In shape they are
true ovals, fine and close and silky in texture but without gloss. The
colour is a uniform pale blue, unmarked.
They measure about 0-80 by 0-60 inches.
This species is a favourite foster parent for the Common Cuckoo
(Cuculus canorus).
THE PIED BUSH-CHAT
SAXICOLA CAPRATA (Linnaeus)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : Deep black all over, with
the exception of a large patch at the base of the tail, the lower abdomen,
and a conspicuous wing-patch, which are white. In fresh autumn
plumage the feathers are sometimes margined with rusty-brown.
Female : Upper plumage greyish-brown, with a rufous patch at
the base of the tail ; wings and tail dark brown, the feathers with
pale edges ; the lower plumage brownish-grey, gradually darkening on
the breast and becoming more fulvous towards the tail. In fresh
autumn plumage the feathers have broad grey margins which make
the bird look paler in colour.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Abundant in the plains and lower hills in
every type of open country ; the male is a conspicuous little black
and white bird, the female dark brown with a rusty patch at the base
of the tail. They perch on the tops of grasses and bushes and at
intervals fly down to the ground to pick up insects.
Distribution. Transcaspia, Afghanistan, Persia, India, Burma, the
Philippines, and Java. The Pied Bush- Chat occurs practically
throughout India, and three races are found within our limits though
their detailed distribution is not very accurately known. P. c.
bicolor, with the abdomen largely white, breeds in considerable
numbers from the plains up to 5000 feet and locally higher,
from the extreme North-west, Baluchistan, and Sind, along the
F2
86
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Outer Himalayas and the neighbouring plains. It is here largely
a summer visitor, arriving in February and March and leaving in
September and October. In winter it appears as far south as
Hyderabad State. P. c. caprata, with the abdomen black, is found
from Vizagapatam to Salem and across Mysore to Malabar as well as
in Burma and farther afield. It grades through S. c. nilgiriensis
(Nilgiris, Palnis and Travancore ranges) to the huge billed S. c. air at a
which is confined to the higher ranges of central hill zone of Ceylon.
Habits i , etc. This Bush- Chat is one of the most familiar birds of
the plains of India, the pied plumage of the male and its habit of
perching on the tops of bushes and clumps of grass attracting the
attention of all who are observant of
wild creatures. It avoids heavy forest
but is common about cultivation, in
grasslands and in scrub-jungle, and is
particularly partial to the riverain areas
of Northern India where cultivation
and tracts of tamarisk scrub and grass
alternate.
It takes practically all its food from
the ground, flying down to it from some
favourite vantage point which commands
a view of bare ground in the vicinity, and
to which it returns after the capture of
each morsel with the self-satisfied spread
and jerk of the tail that is common to
most of the family. On occasion it
launches out into the air and captures
flying insects on the wing.
In the breeding season, as a display,
the male drops and quivers the wings and
raises the scapulars to show the white
wing-patches ; there is also a very pretty
love flight in which he flies up singing
from the top spray of a bush with tail outspread and wings slowly
beating the air above the head, and descends again to settle on another
bush. In this flight, also, prominence is laid on the displaying of the
wing-patches.
The ordinary note is the harsh chipping sound of two stones
knocked together, common to the Chats and from which they derive
their name. The song is short but very sweet and pleasing.
The food seems to consist entirely of insects.
The breeding season extends from March until August, but the
majority of nests will be found from April to June.
The nest is a cup of small grass roots, bents, and the like, lined
FIG. 13 Pied Bush-Chat
(J nat. size)
THE PIED BUSH-CHAT 87
with hair, fur, and wool. It is placed in hollows in the ground, either
on the level under tufts of grass and herbage or in the face of banks ;
occasionally holes in buildings and rocks are utilised, but the bird is
normally a ground builder and the nests are always well concealed.
The clutch varies from three to five eggs.
The eggs are short, broad ovals with a fine texture and a faint
gloss. The ground-colour is pale bluish-white or occasionally pale
stone or pinkish-white, and the markings, which tend to collect towards
the broad end, are freckles, specks, and small blotches of pale reddish-
brown.
They measure about 0-67 by 0-55 inches.
THE STONECHAT
SAXICOLA TORQUATA (Linnaeus)
(Plate xiv, Fig. 2, opposite page 286)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : Upper plumage including
the wings and tail brownish-black, with a conspicuous white patch
of white on the wings and at the base of the tail ; the sides of the
head and the chin and throat black with a large patch of white
bordering the sides of the neck ; breast orange-rufous merging into
the paler rufous of the under parts. In fresh autumn plumage the
feathers are broadly edged with fulvous, which greatly obscures
the above scheme of coloration, and changes the whole aspect of
the bird ; the edges gradually wear off revealing the true coloration.
Female : Upper plumage, wings and tail brown with smaller less
conspicuous white patches on the wings, and a rufous patch at the
base of the tail ; line over the eye, the chin and the throat pale
fulvous ; remainder of the lower plumage pale orange-rufous. In
fresh autumn plumage the feathers are slightly edged with fulvous,
but not sufficiently for abrasion to change the plumage markedly.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. In open country, in both hills and plains,
perching on tips of grass and bushes. Males recognised by black
head, white collar, reddish breast, and white shoulder-patch. Female,
a small dull brown bird similar to female of Pied Bush-Chat, but
rather paler in colour with the rusty rump -patch less marked, and
with traces of a white shoulder-patch.
Distribution. The Stonechat is very widely distributed in Europe,
Africa, and Asia, and is divided into a number of races, of which we
are chiefly concerned with the Himalayan breeding form, known as
S. torquata indica. This breeds in Western Siberia, Russian Turkestan
to the South Urals, and throughout the Himalayas ; also in the ranges
88 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
that extend down the North-western Frontier to Baluchistan. In the
Himalayas the majority breed between 5000 and 7000 feet, but a few
nest even higher, and stragglers nest in the foot-hills, and even the
plains of North-western India. In winter, from about September to
April, the Stonechat migrates to the plains of India, and may then
be found everywhere except in the extreme south. A resident race
S. t. leucura, with much white in the tail, breeds in the riverain jungles
and swampy areas of the terais and dunes and the Indo-Gangetic plain.
S. t. przewalskiiy the dark breeding race of Tibet, and S. t. stejnegeri,
the broad-billed race of North-eastern Asia, visit Northern and Eastern
India in winter.
Habits, etc. The Stonechat is never found in forest country.
During the summer months, whilst breeding in the Himalayas, it is
found on the open hill-sides, either amongst the terraced cultivation
or on the bare waste slopes where rough grazing alternates with
rocky screes. In winter in the plains it is largely a bird of open
cultivation, being particularly partial to fields with standing crops of
cotton, sugar-cane, or the various cereals. Under all circumstances
its characteristics are the same. It invariably perches on some
vantage-point, either a large stone or more generally the topmost
twig of a bush or plant, and thence makes short flights in all directions
on to the ground to capture some insect, either devouring it on the
spot, or taking it back for the purpose to its perch. It is very restless
and fairly shy, and is incessantly flirting its wings and tail. It does
not move about on the ground, but the flight is fast and strong, and
once alarmed the bird is difficult to approach. The alarm-notes, hweet-
chat, hweet-chat, somewhat resemble the noise made by clinking two
stones together, and are responsible for the bird's trivial name ; they
are uttered at the least provocation, as the bird is rather fussy and
suspicious. The song is a short low trill, and is quite pleasant though
it is audible but for a short distance.
The breeding season lasts from March to July, but most eggs will
be found in April and May. Two broods are reared in a season.
The nest is a cup composed of rather coarse grass and roots,
sometimes mixed with moss or dry leaves, and lined with fine grass,
hair, fur, and occasionally a few feathers. It is built in holes in
terrace walls, under rocks and boulders, in banks and under tufts
of foliage, and is well concealed, so that it is best found by watching
the parents with field glasses.
The normal clutch consists of four or five eggs.
They are rather broad ovals with little or no gloss. The ground-
colour is dull pale green or greenish-white, very finely and faintly
freckled with pale brownish-red ; the markings are very delicate in
character and tend to collect towards the broad end.
They measure about 0*70 by 0*55 inches.
PLATE V
. White-throated Laughing-Thrush. 2. Deccan Scimitar-Babbler. 3. Jerdon's
Chloropsis. 4. Black-headed Sibia. (All about T ^ nat. size.)
[Face p. 88
THE DARK-GREY BUSH-CHAT 89
THE DARK-GREY BUSH-CHAT
RHODOPHILA FERREA (Gray)
(Plate xi, Fig. 2, opposite page 220)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : Upper plumage dark
ashy-grey mixed with black ; wings black edged with grey, and
with a white patch on the inner coverts ; tail black, the feathers
increasingly margined with white outwards ; a broad white streak
above the eye ; sides of the head black ; entire lower plumage white
sullied with ashy along the flanks and on the thighs. In fresh autumn
plumage the upper parts have rusty margins to the feathers but these
soon wear off.
Female : The whole upper plumage rufous-ashy ; tail brown,
broadly edged with chestnut matching the upper tail-coverts ; wings
brown, the feathers narrowly edged with rufous ; a pale grey streak
above the eye ; sides of the head reddish-brown ; chin and throat
white ; remainder of lower plumage pale rufous-ashy.
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs dark brown.
The tail is rather longer and more graduated than in the true
Chats of the genus Saxicola.
Field Identification. Common Himalayan form. Male pied black
and white with the under surface white ; female rufous-brown, paler
below with a chestnut tail ; sits conspicuously on bushes and trees
on the more open hill-sides ; tail comparatively long.
Distribution. This Bush-Chat breeds throughout the Himalayas
from the borders of Afghanistan and Chitral to Eastern Assam at
elevations between 4000 and 10,000 feet. While not migratory in
the true sense of the word, it moves to a lower zone in the winter
months ; at that season it is common along the waterways of Assam
and Eastern Bengal, but in the west only a few straggle to the plains
along the base of the Himalayas.
HabitSy etc. This is a familiar bird in Himalayan hill stations,
frequenting all types of country provided that they are moderately
open ; it is fond of gardens and the immediate neighbourhood of
man. It has the family habit of perching in conspicuous positions
on the tops of bushes, but differs from the Chats of the genus
Saxicola in its fondness for situations at the tops of trees. In such
places the male sings his rather pretty but unsatisfactory little song,
Tttheratu-chak-lew-titattt always just that length but with a few
variations, and with a rising inflection that ends suddenly. It captures
insects and caterpillars on the ground, and also sallies into the air to
take insects on the wing. While bold and familiar in an ordinary
way, it develops a very anxious demeanour during the nesting season,
90 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
flirting its long tail and making a noise which has been aptly described
as " geezing," recalling the winding of a watch. The nearer one
approaches to the nest or fledged young the more excited become
the birds, so that their very anxiety betrays the spot on the principle
of the children's game of " hot and cold."
The breeding season lasts from the beginning of April to the
end of July and two broods are reared, occasionally from the same
nest.
The nest is the usual cup characteristic of the Chats, a structure
of coarse grass, fine twigs, and moss, lined with fine roots and grass
stems, horse-hair, and fur. It is placed in a hollow either on some
grassy bank, beneath a stone, amongst the roots of a tree, or occasionally
amongst the stones of a rough terrace wall.
The clutch consists of four or five eggs. In shape they are a
broad oval, with a stout and fine texture and little gloss. The ground-
colour is variable from bluish-white to bluish-green ; the markings
consist of faint reddish speckles which may either cover the whole
egg so completely that it appears rufous rather than blue, or collect
into a zone or cap about the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-72 by 0-57 inches.
This Bush-Chat is commonly victimised by the Cuckoo (Cuculus
canorus), and a large proportion of its nests are destroyed by other
enemies.
THE PIED WHEATEAR
(ENANTHE PICATA (Blyth)
Description. Length 7 inches. Male : Black throughout except
a patch on the rump and upper tail-coverts, and the lower plumage
from the breast downwards which are pure white ; the tail is white
except for a broad black band across the end, widening on the central
pair to nearly half of the feathers.
Female : Upper plumage brown ; a white patch on the rump
and upper tail-coverts ; wings dark brown ; tail as in the male but
black replaced by brown ; chin, throat, and breast dark ochraceous-
brown ; remainder of lower plumage pale buff y- whitish.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. In dry open country sitting on walls, stones,
and posts ; male black with white rump and under parts, and a white
tail banded with black which is conspicuous in flight ; female brown
with similar tail ; flies low and fast over the ground when disturbed.
Distribution. Breeds in South - east Persia, Baluchistan,
Afghanistan, the neighbouring areas of the North-west Frontier
THE PIED WHEATEAR 91
Province, and Baltistan. In winter migrates to India where it is
abundant in Sind, Rajputana, and portions of the United Provinces,
and in smaller numbers in the Punjab. Two very closely allied
species, the White-capped Wheatear (OSnanthe capistratd) and
Strickland's Wheatear (CEnanthe opisthokuca) winter in some numbers
in North-west India, the latter breeding along the Suliman Hills.
They closely resemble the Pied Wheatear, and by some writers have
been erroneously considered polymorphisms of that species. The first
named has the top of the head and nape greyish-white. Strickland's
Wheatear has the lower parts black almost to the vent.
Habits, etc. This handsome Wheatear is amongst the earliest of
FIG. 14 Pied Wheatear (J nat. size)
the winter visitors to arrive in India, appearing in Sind about the
middle of August ; it leaves again in February and March. This,
like other Wheatears, avoids forest and damp areas. It prefers
open desert, thin scrub-jungle, and the drier stretches of cultivation ;
and in such places is particularly fond of the neighbourhood of
native huts and cattle-folds, attracted no doubt by the insects that
gather in their vicinity. It perches comparatively seldom in trees,
but sits on low mud walls, well-posts, and similar situations where
it watches for food, and thence flies down to the ground to pick up
wandering beetles, ants, and other insect life. The flight is strong
and fast and always low over the ground, and, perching or hopping,
the carriage of the bird is very spry and upright. Each individual
has its own beat with a series of observation-posts, and resents the
arrival within it of intruders of the same species, chasing them
away : it is however rather a shy bird, as regards man. During
the midday heat it rests quietly in some shady spot, and at night it
92 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
roosts in the roofs of buildings by preference. The male has a very
sweet, low warbling song, which is sometimes uttered in winter.
In this species, as in the allied species mentioned, there is a marked
preponderance of males in India in winter, somewhat in the pro-
portion of twenty to one female, and no explanation of the fact is
known.
In Baluchistan and the Kurram it breeds from late April to June
at heights from 5000 to 8000 feet and even higher. The nest is a
large structure of roots, bents, and feathers, the cup being lined
with wool and hair. It is placed deep in a hole in a bank, rock, or
wall. The clutch consists of four or five eggs.
The egg is a blunt, broad oval, fine and close in texture, with a
fair gloss. The ground-colour varies from white to pale skim-milk-
blue, sparsely marked with tiny freckles and a few small blotches of
reddish-brown, the markings tending to gather in a zone round the
broad end.
The egg measures about 0-8 by O'6 inches.
THE DESERT WHEATEAR
(ENANTHE DESERTI (Temminck)
(Plate xiv, Fig. 4, opposite page 286)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : Upper plumage rich
buff turning to a white patch at the base of the tail ; wings black,
the feathers margined with white or buff, and with a patch on the
inner coverts white ; tail black, the basal half of the feathers white ;
a pale buff streak over the eyes ; sides of the head and neck, chin,
and throat black, the feathers edged with buff ; remainder of lower
plumage buff, brightest on the breast.
Female : Resembles the male, but is duller and the black is
replaced by brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. A typical Wheatear perching on the ground
or on low bushes in arid open country ; sandy in colour with dark
wings, and black throat-patch in male ; a white patch in the base
of the tail ; flies low and fast over the ground when disturbed.
Distribution. The Desert Wheatear has a wide distribution as
a breeding species in Northern Africa, Palestine, Arabia, and South-
western Asia to Tibet. It is divided into several races, of which we
are only concerned with two. CE. d. atrogularis breeds in Western
Central Asia, the Kirghiz Steppe, the South Caucasus to Eastern
Persia and Afghanistan. In winter it migrates to the plains of North-
western India, becoming very common in the North-west Frontier
THE DESERT WHEATEAR 93
Province, the Punjab and Sind, and reaching the latitude of Bombay
to the south and Nagpur in the east. CE. d. oreophila, slightly larger
with more white in the wing-quills breeds in Baltistan, Ladakh and
Lahul but winters south-west of our limits. This species must not
be confused with the Isabelline Wheatear (CEnanthe tsabellina), also a
winter visitor to North-western India, in which both sexes closely
resemble the female of the Desert Wheatear but have the black bar
on the end of the tail narrower.
The Red-tailed Wheatear (CEnanthe xathoprymna), common about
broken land in North-western India, has the tail chestnut with a black
terminal band that is much as in the Blue-throat, but its habits
which are like those of the Desert Wheatear distinguish it from the
skulking Bluethroat.
Habits, etc. This is a true denizen of the desert, being generally
distributed and common in the wide arid plains of North-western
India, where it prefers the more barren and sandy wastes, though it
comes also into cultivation where this is interspersed with barren
patches. It is particularly fond of broken ground, either sandy or
rocky, and of old cultivation which has reverted to desert. It spends
most of its time on the ground, perching on stones and little eminences
or on the wild caper bushes and uck plants that are common in the
localities it inhabits ; from such spots it hops or flies to the ground
to capture beetles and other insects, occasionally darting up into the
air to take insects on the wing. It arrives in India later than most
of the Wheatears, about the middle of October, and leaves again in
February and early March. It flies well but keeps low above the
ground and practically never perches on trees.
This species, in the race CE. d. oreophila, just nests in Indian terri-
tory in farther Kashmir and Lahul on the barren hillsides and sandy
plains at elevations of 10,000 to 12,000 feet.
The nest is placed in burrows, under bushes, and in holes in
walls. It is a shapeless mass pf grass, fine roots and twigs, wool,
hair, and other materials, in which a shallow hollow is lined with
hair and a few feathers.
The clutch consists of three to five eggs ; these are pale bluish-
green speckled and spotted with rusty-red.
In size they average about 0-80 by 0-56 inches.
94 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE BROWN ROCK-CHAT
CERCOMELA FUSCA (Blyth)
Description. Length 6 inches. Sexes alike. The whole plumage
dull rufous-brown, redder on the sides of the head and lower parts ;
tail very dark brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Plains species, frequenting ruins, outskirts
of towns, old brickyards and low rocky hills ; a plain dark-brown
bird familiar in demeanour, coming into occupied buildings.
Distribution. This is purely an Indian species and is confined
to a patch of country in the centre of the Peninsula, including the
Southern and Eastern Punjab, the United Provinces, Chota Nagpur,
the extreme North-east of the Central Provinces, and Rajputana as
far east as Cutch.
Habits , etc. The Brown Rock-Chat is a common and /familiar
species found both in arid stony wastes, in deep ravines and earthy
cliffs, on rocky hills, and in and about villages and towns. It is a
great frequenter of buildings, flitting in and out of the empty
chambers and gaping windows of ancient palaces and forts,
perching in the cornices of tombs and mosques, and living even
in the more frequented houses and offices of the work-a-day world,
the friend alike of rich and poor. It comes into rooms even when
there are people moving and talking within ; it is a regular Wheatear
in its habits, flying from ground to roof-ridge, from window to cornice,
with the strong direct flight of those birds ; its food consists of insects,
beetles, ants, and the like, which it captures on the ground, flying down
from the elevated situations where it perches. During the breeding
season it becomes rather pugnacious and readily attacks squirrels,
rats, lizards, and birds in the neighbourhood of the nest.
The breeding season lasts from February to August, but most eggs
will be found in March and April. Two or three broods are reared
in a year, sometimes in the same nest.
The nest is a shallow, loosely-constructed cup of grass-roots,
wool, hair, and similar materials, sometimes separately lined with
wool and hair ; occasionally it is supported by a little heap of small
stones and fragments of -clay. It is built in holes in rocks, buildings,
and stone walls, and when in buildings may be placed on shelves and
rafters without any attempt at concealment.
The normal clutch consists of three eggs, but four or five are
sometimes laid.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, rather pointed towards the
small end ; the texture is fine with a good deal of gloss. The
THE SPOTTED FORKTAIL 95
ground-colour is a most delicate pale pure blue ; the markings
consist of tiny specks and spots of reddish-brown, which tend to
collect in a zone round the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-82 by 0-62 inches.
THE SPOTTED FORKTAIL
ENICURUS MACULATUS Vigors
Description. Length n inches, including a long, deeply-forked
tail of 6 inches. Sexes alike. A patch on the forehead and crown,
a large patch on the rump, and the lower plumage from the breast
downwards white ; remainder of body plumage black, with round
white spots on the hind neck, and lunate white spots on the back ;
feathers of the lower breast spotted with white ; a broad white bar
across the wing ; the inner flight-feathers marked with white ; tail
black, the feathers white at the base and broadly tipped with white,
and the two outer pairs entirely white.
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs white.
Field Identification. A Himalayan bird with a peculiar loud call,
found on mountain streams in forest ; pied black and white, with a
deeply-forked tail which droops at the end, and is incessantly swayed
up and down. The markings on the upper surface form in life a
white St Andrew's-Cross on a black ground.
Distribution. The Spotted Forktail is found throughout the
Himalayas, and farther eastwards through Assam and Siam to China.
It is divided into several races, of which two are Himalayan. The
typical race is found throughout the Western Himalayas from 3000
to 12,000 feet from the extreme North-western Frontier to Nepal.
From Nepal eastwards to Sikkim and Assam, and still farther east,
it is replaced by E. m. guttatus which has no white spots on the breast.
This race is found in the Himalayas between 2000 and 8000 feet.
A resident species, though it probably changes its elevation slightly
at different seasons.
The Slaty-backed Forktail (Enicurus schistaceus), common in the
Eastern Himalayas, is of the same type with a long forked tail.
The crown to the lower back are slaty blue-grey. The Little Forktail
(Microcichla scouleri\ however, found throughout the Himalayas, has
a very short tail, but little more than half the wing in length.
Habits, etc. The Forktail is a water-bird, strictly confined to
running streams in hill ravines, preferably those that flow under
fairly thick forest. It feeds on insects which it obtains from the
water and the stream-bed ; it walks sedately over the stones along
the margins of the water, feeding with a quick pecking motion,
9 6
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
rather similar to that of a chicken ; and as it goes the black and
white plumage blends marvellously with the glint of flowing water
and the dark shadows amongst the stones so that it is seldom noticed
till it takes to flight. It has a habit of frequently and unexpectedly
turning at right angles or from side to side, and now and again it
advances with little tripping runs, the white legs passing over the
slippery stones with a sure-footed celerity. Standing and moving,
the beautiful forked tail is always a characteristic feature, slowly
swaying upwards and downwards.
The call is a loud, rather plaintive cheeer, uttered both on the
FIG. i ^Spotted Forktail (I nat. size)
ground and in flight, and it is usually the first intimation of the
presence of the bird that flies up from the bed of a stream that one
is slowly climbing and settles again by the water some fifty yards
or so above ; again one disturbs it and the manoeuvre is repeated.
Then as one reaches the limit of its territory it leaves the stream,
and slipping through the neighbouring forest regains the water below
one and starts to feed again ; occasionally for a few minutes it perches
on a bough of a tree, but this is seldom.
The breeding season lasts from April till June.
The nest is a most compact and heavy cup of green moss mixed
with fine roots and a good deal of clay ; the cavity is lined with
skeletonised leaves. It is placed near the water, in a niche of rock
or a hollow of the bank, or amongst the roots of a tree.
THE SPOTTED FORKTAIL 97
The clutch usually consists of three eggs, but four are sometimes
laid. The egg is a rather elongated and pointed oval, fine in texture
with very little gloss. The ground-colour is pale greenish or pale
stone-colour, and the markings consist of fine spots and freckles of
yellowish- or reddish-brown, evenly and often thinly distributed.
The egg measures about O'68 by 0-75 inches.
THE BLACK REDSTART
PHCENICURUS OCHRURUS (Gmelin)
(Plate viii, Fig. i, opposite page 154)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male in fresh autumn plumage :
Body plumage black, more or less concealed by grey fringes which
wear off as the winter progresses so that the bird gradually becomes
blacker in appearance ; the hinder parts from the rump and abdomen
orange chestnut, except the central pair of tail-feathers which are
brown ; flight-feathers and the larger coverts brown edged with rufous.
Female : Brown tinged with fulvous, paler below and suffused
with orange from the abdomen downwards ; a pale ring round the
eye ; rump and tail chestnut, the central pair of feathers brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Abundant winter visitor to the plains, easily
distinguished from all other birds by its habit of shivering the reddish
tail at short intervals.
Distribution. The Black Redstart is a widely-spread species
occurring almost throughout Europe and Asia and in portions of
Africa. In this immense range it is divided into a number of races all
very similar in appearance, of which two are to be found in our area.
P. o. phosnicuroides breeds in Persia, Turkestan, and Afghanistan,
and in the mountains of Baluchistan ; it also breeds in the high
mountain areas, over 10,000 feet, of Kashmir, Ladakh, and Western
Tibet north of the Central Himalayan range, where forest country
has given place to the desolate barren valleys and mountains beyond
the reach of the monsoons. In the winter, from September to April,
it migrates to the plains of North-western India, extending south as
far as Northern Guzerat. P. o. rufiventris occupies a more eastern
range, breeding from Tibet to China and wintering in South-western
China, Burma, Assam, and North-eastern, Central, and Southern India.
This form was noticed as high as 20,000 feet on migration by the
Everest Expedition.
The Blue-fronted Redstart (Phomicurus frontalis), easily recognis-
able amongst the members of its genus by the black terminal band
G
98 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
to the chestnut tail, breeds in a high zone about 10,000 feet in the
Himalayas. In winter it is common about the hill stations.
Habits, etc. Those who are fortunate enough to travel in the
high Himalayas in summer in the barren uplands of Kashmir and
Ladakh, Tibet, Spiti, and Lahul, will recognise in the Black
Redstart one of the most familiar of the roadside birds all the
more conspicuous because of the general scarcity of bird-life. They
flit about the stones and boulders and roadside walls, now indulging
in a pleasing song with wheezy jingling notes and trills, now indicat-
ing the neighbourhood of eggs or young by the low anxious alarm
note ; and all the time amongst their restless movements the charac-
teristic shiver of the tail is seen. There up on the breeding grounds
the bird is very shy and cautious, but in the winter when it descends
to the Indian plains this trait is lost and it becomes one of the most
pleasant and friendly of our garden birds ; in fact its whole character
appears to change and only the shiver of the tail remains to recall
our friend of the barren heights. In India it is essentially a bird
of open smiling cultivation and pleasant fertile gardens : it haunts
the shade, not of deep groves and jungles but little patches of shade
amongst the sunshine, perching on the lower branches of trees and
flying down ever and anon to the ground to pick up its insect food.
The call then is a curious little croak.
As in most birds that breed at high elevations the breeding season
is late, eggs being laid in June. The nest is a large substantial cup of
fine twigs, bents, roots, grass stems, moss, and similar materials, lined
with shreds of grass, hair, and feathers. It is placed in walls (which
are built of loose stones and without mortar in countries where this
species breeds) or under stones on the steep hill-sides.
The clutch consists of four to six eggs. The eggs are of two types,
very pale greenish-blue or almost pure white, with a slight gloss but
no markings.
They measure about 0-80 by 0-60 inches.
THE WHITE-CAPPED REDSTART
CHAIMARRHORNIS LEUCOCEPHALA (Vigors)
(Plate viii, Fig. 4, opposite page 1 54)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Top of the head
shining white ; rest of the head, neck, back, breast, and wings black ;
the rump and lower plumage from the breast downwards bright
chestnut ; tail chestnut, a black band across the tip.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. A bird of the Himalayan streams and rivers
THE WHITE-CAPPED REDSTART 99
where they are not closed in with trees. Quite unmistakable with
shining white cap, black and chestnut plumage, and chestnut tail
ending in a black bar.
Distribution. The White-capped Redstart is found from the hills
of Baluchistan and the Afghan frontier right along the Himalayas
and farther east to Western China, occurring in all the higher mountain
systems of this area. It breeds at elevations between 6000 and 16,000
feet, individuals wandering even higher, but the majority of nests
are certainly to be found between 8000 and 13,000 feet. During
the winter it descends from high altitudes and is common along all
the rivers of the foot-hills to the edge of the plains.
Habits, etc. This lovely Redstart is familiar to all who have
done much travelling in the higher altitudes of the Himalayas. It
is strictly a water-bird dwelling on rivers and mountain streams,
whether they flow amongst the verdant slopes and wooded precipices
of the Outer Himalayas or through the barren valleys of the Inner
and Central Himalayas where stony scree and tortuous glaciers wind
down from the snow-clad peaks. In the desolation of the latter
surroundings the beautiful plumage and the cheerful ways of the
bird readily attract the attention of the traveller.
It is pre-eminently a bird of the boulders amongst rushing water,
and often drifts of snow, flying swiftly from bank to bank or fly-
catching with little erratic flights from stone to stone, its loud plaintive
squeak t-e-e-e-e being easily heard amongst the roar of the waters.
During the breeding season different pairs have their territory defined
along the torrents where they live.
As with most Redstarts, the tail is an expressive organ. Con-
tinuously the bird beats it up and down from well above the line
of the back, almost to touch the stone on which it is sitting, and the
action is frequently accompanied with a low bow ; this is done with
the feathers closed or only partly spread ; but as the bird launches
into flight or settles the tail is spread into a fan for a moment, a glorious
glimpse of chestnut and black.
This species is stronger in flight than the Plumbeous Redstart,
and profits by the fact to leave the stream-beds and pay hasty visits
to wet, mossy cliffs, steep marshy hill-sides, and similar situations.
The breeding season lasts from May till August, but most nests
will be found in July. The nest is a rather deep and massive cup
of moss, leaves, roots, and grass, with a thick lining of wool and hair.
It is placed in a hole of a wall or bank beside the water, or more rarely
under a stone or amongst the roots of a tree.
The eggs vary from three to five in number, but the ordinary
clutch consists of four eggs.
In shape they are broad ovals with only a slight gloss ; the ground-
colour is a pale blue or blue-green, sometimes tinged with pink, and
ioo POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the markings consist of specks and spots of reddish-brown, with
underlying markings of grey and neutral tint. These markings vary
in number and intensity, occasionally collecting into a cap at the
broad end.
The egg measures about 0-96 by 0*65 inches.
THE PLUMBEOUS REDSTART
RHYACORNIS FULIGINOSA (Vigors)
(Plate viii, Fig. 2, opposite page 154)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : The whole plumage dull
plumbeous-slate except the tail which is bright chestnut.
Female : The whole upper plumage dull bluish-brown, the tail
white with a large triangle of brown at the end ; wings brown, edged
with pale rufous ; lower plumage ashy-brown squamated with ashy-
white.
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs dark brown.
Field Identification. Himalayan species. Never seen away from
running water, perching on the boulders and fluttering from them
into the air. Male, blackish-slate with a chestnut tail ; female, grey
with a white tail, tipped triangularly with brown.
Distribution. The Plumbeous Redstart is found throughout the
whole length of the Himalayas, where it breeds commonly from 4000
to 9000 feet and in smaller numbers up to 13,000 feet, though it is
certainly unusual to find it above 10,000 feet. During the winter
it leaves the higher portion of its habitat and is then found from
6000 feet right down to the foot-hills. Apart from this altitudinal
movement it is a resident species.
Habits, etc. The Plumbeous Redstart is purely a water-bird,
closely wedded to the streams and rivers of the Himalayas, eschewing
their wider and more placid reaches, and preferring tumultuous waters
rushing down the steeper slopes and broken by large boulders.
These graceful little birds strike the notice of even the least
observant. No stretch of stream is without its pair, which spend
all their time on the boulders in the middle of the rushing water,
with occasional excursions to the bank or to the bough of some
adjacent tree. They flit from stone to stone and continuously make
erratic little fluttering darts into the air after some passing insect, or
snatch some morsel from the water's brim ; as they settle, the con-
spicuously-coloured tail, chestnut in the cock, brown and white in
the hen, is slightly fanned and wagged up and down, the two move-
ments being simultaneous and repeated at intervals until the next
incursion into the air. This movement of the white tail has been
THE PLUMBEOUS REDSTART 101
aptly compared to the scintillations of light on water slightly disturbed.
They are as quarrelsome as restless, and appear to have sharply-
defined territories, for the male with a provocative little snatch of
song is always launching attacks at the intruder from some other
territory, dashing at it regardless of sex and chasing it back to its
own borders. The short song is rather sweet and jingling and may
be heard occasionally in winter as well as in the breeding season.
It is remarkably similar to that of the White-throated Fantail
Flycatcher (L. albicollis) and easily confused with it. It is uttered
either from some rock in midstream or in the air as the little bird
slowly flies with even movement but rapidly vibrating wings in a
short parabola from rock to rock. This species always feeds very
late into the dusk.
The breeding season lasts from April to July and two broods
appear to be raised.
The nest is a neat cup of moss mixed with a few leaves and roots
and lined with fine roots and fibres or wool and hair. It is placed
in any sort of hole or hollow provided that it is close to running
water, in ivy on a tree, in a hole in a trunk, in a hole of a rock or
bank or wall, or on a small ledge. Two nests will occasionally be
found a few inches apart, but these merely represent successive
occupations of a favoured site.
The eggs are three to five in number, but four is the normal clutch.
They are more or less broad ovals in shape, rather pointed towards
the small end, of a fine texture and with a slight gloss. The ground-
colour is a pale greenish-white or sometimes a faint stone-colour,
almost entirely obscured by the markings, which consist of a mottling
and freckling of somewhat pale and dingy yellowish- or reddish-brown.
These markings have a tendency to collect in a cap at the broad end.
The eggs greatly resemble miniatures of the eggs of the White-capped
Redstart.
They measure about 0-76 by 0-60 inches.
THE BLUETHROAT
CYANOSYLVIA SVECICA (Linnaeus)
(Plate ix, Fig. 6, opposite page 176)
Description. Length 6 inches. Fully adult male in breeding
plumage : The whole upper plumage and wings brown ; tail brown,
a conspicuous chestnut patch in the base broken by the central pair
of feathers ; a fulvous line over the eye ; chin and throat bright blue,
with a chestnut spot in the centre of the blue ; below the blue a
blackish band and below this a broader band of chestnut ; remainder
G2
102 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
of lower plumage buffish-white. The blue and chestnut of the lower
plumage vary according to age, season and race and in some speci-
mens are almost absent. Occasionally the chestnut spot is entirely
absent or is replaced by a white spot.
Female : Differs from the male in having the whole lower plumage
buffish-white with a gorget of brown spots across the breast.
Iris brown ; bill black, fleshy at base of lower mandible ; legs
yellowish-brown .
Field Identification. A brownish bird, found on the ground in
herbage, preferably in damp localities ; rises at one's feet with a
conspicuous flash of the bright chestnut patches in the tail and dives
into cover again a few yards ahead. Males have a varying amount
of blue and chestnut on the throat and breast.
Distribution. The Bluethroat is a very widely distributed
Palaearctic species, occurring in different forms through the greater
part of Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. The exact number of
races and their distribution has- not yet been satisfactorily worked
out, but the majority of birds met with in India belong to the form
C. s. pallidogularis, which certainly breeds from West Turkestan to
East Transcaspia and to the Southern Urals, and in winter migrates
to almost the whole of India and Ceylon. Two other races certainly
occur in India ; the dark Central Siberian bird, C. s. robusta, is a
winter visitor to the north-east, while C. s. abbotti migrates through
the north-west ; this is the form which breeds in Ladakh and is
distinguished by the brilliant blue of the throat and by the fact that
the chestnut throat spot is often lacking or replaced by white. In
this race the female in breeding plumage is similar to the male.
The allied Rubythroat (Calliope calliope) , with the upper plumage
olive-brown and a brilliant patch of ruby-scarlet on the throat, is
common in winter in North-east India down to the Godavari. It '
breeds in Northern Asia.
The much darker Himalayan Rubythroat (Calliope pectoralis) in
which the ruby throat is set in a deep black breast breeds along the
whole of the Himalayas at high elevations. It is common on open
hill-sides in Kashmir.
Habits, etc. From September until May the Bluethroat is a
common species in India either as a passage migrant or a winter
visitor, but its movements have not yet been properly worked out.
It does not breed nearer than Ladakh. Although extremely
common at certain times and places it escapes observation through
its skulking habits. It is a bird of the ground and heavy cover,
preferring dampish spots, such as reed-beds on the edge of jheels,
tamarisk thickets in river-beds, heavy standing crops and similar
situations. In these it feeds on the ground, only occasionally
ascending to the top of the bushes to look around. Ordinarily it is
THE BLUETHROAT 103
only seen when one walks through cover, as it dashes up at one's
feet and flies a few yards before diving headlong again into obscurity,
where it runs rapidly along the ground in short bursts ; at the end
of each course of running the tail is elevated and slightly expanded ;
the dark brown tail with its bright chestnut base is very conspicuous
in flight and readily leads to identification. The alarm-note and
ordinary call is a harsh tack, but on its breeding grounds this Blue-
throat is a fine songster and mimic.
C. s. abbotti breeds in Ladakh in June and July. The nest is
well concealed on the ground at the base of thorny bushes, and is
a cup composed of dry grass. The usual clutch consists of three
or four eggs.
The egg is a rather broad oval, fine in texture with a slight gloss.
In colour it is a dull, uniform sage-green, with or without pale reddish
freckling, which sometimes almost obscures the ground-colour.
It measures about 0-75 by 0-55 inches.
RED-FLANKED BUSH ROBIN
IANTHIA CYANURA Pallas
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : Head and upper parts,
edges of wings, sides of head and throat down to breast dark blue ;
forehead and a line extending above the eye to the neck, the angle
of the wings and upper tail coverts bright blue ; tail black on inner
webs, suffused with blue on the outer ; middle of the throat and a
line down to the lower breast and abdomen dusky white. A very
conspicuous patch of orange chestnut on either side of the body.
Iris brown ; bill dark brown, paWr at base ; legs brown.
The males at first are indistinguishable from the females and
some breed in that dress.
Female : Dark brown above and on sides of neck, upper tail
covert duller than in the male ; tail brown with blue edges on outer
webs of feathers ; the chin, middle of throat and abdomen white,
breast brownish. An orange chestnut patch on either flank as in male.
Field Identification. The blue coloration in the male and the
brown back and blue upper tail coverts of the female, together with
the patches of orange chestnut on the flanks in both sexes, are
characteristic of this bird.
Distribution. This bird has a wide distribution from the Urals
right across Siberia to Japan, and southward to China, the Himalayas
and Indo- China. It has been divided into a number of races and
two occur in the Himalayas. From Gilgit to Garhwal the form is
/. c. palltdiora, and Nepal eastward it is replaced by a darker bird,
/. c. rufilata.
io 4 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Habits, etc. The Red-flanked Bush Robin breeds in the higher
Himalayas in open forest of Kharshu oak, birch, silver and other
firs, from 6000 to 12,000 feet. In autumn most birds move down to
a level from 5000 to 8000 feet, occasionally to the edge of the plains,
but a few pass the winter in their breeding haunts. This is a shy
bird even in the breeding season and its habits are rather similar to
the Continental Robin. In the non-breeding season it delights in
open spaces surrounded by trees or other cover, and scrub jungle
skirting roads. It feeds chiefly on the ground. There is no song,
only a monotonous three-noted call uttered at regular intervals, in
which the middle note is lower than the other two.
It breeds from May to June. The nest is constructed of dry
grass with finer pieces and ofteja Musk Deer hair. It is placed in a
variety of situations, among the roots of a fallen tree, on a steep slope,
in a hole in a bank, or under a fallen tree. At lower levels the nests
are usually in fairly thick cover, but at all times it is well concealed
and protected by herbage or roots.
The clutch consists of from three to five eggs. They are broad
ovals, sometimes rather pointed, pure white with a faint tinge of
green and fine small specks of reddish-brown at the larger end,
occasionally without any markings.
The eggs measure 0-7 by 0-55 inches.
THE INDIAN ROBIN
SAXICOLOIDES FULICATA (Linnaeus)
Description. Length 7 inches. Male : Glossy black with a blue
sheen ; a white patch on the shoulder ; flight-feathers brown ; centre
of abdomen and a conspicuous patch under the tail deep chestnut.
Female : Upper plumage dark brown, the front and sides of the
face paler, the tail much darker, almost black ; centre of abdomen
and a conspicuous patch under the tail deep chestnut.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
The bill is slender and rather curved ; the tail is rather long and
rounded at the end.
Field Identification. A familiar plains bird, coming freely round
houses and spending most of its time on the ground. Easily identified
by the habit of holding the long tail erect so as to exhibit a bright
Chestnut patch below its base ; the male has a conspicuous white
shoulder-patch and much black glossed with steely-blue in its plumage.
Distribution. The Indian Robin is found throughout the whole
of India from the Himalayas southwards to Ceylon. The typical
black-backed race with a very dark, almost black female is found
THE INDIAN ROBIN
105
in Ceylon. S. f. cambaiensis occurs throughout Northern India from
the hills of the North-west Frontier Province along the fringe of the
Outer Himalayas to Eastern Bengal and southwards. In this race
the male has the back brown while the female is grey and brown in
colour. Between the two, races connecting them may be recognised.
These are first S. f. intermedia which occurs in a broad belt right
across the centre of the Peninsula, bounded on the north by a line
from the River Tapti to Vizagapatam district and on the south by
the Krishna River ; and secondly S. f. ptymatura which occupies
the rest of South India. They
bridge the colour differences
between the first two forms.
All four races are strictly resi-
dent.
Habits, etc. Those who like
to dilate on the theme that the
East is topsy-turvy often quote
the Indian Robin amongst their
numerous illustrations, pointing
out that he wears his red under
his tail instead of on his breast ;
for this bird, while in no sense
a- true Robin, somewhat occupies
in India the place of the Robin
in the West. It is a familiar
bird, hanging round the haunts
of men, the outskirts of villages, FIG. 16 Indian Robin (i nat. size)
buildings both great and small,
brick-kilns and similar situations, and it nests in a variety of curious
places after the fashion of the English bird. In addition it is also
partial to stony, barren hill-sides and dry ravines ; in fact, the
essential conditions for its presence are dryness and open country ;
in damp areas and in heavy forest it is wanting.
In character it exhibits the curious mixture of boldness and
suspicion that is found in so many Indian birds. So long as
unmolested, it hops about in the close vicinity of men and women
busy at their own tasks, apparently heedless of them ; but at the
first hint of danger it becomes shy and unobtrusive. In the same
way, though the nest may be built in a hole in a stable wall or similarly
public spot, it is readily deserted if attention is paid to it.
In demeanour the bird is very sprightly, hopping about with the
head held stiffly high and the tail cocked well forward over the
back ; in fact its normal poise is that of the English Wren, and the
bird being larger with a longer tail the attitude appears more
exaggerated. It feeds for the most part on the ground, and perches
io6 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
by preference on walls, posts, roofs, and large gnarled tree-trunks,
rather than on the boughs of trees. The food consists chiefly of
insects and their larvae.
It has only an apology for a song, which is used while courting
is in progress.
The breeding season is from March to August and two or three
broods are reared, often in the same nest though the lining is usually
replaced. The nest is placed in holes in all sorts of situations on the
ground, in walls and buildings, and in plants. It is a pad of grass
lined with miscellaneous soft materials, roots and fibres, wool and
hair, varying in depth and neatness of construction according to the
circumstances of the hole. A large proportion of nests contain a
fragment of snake's slough.
Three to five eggs are laid. The egg is a rather elongated oval,
more or less pointed towards the small end ; the texture is fine
and strong with a moderate gloss. The ground-colour is white,
faintly tinged with green, pink, or brownish ; the general character
of the markings is a fine close speckling and mottling of different
shades of reddish- or yellowish-brown, underlaid with a few secondary
markings of pale inky-purple ; there is a tendency for the markings
to be thicker about the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-79 by 0-59 inches.
THE MAGPIE-ROBIN
COPSYCIIUS SAULARIS (Linnaeus)
Description. Length 8 inches. Male : Head, neck, breast, and
upper plumage glossy black ; remainder of lower plumage white ; '
wing black, a white patch close to the body ; tail long and graduated,
the two central pairs of feathers black, the remainder white.
Female : The whole upper plumage uniform dark brown, glossed
with bluish ; wings and tail dark brown, with white distributed as in
the male. Chin, throat, breast, and sides of the neck and face dark
grey, the last mottled with white ; remainder of lower plumage whitish
washed with fulvous on the flanks and under the tail.
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs dark plumbeous.
Field Identification. Common plains species, found in gardens
and familiar in habits, with a beautiful song ; the male conspicuously
pied black and white with a longish rounded tail, the female with a
duller version of the same pattern. Carries the tail rather elevated.
Distribution. The Magpie-Robin or Dayal-bird extends throughout
India and Ceylon to China and the Malay Islands, and in this wide
range is divided into a number of races.
THE MAGPIE-ROBIN
107
Within our area, however (except in the extreme south, from the
Nilgiris and Bangalore to Travancore, where the birds grade into
the Ceylon race C. s. ceylonensis), all birds are referable to the typical
form. '
This bird is found alike in the plains and in the hills up to
about 4000 and occasionally to 6000 feet. It occurs in the Outer
Himalayas, but is virtually absent from Sind, Cutch, and large
FIG. 17 Magpie-Robin (J nat. size)
portions of the Punjab and desert Rajputana. Although said to be
only a winter visitor to Mount Aboo and Northern Guzerat, it is
usually regarded as a strictly resident species ; except that in the
Himalayas it ascends a couple of thousand feet in the breeding season,
and also penetrates then into some of the inner valleys.
Habits, etc. While never particularly abundant the Magpie-
Robin is very generally distributed in India, avoiding both dense
forest and open bare plain. It is essentially a bird of groves, and
delights to move about on the ground under the shelter of low trees ;
thick undergrowth it dislikes. Naturally, therefore, it is a familiar
garden bird, delighting in the mixed chequer of sunshine and shade
that is the characteristic of an Indian garden ; it hops about under
io8 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the orange and pomegranate trees, pauses for a moment to sip the
water running along the irrigation channels, and then flies across
amongst the trees to settle on some lower bough or on the garden
wall before returning to its quest for insects on the ground. It is
both confiding and unobtrusive, and as the lady of the house
moves about her garden in the shade, whether she be Burra-
Memsahib or some humble menial's wife, she will see the little pied
bird watching her from wall or bush with friendly and attentive
scrutiny. And by way of gratitude for shelter and protection (or so
we like to think in spite of prosaic fact), the cock bird early in the
morning and again in the evening mounts to the topmost bough of
one of the garden trees and pours out his delicious song. For the
Magpie- Robin is one of the best songsters in a land where singing
birds are somewhat scarce.
The tail is carried very high over the back, though not usually as
high as in the case of the Indian Robin ; it is frequently lowered and
expanded into a fan, then closed and jerked up again over the back.
The food is obtained for the most part on the ground and con-
sists of insects, grasshoppers, crickets, ants, beetles, and the like ; a
little vegetable matter, and an occasional earthworm vary this diet.
The breeding season lasts from the end of March to the end of
July, but most eggs will be found in April and May. The nest is
placed in holes in tree-trunks, in banks and walls, and in the roofs of
houses. It is a cup composed of roots, grasses, fibres, and feathers,
with very little definite lining, and varying a good deal in depth and
compactness of construction, according to the circumstances of the
hole.
The clutch usually consists of five eggs.
The egg is a typical oval, hard and fine in texture with a fair
amount of gloss. The ground-colour is some shade of green but is*
rather variable. The markings consist of streaks, blotches, and
mottlings of brownish-red, usually densely laid on and with a tendency
to be thicker about the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-87 by o* 66 inches.
THE SHAMA
KlTTACINCLA MALABARICA (Scopoli)
Description. Length n inches, including a long graduated tail
of 6 inches. Male : A patch above the base of the tail white ;
remainder of upper plumage, wings, and lower plumage to the lower
breast glossy black ; remainder of lower plumage bright chestnut
except the thighs which are whitish ; tail black, all but the two central
pairs of feathers broadly white at the ends.
THE SHAMA 109
Female : Resembles the male, but the black is replaced by slaty-
brown, and the chestnut by rufous ; feathers of the wings narrowly
edged with rufous.
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs pale flesh-colour.
Field Identification. A forest bird, found in thick jungle about
ravines and remarkable for its beautiful song ; the male is black
with chestnut belly and much white about the long graduated tail ;
the female plumage is a duller version of the same pattern.
Distribution. The Shama is widely distributed in India, Ceylon,
Burma, Siam, the Malays and China, and is divided into various races.
The typical race of the Shama is found along the western side of ,
FIG. 1 8 Shama (J nat. size)
India, from Bombay to Travancore, and up the eastern side as far as
Orissa and the Rajmehal Hills ; also in the submontane tracts of
the United Provinces as far west as Ramnagar below Naini Tal.
The Burmese race K. m. indica, with a shorter tail, extends through
Assam into the Duars and in the jungles of South-eastern Bengal.
K. m. leggd in Ceylon is very different in that the female is similar
to the male in colour. It is a resident species, occurring in warm
well-watered jungles up to a height of 4000 feet.
Habits, etc. The Shama is well known by repute and in story
as one of the famous singing birds of India, but owing to its forest
habitat and its shyness it is probably known by sight to
comparatively few people. It lives in jungles and forest wherever
broken ravines and low hills supply a sufficiency of the, small streams
and open glades to which it is partial ; and the spots that it
frequents generally contain a good deal of bamboo growth. It feeds
mostly on the ground, searching for insects, worms and fallen fruits,
but when disturbed flies up into the trees. In short, this species may
be considered as taking in forest the place occupied by the Magpie-
Robin in open and inhabited country.
no POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The song is loud and beautiful with a varied range of notes, and
it is chiefly uttered in the mornings and evenings, continuing late in
the evening until darkness has practically fallen.
This bird has a curious habit, chiefly in the breeding season, of
striking the wings together above the body as it flies across open
ground.
The breeding season is from April to June. The nest is usually
placed in the base of bamboo clumps amidst the mass of rubbish
which collects in such situations and which forms a shelter over the
nest ; the nest itself is a slight cup of dead leaves and moss lined
with grass.
The clutch consists of four or five eggs.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, rather pointed and
compressed towards the smaller end, fine and compact in texture
with a fair gloss. The ground-colour is dull greenish-stone, finely
and densely freckled all over with raw sienna-brown and dull purplish,
the general effect recalling the eggs of the Larks.
The egg measures about 0-85 by 0-65 inches.
THE NILGIRI BLACKBIRD
TURDUS SIMILLIMUS Jerdon
Description. Length 10 inches. Male : Top of the head black ;
remainder of upper plumage dark ashy-plumbeous ; wings and tail
black washed with ashy ; the whole lower plumage dark ashy-brown,
the edges of the feathers slightly paler.
Female : The whole upper plumage dark ashy-brown ; the whole
lower plumage brownish-grey, streaked on the chin and throat with
dark brown.
Iris brown, eye-rims yellow ; bill reddish-orange ; legs orange-
yellow.
Field Identification. Abundant in the Nilgiris and Palni Hills.
A typical forest Blackbird but paler in colour than the English birds,
so that a black cap shows up in the male.
Distribution. Mount Aboo : Peninsular India, south of a line
from Khandesh through Pachmarhi to Sambalpur : Ceylon. The
well-known Nilgiri Blackbird gives its name to a group of five
closely-allied sub-species, which differ chiefly in depth of coloration.
T. s. mahrattensis, in which the pale collar is most conspicuous, is
found at Mount Aboo, perhaps as a summer visitor only, and in the
Western Ghats from Khandesh to Malabar, wandering in winter as
far south as Travancore. The typical form is found in the Brahma-
gherries and Nilgiris, probably extending also to the higher ranges
THE NILGIRI BLACKBIRD m
of Western Mysore. T. s. bourdilloni is found in the Palnis and
Travancore ranges while T. s. kinnisii is confined to Ceylon. The
identity of the form reported in certain areas of the Central Provinces
is still in doubt but a distinct race T. s. spensei is found along the
Eastern Ghats. These Blackbirds occur up to the highest points in
the various hill ranges and are mainly resident birds.
Habits, etc. The Nilgiri Blackbird, to treat more particularly of
the best-known form, is one of the commonest birds at Ootacamund
and its vicinity, being found chiefly in the Sholas on the tops of the
ranges, but also in other types of country. It enters orchards and
gardens, and on the whole is a tame familiar species though shy
when nesting. It feeds chiefly on the ground, hopping with active
movements and turning over dead leaves for insects, worms and fallen
fruits, but when disturbed flies up into the trees, flitting from tree to
tree with powerful flight. Small berries and fruits are eaten in the trees.
The breeding season is somewhat extended, from March to
August, though most nests will be found in April and May. At this
period the males sing very beautifully, perching high up in the trees :
they may be heard at all hours but especially in the evenings.
In the details of its breeding this bird recalls the familiar English
Blackbird. The nest is a massive, well-built cup made of moss, roots,
grass, and leaves largely plastered together with mud, while the egg-
cavity is neatly lined with grass and roots. It is placed in a fork
of a tree or shrub at any height up to about 20 feet from the ground.
The usual clutch consists of two to four eggs but five are some-
times found. The egg is a broad oval, pointed towards the smaller
end ; the texture is fine with a slight gloss. The ground-colour
varies from bright blue-green to dull olive-green ; the markings
consist of spots, speckles, mottlings, and streaks of brownish-red,
with secondary spots and clouds of purplish-pink or grey.
The egg measures about i- 17 by o86 inches.
THE GREY-WINGED BLACKBIRD
TURDUS BOULBOUL (Latham)
(Plate vii, Fig. i, opposite page 132)
Description. Length 1 1 inches. Male : Entire plumage deep
glossy black, paler and duller beneath ; a wide ashy-grey patch
across the upper sides of the wings.
Female : Entire plumage olivaceous ashy-brown, the wing-patch
being pale rufous.
Iris brown, eye-rim orange-yellow ; bill coral-red to deep orange,
dusky at the tip ; legs brownish-yellow.
Field Identification. Himalayan forest bird with a good song ;
H2 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
resembles the corresponding sexes of the English Blackbird with
the addition of a broad patch on the wing, silvery in the male, rufous
in t her female.
Distribution. The Grey-winged Blackbird is a common Hima-
layan species extending from Hazara and Kashmir on the west
to the extreme east and south of Assam and Manipur. It breeds
chiefly in an intermediate zone between 7000 and 8000 feet and
in smaller numbers up to 10,000 and down to 4500 feet. It is
in the main a resident species, but during the winter months tends
to leave the higher portions of its range and drift down towards
the foot-hills, stragglers at this season even venturing into the
neighbouring plains districts.
The White-collared Blackbird (Turdus albocincta) is common in
the Himalayan forests, breeding from 7500 to 10,000 feet, lower in
winter. The male is black in colour with a broad white collar round
the neck.
Habits, etc. This is one of the finest and best -known songsters
of the Himalayas, being frequently caged and sold under the name
of Kastura. It is a typical Blackbird in its habits, and is more
particularly a forest bird, feeding on the ground amongst the under-
growth, and turning over dead leaves and digging with its beak
in places where the soil is soft. From the ground it obtains worms,
grubs, insects, and fallen seeds and fruits, and it is also accustomed
to eat large quantities of the various hill fruits and berries from the
trees. At any time of day in the breeding season, but more particularly
in the mornings and evenings, the males may be heard singing, usually
from the top of a tall tree commanding a wide view around. The
song is very pleasant, recalling that of the English Blackbird, but
individuals vary a good deal in the merits of their performance. It
is otherwise a quiet and rather shy bird, especially in the neighbour-
hood of the nest when it sits motionless on the bough of a tree watching
the intruder.
The normal breeding season is from May to July.
The nest is a rather massive cup of roots and grasses usually
stiffened with mud and liberally coated externally with green moss
and similar materials, and lined with fine dry grass. The majority
of nests are built in trees, some 10 or 20 feet from the ground,
but others are placed on ledges of rock or on steep banks or
amongst the roots of trees.
The eggs vary from two to four in number. They are of the
usual Blackbird type. The ground-colour, where visible, is a pale
dingy green, but it is thickly streaked, mottled and clouded with dull
brownish-red sometimes so heavily as to obscure the ground-colour.
The eggs measure about 1*20 by 0-85 inches.
TICKELL'S THRUSH 113
TICKELL'S THRUSH
TURDUS UNICOLOR Tickell
Description. Length 9 inches. Male : The upper plumage
including the wings and tail ashy-grey ; lower plumage slaty-grey,
paler on the chin, and becoming white towards the tail, the under
wing-coverts chestnut-brown.
Female : Upper plumage olive-brown, the wings and tail darker ;
chin and throat white, streaked on the sides with black ; breast
olivaceous with a gorget of black spots across the upper part ; flanks
ochraceous ; abdomen to the tail white ; under wing-coverts chestnut-
brown.
Iris brown ; eye-rim greenish -yellow ; bill and legs yellow.
Field Identification. A quiet, dull-coloured Thrush which feeds
on the ground and flies up into the trees when disturbed. Most
familiar as the bird that feeds on the lawns at Srinagar, where it is
particularly common.
Distribution. This species is only found in the Indian Empire.
It breeds commonly but locally in the Himalayas from Chitral to
Eastern Nepal. It is migratory, and in winter moves down into
the plains of India, being found at that season as far south as
Khandala, Raipur, and Vizagapatam, travelling eastwards also to
Sikkim, Cachar, and Manipur.
A rather larger species, the Black-throated Thrush (Turdus
atrogularis), in which the male has the chin, throat and breast black, is
a very common winter visitor to the Himalayas and Northern India.
Habits, etc. This Thrush is known to everyone who has visited
Kashmir, and it is one of those birds which contribute to the very
English atmosphere of Srinagar.
The song may be heard from April to July and it sings at all
hours of the day but more especially in the mornings and evenings,
and on cloudy days with rain impending. This Thrush, in combination
with the Kashmir Golden Oriole, is responsible for the dawn chorus
which is so remarkable in April and May in and around Srinagar in
Kashmir. The song recalls that of the English Thrush though less
full and varied, and is something as follows : chellya-chellya-chirrali,
chellya-chellya-chellya, chellya-chellya-jalia ; and it further recalls
that familiar bird by its presence round houses and in gardens, and
its habit of hopping about the lawns of the English quarter in search
of worms and snails, uttering often a juk-juk which at other times
is used as an alarm-note. Pairs are to be found in every grove round
the villages, and it is a tame and familiar bird, haunting their neigh-
bourhood in preference to the forests, where also, however, it is found
in smaller numbers. At the nest, on the other hand, it is rathery shy.
H
ii4 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
It breeds in May and June. The nest is a large deep cup, some-
times neat and compact, at other times loose and untidy ; it is
composed of moss, either dry or green, roots, dry grass and a few
leaves, and is lined with fine roots. It is placed usually at heights
between 6 and 20 feet from the ground, in the heads of pollard
willows or in the forks of trees or on branches close to the trunk.
A few nests are found close to the ground in banks.
The number of eggs varies from three to five. They are rather
variable in shape, round, elongated, or pyriform ovals. The texture
is fine but there is very little gloss. The ground-colour is greenish-
or reddish-white, and the whole surface is more or less thickly
speckled or boldly blotched with dull reddish-brown, in some eggs
the ground-colour predominating, in others the reddish tint of the
markings ; in all, however, the markings are thickest towards the
broad end.
The eggs average about 1-06 by 0-78 inches.
THE ORANGE-HEADED GROUND-THRUSH
GEOKICHLA CITRINA (Latham)
(Plate iv, Fig. 3, opposite page 66)
Description. Length 9 inches. The whole head, neck and lower
parts as far as the vent orange-chestnut, rather darker on the crown
and hind neck ; the rest of the upper parts bluish-grey ; wings and
tail brown, washed with bluish-grey, a conspicuous white spot on
the shoulder and another on the underside of the quills ; vent and
under the tail white.
Female : Similar to the male but the orange-chestnut is paler and
the ashy-grey of the upper parts, wings and tail is replaced by brownis'h
olive-green.
Iris dark hazel ; bill very dark brown, base of lower mandible
flesh-colour ; legs fleshy-pink.
The tail is comparatively rather short.
Field Identification. A typical Thrush in bearing, bright chestnut
in colour with the back, wings and tail bluish-grey in the male and
olive in the female. In the Southern race the sides of the face are
curiously banded with brown and white and the throat is white.
A forest species usually found feeding on the ground in damp and
shady places.
Distribution. The Orange-headed Ground-Thrush has a wide
distribution with several races in India, Burma, the Andamans and
Nicobars, the Malay States and Siam. We are concerned here with
two. The typical race breeds throughout the foot-hills and lower
ranges of the Himalayas from Murree to Assam and Burma, and
THE ORANGE-HEADED GROUND-THRUSH 115
still farther eastwards ; also in Lower Bengal. In the Western
Himalayas and Nepal it is a summer visitor. In the Eastern
Himalayas and Assam it appears to be largely resident in the foot-
hills, moving up in summer into some of the inner valleys. The
north-western migrants evidently winter anywhere from the Dun to
Chota Nagpore and Calcutta, stragglers wandering as far afield as
Ratnagiri and Ceylon. G. c. cyanotus has a ring round the eye, the
sides of the face and the chin and throat white ; the white of the
sides of the face is broken by two short oblique dark brown bands
which run down from the lower border of the eye. This race is
found as a resident south of a line roughly from Western Khandesh
through Pachmarhi to Sirguja, occurring up to an elevation of 4000 feet.
Habits. This Ground-Thrush is essentially a forest-loving species
and it will always be found by preference in damp and shady thickets
or in thick bamboo-brakes. In such places it feeds solitary on the
ground under thick tangles of roots and stems of brushwood. It
rummages amongst the leaves and fallen debris, tossing and turning
them over in a constant search for slugs, insects, snails, caterpillars,
berries, and such like, and so constant is this habit that the beak
is nearly always muddy, a fact remarked by many writers. It is shy
and quiet and when disturbed promptly flies up into a bough where
it sits silent and motionless waiting to resume its quest for food.
Living thus in the shade it is crepuscular in habits and at dusk moves
out to roads and open spaces.
In the breeding season the male has a pleasant and energetic,
though not very powerful, song which is uttered from a perch well up
in a tree. This is only heard in the early mornings and late evenings
and the bird is something of a mimic, introducing the calls of other
species into its song. It has also a peculiar note or loud whistle,
something like the noise of a screeching slate-pencil, which is used
apparently as an alarm-note.
The breeding season in the Himalayas is from the end of April
until nearly the end of June. In Peninsular India it is later, from
June to August and even September.
The nest is a rather broad solid cup of moss, grass, stalks, bents
and similar materials. Inside it is lined with fine roots and the
black hair-like roots of moss and ferns. A good deal of mud and
clay is usually built into the foundations. The nest is placed in a
fork of a moderately sized tree, usually at no great height from the
ground.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs, and five have been
recorded. The egg is a moderately broad oval, a good deal pointed
towards the small end. The shell is fine and fairly glossy, some
eggs having a really fine gloss. The ground-colour is a pale bluish-
or greenish-white and it is thickly freckled, blotched and streaked
n6 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
with brownish- or purplish-red. Some eggs have the markings fine and
very thickly spread over the whole surface. Others have them thick,
bold and blotchy all over the larger half with only a few small spots
scattered over the rest of the egg. Intermediate varieties also occur.
The egg measures about i-oo by 0-75 inches.
THE BLUE-HEADED ROCK-THRUSH
MONTICOLA CINCLORHYNCHA (Vigors)
(Plate ix, Fig. 4, opposite page 176)
Description. Length 7 inches. Male : Whole head bright cobalt-
blue, divided by a broad black line from the beak through the eye
to the back and shoulders, which are also black ; rump and the lower
plumage chestnut ; wings black washed with blue, and with a con-
spicuous white patch on the inner quills ; tail black washed with
blue.
Female : Upper plumage, wings and tail olive-brown tinged with
ochraceous ; chin and throat whitish ; lower plumage whitish, tinged
with ochraceous on the breast and largely barred with dark brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill black, gape yellow ; legs dusky brown.
Field Identification. Familiar song bird in summer along the
lower Himalayas in light open forest, perching on trees and railings ;
male easily recognised by the blue head and throat, chestnut rump
and lower plumage and white patch in the wings ; female brown
with a scaled appearance, and a rather conspicuous dark eye.
It must not be confused with the larger Chestnut-bellied Rock-
Thrush (Monticola rufrventris\ also found throughout the Himalayas,
whose male lacks the chestnut rump and white wing-patch.
Distribution. This bird breeds in the hills along the boundary
of the North-western Frontier Province and throughout the Himalayas
to East and Southern Assam and the Chin and Kachin Hills. The
majority breed between 3500 and 6000 feet, but a few range up to
9000 feet.
It is a migratory species, passing down from about October to
April into the plains and continental ranges of India and portions
of Burma. It avoids Sind and the plains of the Punjab and becomes
most common in winter in the hill ranges of the Western Ghats from
Khandala to South Travancore.
Habits, etc. The Blue-headed Rock-Thrush is in the breeding
season a bird of the more open hill forests, being especially typical
of the areas in the lower Himalayas which are clothed with the
Cheel pine (Pinus longifolid). Here the song of the male is a very
familiar and pleasant feature ; it is a pretty three-note warbling
THE BLUE-HEADED ROCK-THRUSH 117
song of tew-ti-di, tew-ti-di, tew-ti-di, tew (the tew descending in
the scale and getting louder at each repetition), and it is commonly
sung in the mornings and evenings. The bird itself is by nature
secretive and not often seen until one is familiar with the alarm-note
ee-tut-tuty a low, pleasant sound which soon gives away its where-
abouts on a tree bough ; then the bird is found to be confiding and
to allow a near approach. It feeds both on insects and on berries,
and in pursuit of the former sometimes flies out from a tree into
mid-air, hovering with wings outstretched, after the capture gliding
down again to its post amongst the branches. Similarly, it often
floats with wings outstretched, singing as it goes, from the top of a
tall tree down to a lower one. In winter it is a solitary species.
The breeding season proper is from April to June, but occasional
nests may be met with until August. The nest is a neat shallow
cup of moss, grass, fir-needles and dead leaves, and is lined with
fine roots or a little hair. The favourite situation for it is in a hollow
in a bank by the side of a road or path, but it is also placed in hollows
amongst the roots of trees.
The clutch consists of four eggs. The egg is a rather long oval,
very blunt at the small end, of slightly coarse texture with a little
gloss. The ground-colour is pinkish-white, very closely and minutely
freckled and mottled all over, but most densely at the large end, with
pale dingy salmon-colour.
The eggs measure about 0-92 by 0-72 inches.
THE BLUE ROCK-THRUSH
MONTICOLA SOLITARIA (Linnaeus)
Description. Length 9 inches. Male : Whole plumage dull dark
blue, rather brighter over the eye, on the sides of the head and on
the throat, the feathers of the upper parts with brown fringes and the
feathers of the lower plumage more or less barred with blackish and
fringed with white ; wings and tail dark brown washed with dark
blue, most of the wing-feathers tipped with creamy white.
In summer the wearing off of the fringes on the body makes the
plumage a brighter, more uniform blue with the wings dark in contrast.
Female : Whole upper plumage, wings and tail similar to the male
but the colour is much duller, almost ashy-brown in tint ; chin,
throat and upper breast creamy-buff the feathers margined with
sooty-black, giving a scaled appearance ; remainder of lower plumage
creamy-buff barred with sooty-black.
Iris hazel ; bill blackish-horn, mouth yellow ; feet black, claws
dark horn.
H2
n8 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Field Identification. A dark looking bird, the male bluish, the
female speckled with buff and brown, invariably found perching
solitary on rocks, brick-kilns or buildings and rather shy if approached.
Distribution. A widely distributed species found in South Europe,
Africa and the greater part of Asia. It is divided into many races.
Of these we are chiefly concerned with the Central Asian and Hima-
layan race M. s. pandoo which breeds in our area from Chitral and
Gilgit along the Himalayas to Sikkim at all elevations from 4500 to
15,000 feet. From September and early October until April it spreads
over the greater part of India and Burma, stragglers also reaching
Ceylon. It also winters in Siam, Indo-China, the Malay States
and Sumatra. A greyer race M. s. longirostris breeds along the North-
west Frontier of India from the Samana to North Baluchistan and
winters in Africa. Another form M. s. affinis with faint traces of
chestnut on the lower plumage of the male is a winter visitor to the
Eastern Himalayas and Assam.
Habits, etc. The Blue Rock-Thrush is one of those birds that is
strongly attached to a particular type of terrain. In the breeding
season in the hills it is very much a bird of the rocks, frequenting
boulder-clad hill-sides, open rocky ground or if it is breeding down in
the tree zone, rocky screes, gorges or cliffs in open ground between the
forests. With this insistence on the letter of its needs it is able to occupy
a very much wider altitudinal range for breeding than most species.
In winter, too, its special propensity is to the fore. Rocks it must
have to live on and if they are not available in the shape of hills and
boulders it finds a substitute in quarries, ruined forts and unoccupied
buildings, rocks on the sea-shore or even at the worst it takes refuge
on brick-kilns and piles of stone. In all these places the habits and
demeanour of the bird are the same. It perches up on a point of
vantage be this boulder or cornice sitting very erect and solitary,
reminding the observer that it is the Sparrow that sitteth alone on
the house-top as Canon Tristram pointed out long ago in his studies
of the Holy Land. Always shy and wary, if approached it bows and
flirts the tail nervously before flitting to another vantage point some
distance away. In winter it frequently roosts under the roof of a house.
The male has a fine song, a soft melodious but rather short whistle
reminiscent of that of an English Blackbird, which is uttered both
from a perch and on the wing and this may be heard occasionally
also in the winter. When courting the male indulges in slow vol-
planing flights which show off his blue plumage to advantage in the
sunlight.
As to food the bird is fairly omnivorous. Insects are taken from
the ground and on the wing ; larvae, worms, snails, lizards, berries
and seeds all are grist for its mill.
The breeding season is from April to July.
THE BLUE ROCK-THRUSH 119
The nest is placed in a hole or cleft of the rocks on steep precipitous
ground and is usually partly screened from view, difficult to reach
and often inaccessible. It is a shallow cup of roots and dry grass,
lined with fine roots.
The clutch consists of four or five eggs. The egg is a regular oval
very smooth in texture with a fine gloss. The ground-colour is an
excessively pale, slightly greenish-blue, sometimes unmarked, at other
times speckled mostly at the large end with very minute brownish-red
spots.
It measures about i- 10 by 0-75 inches.
THE WHISTLING-THRUSH
MYOPHONUS C^ERULEUS (Scopoli)
(Plate vii, Fig. 2, opposite page 132)
Description. Length iz inches. Sexes alike. Entire plumage
deep blue-black, becoming brighter and bluer on the wings and tail,
and duller and browner on the abdomen ; a velvety black patch in
front of the eye ; all the body-feathers more or less tipped with deep
shining blue ; some of the wing-coverts tipped with white.
Iris dark brown ; bill yellow, blackish along top ; legs black.
Field Identification. A large, strong " Blackbird," bright prussian-
blue in favourable lights, found near water in the Himalayas ; noisy
with harsh whistling calls ; bold and conspicuous ; black legs and
black eye-rim at once distinguish it from the true Blackbirds, which
have those parts yellow.
Distribution. This Whistling-Thrush, found in Turkestan, China
and southwards, is represented in our area by the race M. c. temminckii,
which extends throughout the Himalayas from the hills of Baluchistan
and the Afghan Frontier to the extreme east of Assam and to the
neighbouring hill tracts, being replaced by another (M. c. eugenei)
from Eastern Burma to Cochin-China. It breeds from the foot-hills
at about 2000 feet up to "12,000 feet, though the majority of nests
will be found between 5000 and 9000 feet. Although strictly
speaking a resident species, its fine powers of flight tend to make
it wander a good deal, and in the winter months numbers move
down into the foot-hills while stragglers even appear in the plains
far out of sight of the hills. There are records from as far south as
Jhang and Rhotak.
An allied species, the Malabar Whistling-Thrush (Myophonus
horsfieldii) y which has a bright blue forehead and a brilliant patch of
cobalt-blue on the wing, is common in the vicinity of Pachmarhi in
Central India and in South-western India, especially in the Nilgiris,
and it is known as the " Whistling- Schoolboy."
120 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Habits, etc. This very common and typical Himalayan bird may
be considered in some senses as a water-bird, a bird of rivers and
mountain streams. True it is that it may be found anywhere in the
mountains, dashing across the face of some precipitous crag, flitting
through the trees of the gloomiest pine forest or feeding on an open
hill-side, but a little observation will invariably show that its head-
quarters are in some gorge watered by purling stream or rushing
torrent. And further proof may be found in its song and calls ; the
call is a loud, melodious whistle, and the song is loud and[ well
sustained, of the type of most of the Thrush family ; but in both
call and song there is something of harshness and unpleasantness,
a squeaky, eerie timbre, which prevents either from being beautiful,
but which are clearly intended to carry them above the roar of
rushing waters ; in this they succeed, and the voice of this bird
heard in some deep nullah where the water's roar stills all lesser
sounds is appropriate in the extreme, and matching its surroundings
attains to beauty.
There is something very tight-trussed and neat about the Whistling-
Thrush as it hops and flies from boulder to ledge, from wall to branch ;
its hard, shiny feathers are pressed close to the body, and as the long
tail sways slowly upwards above the long legs the bird seems the
living embodiment of all the qualities of vitality and fitness that
one associates with nature and the hills.
The bird lays commonly from the end of April to June, but nests
may be found until August, as apparently two broods are often reared.
The nest is a very massive and heavy cup of moss dragged up by
the roots with mud still adhering to them ; there is a thick lining
of fine grass roots and moss.
It is placed in the near vicinity of water, and is generally well
protected, either by concealment or by difficulty of access ; for the
bird is very cunning in its arrangements. Sometimes it builds in
a mossy bank or in some rocky crevice where the structure of the
nest and overhanging foliage protect the site from wandering eyes ;
at other times the nest stands out patent to view, conspicuous in the
extreme, on the face of some precipitous cliff, or in a hollow on a
giant boulder encircled by rushing water or otherwise inaccessible.
An occasional nest may be found in a tree.
The clutch consists of three to five eggs.
The eggs are typically very long and pointed, fragile, and rather
rough in texture. The ground-colour is french-grey, greyish-white
or pale greenish, speckled and freckled with minute pink, pale
purplish-pink or pinkish-brown markings. These markings are
generally rather thin, and there is a curious faded appearance about
these eggs which is most unusual.
They measure about 1-40 by i-oo inches.
THE RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER 121
THE RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER
SIPHIA PARVA (Bechstein)
(Plate ii, Fig. 3, opposite page 22)
Description. Length 5 inches. Adult male : Upper plumage
brown, ashy on the head ; sides of the head bluish-ashy with a
white ring round the eye ; wings dark brown ; tail blackish-brown,
the basal two-thirds of the feathers white, except of the central pair ;
chin, throat and breast reddish-buff ; remainder of lower plumage
white washed with buff on the sides.
Female and immature male : The whole upper plumage brown,
the wings and tail darker brown, the basal portions of all the tail-
feathers except the central pair white as in the adult male ; a whitish
ring round the eye ; whole lower plumage dull white, washed with
buff on the sides.
Iris dark brown ; bill brown ; legs blackish-brown.
Field Identification. A small brown bird with whitish under parts,
and in some individuals with the throat and breast red, which fly-
catches in trees ; easily recognised by the habit of jerking the tail
upwards at intervals, thus exhibiting the white patches in its base ;
quiet in demeanour.
Distribution. The Red-breasted Flycatcher is widely spread as
a breeding species throughout Europe, Siberia, and Northern and
Central Asia generally, and is divided into two races which migrate
southwards in winter. Both races are winter visitors to India and
differ merely in slight details of coloration. The typical race breeds
in Europe and Western Siberia, and is a most abundant winter
visitor to India from October until May. It arrives in India, via
the north-west corner, and extends down to Malabar and the Nilgiris
in the south, and east as far as Behar and Assansole in Bengal. The
breeding bird of North-eastern Asia (S. p. albicilla) winters mostly
in North-eastern India, Burma, and China, but has occurred also as
far as Belgaum, the Nallamallais, and Travancore.
The Kashmir Red-breasted Flycatcher (Siphia hyperythra) of very
similar coloration, but with a more chestnut-red breast bordered with
black, breeds commonly in Kashmir between 6000 and 8000 feet
and winters in Ceylon.
Another Flycatcher with white in the tail is the Orange-gorgeted
Flycatcher (Siphia strophiatd). It has the throat and breast sooty
with a central orange patch. Common in the Sikkim area from 9000
to 1000 feet.
Habits, etc. The main requisite of the Red-breasted Flycatcher
is trees, and provided that there is a sufficiency of such cover it is a
matter of indifference to it whether it is in forest, in open cultivation,
122 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
or in the neighbourhood of towns and villages. Although often
descending to the ground to capture an insect it is an arboreal
species and a true flycatcher in its habits, frequenting chiefly the
shady places within the boughs of large trees in which it sedately
hawks and flits from bough to bough. It is rather shy and secretive,
and is jerky and restless in its movements, constantly flirting the tail
over its back so that the white patch in the base of the feathers
catches the eye sooner even than the red breast of the adult male.
There is a very distinctive, harsh, jarring note which is commonly
uttered, while a plaintive piping call, phwee-phwee-phwee, repeated at
short intervals, is used to express anger or alarm. It has a sweet
and rather varied song in the breeding season, but this is not heard
in India. For its size this is a very pugnacious little bird, and fights
freely with others of its own species.
The Red-breasted Flycatcher does not breed in our limits, but
the breeding season in Kashmir of the allied species, S. hyperythra,
is in May and June. The latter nests in holes in trees at any height
from 6 to 40 feet from the ground. The nest is a neat little cup of
moss and dead leaves mixed with grass, chips and hair and lined
with hair and feathers. The clutch consists of four or five eggs.
These are rather broad ovals, pale sea-green or pale pinkish-stone
in colour, freckled closely with rusty-brown.
They measure about 0*65 by 0-50 inches.
TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER
MUSCICAPULA TICKELLI;E (Blyth)
(Plate vi, Fig. 4, opposite page no)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : The whole upper plumage
dark blue, still darker on the sides of the face, and brighter in a
line from the nostril over each eye ; wings and tail black, washed
with blue ; throat, breast and upper abdomen bright ferruginous ;
remainder of lower plumage pure white.
Female : A duller replica of the male.
Iris brown ; bill black ; legs greyish-brown.
The bill is wide and flattened at the base and fringed with long
hairs.
Field Identification. Peninsular India. A dark blue bird with
the throat and breast reddish and the rest of the lower parts white.
No white line over the eye. Flits about the inner side of trees and
bushes in shady woods and groves and continually sings a merry
little song.
Distribution. Widely distributed through India, Ceylon, Burma,
TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER 123
Malay Peninsula, Siam, and Annam. The typical race is found
practically throughout India at all elevations except north-west of
a line through Mussoorie, Sambhar, Mount Aboo, and Kathiawar.
It extends eastwards into Assam and Burma. In Ceylon it is replaced
by M. t. nesea which is decidedly darker above. A resident species
except for short local migrations.
This species may very easily be confused with the Blue-throated
Flycatcher (Muscicapula rubeculoides) which breeds throughout the
Himalayas and wanders into many parts of the Peninsula and to Ceylon
in winter. The male has the chin and throat dark blue, whereas in
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher the ferruginous of the breast comes up to those
parts, leaving only a tiny patch on the chin at the base of the beak
blue. Another and very common Himalayan species breeding from
7000 to 9000 feet, which also winters down in India as far south as
the Deccan, is the White-eyebrowed Blue Flycatcher (Muscicapula
super ciliaris). The male has the whole of the upper parts and an
interrupted collar across the breast blue, and in the West Himalayan
race there is a conspicuous white line above the eye and a white patch
in the side of the tail. Lower parts white.
At a higher level 9000 to 10,000 feet is yet another common
Himalayan species, best known in Kashmir, the Slaty-blue Flycatcher
(Muscicapula tricolor). The upper parts are slaty-blue, lower parts
whitish and there is a white patch in each side of the tail.
Habits, etc. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher is another forest-loving
species which is found in thick cover and shade, and particularly
haunts the banks of wooded streams. In such localities it flits
about amongst the boughs and hunts for insects, particularly in the
network of aerial roots and creepers which are a feature of some of
the southern jungles. It is a wary bird and not always easily observed.
When one is walking quietly througn the jungle this Flycatcher will
usually, when first met, come up close within a few yards and give
vent to its short song as if challenging the intruder. Then it disappears
and is not easily approached again.
The short metallic song is quite pleasing. It consists of a couple
of sharp " clicks," followed by a little tune of five or six notes, which
recall the song of the White-browed Fantail-Flycatcher, but are
harsher and not so loud. The song is incessantly repeated.
The breeding season lasts from March to August, but the majority
of nests are to be found in June and July.
The nest is a small cup of moss or dry leaves lined with fine
roots and a little hair placed in a small hole or hollow in a variety
of situations in banks or rocks, in brickwork, on the window-ledges
of ruined houses. A very favourite situation is one of the numerous
hollows formed by the roots of a wild fig-tree, banyan, or peepul,
where they have anastomosed with the trunk of some enclosed tree.
124 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The usual clutch consists of three or four eggs. The egg is a
moderately elongated oval, somewhat blunt at the small end. The
texture is fine with a slight gloss. The ground-colour is dingy
greyish-white, freckled with dingy olive-brown. The freckling is so
excessively fine that the egg appears a dull olive-brown, rarely tinged
with rufous or reddish, more especially towards the broad end.
In size the egg measures about 0-75 by 0*56 inches.
THE VERDITER FLYCATCHER
EUMYIAS THALASSINA (Swainson)
(Plate vi, Fig. i, opposite page no)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : A black patch in front of
the eye ; the whole plumage bright verditer-blue, concealed portions
of the wings and tail blackish-brown ; under tail-coverts broadly
fringed with white.
Female : Resembles the male, but is duller in colour throughout,
and the chin and sides of the throat are mottled with white.
Iris brown ; bill and legs black.
The bill, which is flat, and viewed from above almost forms an
equilateral triangle, is fringed with hairs.
Field Identification. Familiar summer bird about houses and
gardens in the Himalayas ; a conspicuous verditer-blue in colour,
perching on exposed situations and hawking insects in the air with
active flight.
Distribution. The Verditer Flycatcher breeds throughout the
Himalayas, in Assam, the Burmese Hills, Yunnan, Shan States,
Siam, Annam, and Western China. It is divided into races, of which
only the typical one concerns us. This breeds in the Himalayas from
4000 to 10,000 feet, and during the winter migrates down into
Peninsular India, missing out most of the Punjab, Sind, and desert
Rajputana, and extending as far as Travancore.
The small and very dark looking Sooty Flycatcher (Hemichelidon
sibiricd) is common throughout the length of the Himalayas. It
perches higher than most species, often at the tops of the largest trees.
Habits, etc. The Verditer Flycatcher in summer is one of the
few birds of the Himalayan hill stations which attract the notice of
even the least observant. It is a bold and confiding bird, frequenting
jungle and garden alike, and perching in open exposed positions,
where its brilliant colouring catches the sunlight and renders it
conspicuous. Like other Flycatchers, it swoops into the air from
its perch to take insects on the wing ; but while other species often
return to the same perch with the captured insect, the Verditer
THE VERDITER FLYCATCHER 125
Flycatcher continues its flight and perches in a new place, thus
continually changing its ground and bringing itself more to notice.
The flight is very strong and swift. During the breeding season it
affects forest areas rather than the more open hill-sides ; during the
winter it appears in any type of country where there are large trees.
Its usual perch is a bare twig at the top of a tree, but it is also
partial to telegraph wires ; it does not as a rule perch on buildings,
though it enters verandahs and porches in search of a nesting site.
Normally it is found solitary or in pairs, but small parties collect on
migration.
There appears to be no call-note, but the male has a loud and
fairly good song.
It breeds from April till the middle of July, and probably two
broods are reared.
The nests are remarkably true to type, fairly solid cups of green
moss, lined with fine black moss roots. The majority are built
under the overhanging crests of banks where the action of water
and the binding qualities of tree-roots combine to form a gloomy
hollow, in the side of which the nest placed in a hole is distinguished
with difficulty. Banks by the side of roads and paths are especially
affected. Other sites are under the small hill bridges, amongst the
timber-work, or in the rafters and eaves of buildings. As the bird
is very shy at the nest and always dashes out of it at the approach
of passers-by and in front of them, it continually brings itself and
its nest to notice.
The normal clutch consists of four eggs, though three or five
may occasionally be found. The eggs closely resemble those of
the English Robin. In shape they are a moderately broad oval,
somewhat compressed towards the smaller end. The shell is
fragile and with little gloss. The ground-colour is pinky-white, in
some entirely devoid of markings, in others with a more or less con-
spicuous reddish-pink zone or cap of mottled or clouded markings,
not defined specks or spots, which are generally nearly confluent.
In size the egg averages about 0-78 by 0-57 inches.
THE NILGIRI BLUE FLYCATCHER
EUMYIAS ALBICAUDATA (Jerdon)
(Plate iv, Fig. 2, opposite page 66)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : The whole plumage dull
indigo-blue, becoming ultramarine-blue on the forehead and above
the eye and duller and whiter towards the vent ; a black spot in
front of the eye ; wings and tail dark brown, all feathers edged with
blue, and the tail-feathers, excepting the central pair, pure white at
the base.
126 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Female : The whole upper plumage dull greyish-olivaceous with
a dull blue patch above the base of the tail ; wings dark brown, all
feathers edged with rufescent ; tail blackish edged with blue, all
feathers, except the central pair, pure white at the base ; lower
plumage dull bluish-grey, tinged with olivaceous on the throat and
with white about the vent.
Iris dark brown ; bill horny-black ; legs blackish-brown.
The bill is rather wide at the base and slightly flattened and fringed
with hairs.
Field Identification. A rather sombre-coloured Flycatcher with
white patches in the base of the tail, found commonly in forest in the
hills of extreme South-west India. The male has a good song and is
dull dark blue in colour, rather brighter on the crown.
Distribution. A resident species, confined to the hills of extreme
South-west India where it is common in the Nilgiris, Biligirirangams,
Nelliampathies, Palnis and Travancore ranges. It is most common at
an elevation of 4000 to 7000 feet but may be found somewhat lower.
Habits, etc. The Nilgiri Blue Flycatcher is essentially a forest-
haunting species and is abundant enough in those hills where it is
found. It frequents overgrown hill streams and nullahs, the under-
growth which flanks paths and tracks through the sholas and cardamum
plantations and the edges of forest clearings. It also often visits gardens.
This species ordinarily perches in a somewhat upright position on
a twig and utters the typical Flycatcher click click as it twitches its
tail up and down. The song is very sweet, somewhat feebler than
but very similar in character to that of the Pied Bush-Chat. Heard
in a shola it has a somewhat penetrating quality. It lasts from five
to ten seconds and is constantly uttered from some exposed twig on
the top of a tree and it may be heard in most months of the year.
The female also sings on occasion. The food consists almost entirely
of insects but a certain amount of small fruit is also apparently eaten.
The breeding season lasts from March till June but most eggs
will be found about April. The nest is usually built in a cavity in a
bank, more particularly on the inner sides of the paths which intersect
the hill-jungles and sholas ; but it may also be found in holes in rocks
and walls and trees, under the eaves of houses and in the wood-work
of bridges. The nest itself is a soft mass of fine moss on a slight
foundation of coarse moss and lichen or a few twigs. The egg-cavity
can hardly be said to be lined, but a greater proportion of very fine
black moss-roots enter into the composition of the nest here than
elsewhere. One or two feathers are occasionally added.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. These vary a good deal
in shape, size and colour, but are normally an elongated oval in shape
with little or no gloss. The ground-colour varies from creamy-white
to a pretty, warm cafe-au-lait colour. In some eggs there are no
THE NILGIRI BLUE FLYCATCHER 127
discernible markings ; only the tint grows deeper and brighter towards
the large end, becoming pale reddish-brown, brownish-red or red as
the case may be. In other eggs there is a regular zone of minute
spots, or very rarely blotches, round the broad end. Taken, however,
as a series the eggs of this species average a rather deeper, warmer
salmon-pink colour than those of the Verditer Flycatcher.
In size they measure about 0-8 by 0-6 inches.
THE BLACK AND ORANGE FLYCATCHER
OCHROMELA NIGRORUFA (Jerdon)
(Frontispiece, Fig. i)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : Top and sides of the head
and hind-neck black ; wings black ; remainder of plumage rich
orange-chestnut, somewhat paler on the throat and abdomen.
Female : Similar to the male but the black of the head and neck
is replaced by greenish-brown, mottled with rufous in front of the eye.
Iris brown ; bill blackish-brown ; legs greyish-brown.
The coarse broad bill is fringed with long hairs.
Field Identification. Hills of South-west India. A small orange-
coloured bird with blackish head-cap and wings but tail also orange.
Found flitting about near the ground in the undergrowth of shady
woods where its presence is revealed by an incessant chirruping note,
easily mistaken for that of an insect.
Distribution. Confined to the hill ranges of South-west India
and resident at elevations from 2500 to 7000 feet and probably most
common about 5000 feet. It is recorded from the Wynaad (scarce),
the Nilgiris and Biligirirangams, the Palnis and the Travancore ranges,
but is curiously local and patchy in its distribution.
Habits, etc. The Black and Orange Flycatcher must very soon
become well known to all observers at Ootacamund and Kodaikanal.
It is a bird of dense woods and thickets, preferring the most retired,
shady and damp, swampy patches in the breeding season though at
other times it ventures into the lighter woods and sholas. In such
places it flits about the undergrowth singly or in pairs, reminding the
English observer of a Robin in its ways. At one moment it is seated
motionless on the low branch of a tree or a fallen stump or some thick
tangle of dead branches. The next it makes a short swoop at an insect
in the air or descends to the ground for a second to pick one up ; but
whatever it does or wherever it goes you will notice that it seldom
leaves the neighbourhood of the ground, usually keeping within a
foot or two of it. In spite of its preference for dark woods and secluded
spots this Flycatcher is by no means a shy bird and it does not resent
observation from close quarters provided that one keeps motionless.
128 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
There is no true song, but the male is far from silent, uttering a
somewhat metallic high-pitched chirrup chiki-riki-chiki or chee-r-ri-ri
every few seconds which gives away its whereabouts, though the
chirrup might easily be mistaken for that of an insect.
The breeding season proper is from March to May and a few eggs
may still be found in June. The nest is a very remarkable structure for
a Flycatcher, a large and regular ball of dry sedge and coarse grass,
with a small entrance hole at one side near the top. It is entirely
devoid of lining but is placed on a foundation of dead leaves. These
are usually wedged into the centre of a small bush or clump of foliage,
but the bird is also fond of building in the cluster of new shoots that
rise from the stump of a tree that has been felled. The nest is normally
built at a height of two to three feet from the ground and occasionally
lower.
The clutch consists of two eggs.
The egg is a long oval in shape and the shell is very fine and
delicate with little or no gloss. The ground-colour is pale greyish-
white or buffy-white, faintly but profusely freckled all over with pale
pinky-grey or reddish and these markings sometimes form indistinct
caps or zones on the large end of the egg.
The egg measures about 0-70 by 0*52 inches.
THE GREY-HEADED FLYCATCHER
CULICICAPA CEYLONENSIS (Swainson)
(Plate vi, Fig. 2, opposite page no)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Head, neck and
breast ashy, darker on the crown ; remainder of plumage greenish-
yellow, duller and greener above and brighter and yellower below ;
concealed portions of wings and tail dark brown.
Iris dark brown ; bill brown ; legs yellowish-brown.
The bill, viewed from above, is triangular in shape and thickly
fringed with long hairs.
Field Identification. A forest bird ; very small, greenish-yellow,
with an ashy head and neck ; very active and erratic in its movements
amongst shady trees and rather noisy.
Distribution. Generally distributed throughout India, Ceylon,
and Burma, extending also eastwards to Siam, Cochin-China, Java,
and Borneo, this common Flycatcher is divided into several races.
We are concerned only with two of these, which breed in the
Himalayas and other hill ranges from 3000 to 8000 feet and are
locally migratory, moving down into the plains after the breeding
season. C. c. pallidior breeds along the Himalayas from Hazara to
THE GREY-HEADED FLYCATCHER 129
Bhutan, and is found in winter in the North-west Frontier Province,
Punjab, United Provinces, Central Provinces, and the Bombay
Presidency as far as Northern Kanara. It is only a straggler in the
dry and more open plains of the North-west. In the Nilgiris and
Travancore ranges it is replaced by the more richly-coloured typical
race, also found in Ceylon.
The Brown Flycatcher (Muscicapa latirostris), a small brown and
white species with a spotted breast, will catch the eye of anyone
who knows the English Spotted Flycatcher, which it much resembles
in habits and appearance. It is found throughout the whole of India
except the Punjab plains, North-west Frontier Province, Sind, and
Rajputana, being known to breed at low elevations in the Himalayas,
in the Vindhyan Hills, and North Kanara.
Habits, etc. On its breeding grounds this Flycatcher is a bird
of heavy forest, preferring those ravines and hill-sides where the age
and the size of the trees provide wide shady arcades chequered with
occasional patches of sunlight ; in such places as it hawks insects
in the air it flits incessantly from bough to bough, now catching
the gleams of sunlight, now hidden in the gloom, eternally restless,
eternally cheerful. Its call or song is a long, loud, clear trill,
che-tut-tut-teee or wit-tweet-chitat-chitat, which sounds through the
glades, occasionally becoming harsher and louder with something
in it of the " stone on ice " note of the common Indian Nightjar,
though rather hurried and different in tone ; or it might be described
as tyu-jit followed by a prolonged twittering note. Except when in
family parties after breeding it is solitary in disposition, though one
or two individuals invariably accompany the mixed hunting parties
of small birds which are such a feature of the hill jungles.
The breeding season lasts from April to June. The nest is a
most charming little structure of bright green mosses, lichens, and
cobwebs, in shape half a cone or quarter of a sphere, and it is applied
to the perpendicular side of a tree-trunk or rock on which there is
plenty of moss with which it assimilates. The cavity is usually unlined,
but occasionally moss roots are used. It is placed at all heights from
the ground.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, very blunt in shape with very
little gloss. The ground-colour is white or dingy yellowish-white,
and the markings consist of spots and blotches of grey and yellowish-
grey, the majority being collected in a zone round the larger end.
In size the eggs average about 0-60 by 0-48 inches.
130 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE RUFOUS-BELLIED NILTAVA
NlLTAVA SUNDARA Hodgson
Description. Length 6*5 inches. Male : Head, rump, patch on
either side of the neck and in the angle of wing shining blue ; rest
of upper parts very dark blue ; throat black, and the remainder of
the lower surface chestnut. Wings dark brown edged with purplish
blue ; tail black edged blue. Female : Olive brown with an ochraceous
tint ; tail and under tail coverts rufous ; foreneck white with a small
patch of brilliant blue on either side.
Iris dark brown ; bill black ; legs brown.
Field Identification. A rather unobtrusive bird, the size of a
robin, frequenting moderate dense jungle. The male is easily
recognised by the beautiful bright blue of the upper plumage and
chestnut under parts. The glistening blue spots on either side of
the neck in both sexes make it impossible to confuse it with Tickell's
Blue Flycatcher or the Blue-throated Flycatcher.
Distribution. From the Murree Hills in North-west Himalayas, east
to Szechuan and south through Yunnan and Burma to South China
and Siam . In the Himalayas there is an eastern and western race. The
former, N. s. sundara, ranges from Nepal to Assam, ascending the
hills as high as 8000 feet, while in the Outer Himalayas between 5000
and 9000 feet. From Kumaon to Murree it is replaced by a paler form,
N. s. whistleri. Both these forms move lower down in the autumn to
the foothills and in some localities to the adjoining plains. Closely
allied, but two inches larger, is the Large Niltava, Niltava grandis, in
which the male lacks the chestnut on the breast and the back is a
dull bluish ashy, while the female is a reddish olivaceous brown with
the usual brilliant blue neck spots. It inhabits the Himalayas from
Nepal to Burma and Yunnan at altitudes from 3000 to 7000 feet.
Habits, etc. Although this Flycatcher is by no means uncommon,
it is apt to be overlooked in spite of the gay plumage, since it keeps
to a great extent to thick evergreen undergrowth and, as a rule, rather
damp spots. It does, however, frequent in some parts of its range
pine forests, but only where there are damp nullahs with plenty of
undergrowth on the banks of streams running through them.
The breeding season is from April to July. The nest is usually
in a crevice in rocks or the trunk of a tree, sometimes amongst the
roots ; and occasionally in the long grass on the rocky banks of
streams. It is well concealed, constructed of grass and lined with
fern stems, and closely resembles that of the common Robin.
The eggs are blunt ovals varying from three to four, and they too
are similar to those of the Robin, but often more densely mottled
with pale pinkish-brown.
They measure 0-85 by 0-63 inches.
THE PARADISE FLYCATCHER 131
THE PARADISE FLYCATCHER
TCHITREA PARADISI (Linnaeus)
(Plate ix, Fig. 2, opposite page 176)
Description. Length 9 inches, exclusive of the sharply-graduated
tail ; in older males the central pair of feathers form ribbon-like
streamers up to 10 inches in length.
Adult male : Pure white ; the head, neck and crest glossy bluish-
black ; the upper parts faintly streaked with black, the wing- and
tail-feathers heavily lined with black.
Female and young male : Head, neck and crest glossy bluish-
black ; a collar round the neck, chin, throat and upper breast dark
ashy merging into white on the abdomen ; remainder of upper parts,
wings and tail bright chestnut.
The plumages of the male are not yet fully understood and
individuals will be found in various stages intermediate to the
extremes above described. A phase in which the long streamers
and the upper parts are chestnut instead of white may be dimorphic
to the fully white adult.
Iris dark brown ; bill and rim round the eye bright cobalt-blue ;
legs plumbeous-blue.
The bill is flattened and swollen and fringed with coarse hairs.
Field Identification. Older males cannot be confused with any
other species owing to the central pair of tail-feathers being elongated
into ribbon-like streamers 10 inches long, white or chestnut in colour.
These droop gracefully in rest or stream out behind the bird in
flight. Females and younger males have a crested, glossy black
head and bright chestnut upper parts, wings and tail, and ashy or
white under parts. Purely arboreal, active and lively.
Distribution. The Paradise Flycatcher occurs from Turkestan,
Afghanistan and Baluchistan, through India and Burma, and still
farther eastwards. It is divided into several races, of which we are
concerned with three. The typical race occurs throughout the
Peninsula from the Western United Provinces to the Brahmaputra,
southwards to Cape Comorin and visiting Ceylon in winter. In that
island there is a resident race as well, T. p. ceylonensis, which has
always had the adult male chestnut instead of white. The paler race,
inhabiting Afghanistan, Turkestan, Kashmir, and the Himalayas to
Eastern Nepal is known as T. p. leucogaster. A third race nicobarica,
with the head, neck and breast ^.shy-grey and the cap and a short
crest only black, is found in the Duars and Upper Assam, migrating
in winter to the Nicobars and Andamans.
Very little is definitely known about the status and movements of
this common and widely-spread bird, but it is undoubtedly migratory
132 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
to a large extent. In the North-western Himalayas and Salt Range
it is a summer visitor, only arriving about March and April and
departing about September ; in most of the Punjab it is purely
a passage migrant in those months. To Sind it is a scarce winter
visitor ; in many other localities it is undoubtedly a resident.
Habits, etc. The Paradise Flycatcher has been aptly named ;
the long waving tail plumes recall the ornaments of the true Birds
of Paradise, and for sheer beauty of contrast and purity of colora-
tion and for grace of form and movement, the adult male must be
without a rival in India. If Paradise is the home of perfection,
there indeed must this bird find a place. In nature its beauty is
enhanced by its surroundings ; for it is a bird of pleasant groves
and well-watered shady nullahs, where stray gleams of sunshine
strike through the boughs, bringing into colour sprays of foliage and
illuminating patches of the ground and throwing them into relief by
contrast with mysterious shadows. In such a spot the Paradise
Flycatcher delights to dwell, perching on the sprays, and disappear-
ing into the shady depths, now hidden from sight, now caught in
the rays of sunshine as he flies across the intervening spaces. The
long streamers give a curious effect to the flight ; the bird appears
to float softly along without particular volition or ability to direct its
course, moving in a series of dreamy impulses ; though the younger
birds with short tails show themselves possessed of strong and
decided flight. All food is taken on the wing, and that the bird
is capable of speed and skill in the air is proved by the fact that
dragon-flies are sometimes captured.
This species is purely arboreal, its feet being too short and weak
for progress on the ground. It is a very lively and cheerful bird,
incessantly on the move ; males often flirt their tails about, opening
and closing the feathers and making play with the long streamers.
When sitting on a twig the carriage is very upright.
The ordinary call-note is harsh and disappointing, a sharp grating
note ; but the song is a low pleasant warble of distinct merit, though
it is not very often heard.
The breeding season differs according to locality. In Northern
India it lasts from April to June ; in the south it is earlier, com-
mencing about February. Probably more than one brood is raised.
The nest depends for protection on its position rather than on
concealment ; though at first sight it escapes notice by its ridiculous
conspicuousness ; it is too easy to see, the eye and brain are looking
for something more difficult to find. It is a very neat and compactly-
built cup, either shallow and rounded or a deep inverted cone ; it is
built of soft grass, scraps of leaf and moss, all very firmly plastered
together with spiders' webs and studded with small cocoons and
pieces of lichen ; there is a neat lining of fine grass and hair, the
PLATE VII
.9
TS
I
O
. 132
THE PARADISE FLYCATCHER 133
whole forming a Structure worthy in its beauty of the architect. It
is placed on a twig or stem, growing at any angle or at any height
from the ground from 5 to 40 feet. The branch of a tall mango
tree in the plains, and a thick brier stem in the hills are favourite
situations. Both sexes incubate, and the male may be seen on the
nest with the long streamers drooping over the side. In different
pairs the males may be found in every stage of plumage, as they
commence to breed when a year old.
The eggs are in shape a rather long oval, somewhat pointed
towards the small end, and they are usually dull and glossless.
The ground-colour varies from pale pinkish-white to a warm salmon-
pink and is more or less thickly spotted with rather bright brownish-
red spots which tend to form an irregular cap or zone at the broad
end. A few tiny, pale, inky-purple blotches occur also about the
broad end. The eggs resemble in miniature one of the types of egg
laid by the Common King- Crow.
They measure about 0*80 by 0*60 inches.
THE BLACK-NAPED FLYCATCHER
HYPOTHYMIS AZUREA (Boddacrt)
(Plate xi, Fig. i, opposite page 220)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : Head, neck and breast
brilliant lilac-blue, a minute patch about the base of the bill, a large
patch on the back of the head and a crescentic bar on the throat
deep velvet-black ; remainder of upper parts dark blue ; wings and
tail sooty-black, washed with dark blue ; remainder of lower parts
white.
Female and immature birds : Head, neck and breast dull ashy-
blue ; remainder of upper parts, wings and tail dark ashy-brown ;
remainder of lower parts white.
Iris dark brown ; bill dark blue, edges and tip black ; leg
plumbeous, claws horny.
The bill is broad and flattened at the base and fringed with long
hairs ; legs weak.
Field Identification. A slender, rather elongated bird of which
the male is blue throughout except for the white abdomen. The
blue of the head and neck is very brilliant and emphasised by the
black velvet skull-cap, set well back, and the black crescent on the
throat. The female lacks these velvet patches and is much browner,
with only a wash of blue about the head and neck. Usually solitary,
catching flies about trees.
12
134 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Distribution. A widely-distributed species, occurring in India,
Ceylon, Assam, Burma, Yunnan, Siam, and Indo-China across to
the Philippines. There are several races. The Indian race, H. a.
styani y which also extends eastward to Hainan, occurs throughout
the whole country except north-west of a line from Lucknow, Sehore,
and Western Khandesh. H. a. ceylonensis, restricted to Ceylon, lacks
the black on the throat. It is largely confined to the various hill
ranges, but apparently does not occur much over 4000 feet. A resident
species with slight local movements.
Habits, etc. This beautiful Flycatcher is found in well-wooded
parts of the country where it frequents patches of thick jungle and
is particularly fond of shady nullahs overhung by lofty trees. It is
also fond of bamboo jungle and may be found in open country in
clumps of tiees or in single trees near villages. It is usually solitary,
flying from tree to tree, remaining a short time in each, capturing
insects on the wing. Now and again it flits actively amongst the
branches, spreading its tail after the fashion of a Fantail-Flycatcher.
It never descends to the ground. The food consists of a variety of
small insects and as it captures these it utters a sharp little call which
resembles one of the calls of the Grey Tit. At times several individuals
join the mixed hunting parties and travel with them through the trees.
The breeding season lasts from the latter half of April until
August, most nests being found in June and early July. The season
is somewhat earlier in the north than in the south.
The nest is a deep little cup composed internally of fine grass
stems well woven together. Externally it consists of rather coarser
grass and vegetable fibres and it is practically coated with cobwebs
by which numerous small white cocoons and tiny pieces of dry
leaves and lichen are attached to the nest. Sometimes some green
moss is mingled with the cocoons. It is very neat and rather massive'
in construction. The nest is usually placed in a slender fork of an
outer branch of a tree at no great height from the ground or fastened
to some pendant bamboo spray.
The clutch consists of two to four eggs, three being the usual
number. The egg is a miniature of that of the Paradise Flycatcher.
It is a moderately broad and very regular oval, slightly compressed
towards the smaller end. The shell is very fine and smooth, with
little or no gloss. The ground-colour varies from almost pure white
to pale salmon-pink ; the markings consist of minute specks or small
spots of red or reddish-pink, varying much in intensity and mingled
with a few small pale purple spots. As a rule the markings are most
plentiful towards the larger end of the egg, tending to form a zone
or cap.
The egg measures about 0-69 by 0-53 inches.
THE WHITE-BROWED FANTAIL-FLYCATCHER 135
THE WHITE-BROWED FANTAIL-FLYCATCHER
LEUCOCIRCA AUREOLA (Lesson)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike, except that the
female is rather browner above. Forehead and a very broad stripe
above the eye white ; remainder of head black, the feathers of the
cheeks, chin and throat edged with white ; remainder of upper
plumage, wings and tail brown, the wing-coverts tipped with white, and
all but the central pair of tail-feathers tipped with white, progressing
more broadly outwards, till the outermost feather is almost entirely
white ; sides of the breast black ; remainder of lower plumage white.
Iris brown ; bill and legs black.
The bill is large and flat and fringed with long hairs. The tail
is very ample and rounded, spreading into a fan.
Field Identification. Common throughout the plains. A small
black and white bird, with a charming bar of song, which pirouettes
about the shady branches of trees incessantly fanning its tail.
Distribution. This Fantail- Fly catcher is found practically through-
out India, Ceylon, Assam, Burma and South-west Siam. In India
it is found from the plains up to about 4000 feet in the Outer
Himalayas. It is divided into races, of which we are concerned
with two. The typical race is found throughout Northern India
though it does not occur in Kashmir, the North-west Frontier
Province or Baluchistan. The southern boundary is not well-defined
but all birds from the Madras Presidency belong to the darker
Cingalese race (L. a. compressirostris) in which the white tips to the
tail-feathers are shorter and two central pairs are without white tips.
Mention must be made of two closely-allied species which are
locally common. The White-throated Fantail (Leucocirca albicollis),
which frequents shady ravines and may be easily distinguished by the
sooty-brown colour of the lower parts, is found along the Outer
Himalayas up to about 7000 feet from Murree on the west (and with a
wide distribution east of our area). The White-spotted Fantail
(Leucocirca pectoralis) is resident in Central and Southern India from
Mount Aboo and Goona to the Palnis, being particularly well known
in the Nilgiris. It is somewhat similar to the White-browed Fantail
in appearance but may be distinguished by having a brown pectoral
band across the white under parts. All are resident species though
slight local movements may be detected.
Habits, etc. The various Fantail-Flycatchers are all very much
alike in their habits and characteristics. The White-browed Fantail
is a bird of open country, frequenting groves of trees in cultivation,
gardens and roadside trees, being strictly arboreal, and only descending
to the ground for occasional momentary visits. For liveliness and
136 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
grace it is not to be surpassed. It is never still, and the whole livelong
day it dances and pirouettes, filled with an inimitable joie-de-vivre.
It flits amongst the leafy boughs of some giant mango tree with a
short jerky flight, and where it settles there it postures ; it turns
from side to side with restive, jerky movements ; like a ballet-dancer
before her mirror it tries new steps and attitudes ; down drop the
wings, up jerks the head, and all the time the dainty round fan of the
tail is opened and closed and flirted with all the coquetry and grace
of a beauty of Andalusia. Never was bird better named ; wa\ch it
for the first time and within the first few seconds the name of Fantail
rises unbidden to the mind. Now and again the bird leaves the
shelter of the branches and launches into the air, seeming to tumble,
bent on suicide ; a rapid snap at some tiny insect invisible to human
FIG. 19 White-browed Fantail-Flycatcher (| nat. size)
eye, a swift recovery, and it has returned to the cool shelter of the
leaves, and is once more bowing and dancing. Now and again the
happy little dancer breaks into song, a few notes in a regular scale/
which seem more a human melody than the song of a bird, and break
off just as groping memory has almost remembered their source.
The song stops suddenly in the middle of the scale (it is always the
same and always stops in the same place), and with a sharp twittering
note the bird is off to another tree where the minuet begins afresh.
Amongst the other attractions of this dainty bird is its boldness ;
song and dance go on in spite of human presence, and I have seen
one fly down and snap an insect off the shoulder of a servant who
was talking to me. The food consists entirely of insects, mostly of
the minutest size, and throughout the whole of the bird's movements
can be heard the snapping of its beak as it feeds.
Eggs may be found from the end of February to the early part
of August ; though the majority will be found in March and July.
Two broods are reared, and this often from the same nest.
The nest is a most beautiful structure. It is a tiny cup, small,
THE WHITE-BROWED FANTAIL-FLYCATCHER 137
even for the size of the bird, and is attached to the upper surface of
a twig or small branch, often at the junction of a fork. Viewed from
the ground it has much the appearance of a small hornet's nest.
It is made of fine fibres and grasses closely welded and bound
with cobwebs and sometimes studded with small cocoons or spiders'
egg-bags. There is a neat lining of fine grass stems. It is built at
any height from 4 to 40 feet from the ground. Even in the nest the
bird is restless, often turning about, spreading her tail, or flying off
for a minute or two. The male remains very faithfully in the vicinity,
and without the least hesitation launches out to attack passing Crows
or other possible enemies.
The eggs vary from two to four in number, while three is the
usual clutch. They are moderately broad ovals compressed towards
the small end. The ground-colour varies from pure white to very
pale yellowish-brown or dingy cream colour ; and the markings are
generally largely confined to a broad irregular zone near the large end
of greyish-brown specks and spots, with secondary markings of neutral
tint and pale grey or faint inky-purple. They are rather like miniature
Shrikes' eggs.
They measure about 0-66 by 0-51 inches.
THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE
LANIUS EXCUBITOR Linnaeus
Description. Length 10 inches. Sexes alike. A very broad band
from the beak through the eye black ; upper plumage bluish-grey,
merging into white over the wings ; wings black, variegated with
grey and white ; tail black, the feathers growing increasingly white
outwards ; the whole lower plumage white.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
Beak strong and hooked, with a deep notch at the tip of the upper
mandible ; tail rather long and graduated.
Field Identification. Plains of Continental India. A grey and
white bird with a heavy head marked with a conspicuous black band
through the eye and with much black in the wings and tail ; solitary
or in pairs, in open country sitting on the tops of large bushes.
Distribution. The Great Grey Shrike in various races has a very
wide distribution through Europe, Africa, Asia, and Northern America.
In Northern India it is represented by a resident form named L. e.
lahtora, which is common and generally distributed. It is found from
roughly the line of the Indus and from the foot of the Himalayas to
the Rajmahal Hills, Manbhum and Lohardaga in Bihar, southwards
to Belgaum and Chanda. It is not found in the hill ranges.
Habits, etc. This Shrike is a familiar species in open country,
138 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
preferring the more barren stretches of semi-desert country or wide
open plains to cultivation, though it is found also in the latter.
Forest areas it avoids. It is found solitary or in pairs and is very
conspicuous from its white, black and grey plumage and its habit
of perching on the tops of bushes and small trees. It captures
most of its food on the ground, leaving its vantage-point from time
to time to fly down after a toothsome morsel and in returning to
the perch it flies low over the ground and then turns sharply up to
settle ; the flight is undulating but strong. Each bird or pair % have
their own beat and resent the intrusion of other species. The alarm-
note is a harsh grating call, but the bird is capable of considerable
powers of mimicry which serve it as a song. The food consists largely
v
FIG. 20 Great Grey Shrike (J nat. size)
of beetles, crickets, lizards, and ants, and like other Shrikes this species
has the habit of impaling surplus food on thorns to form a larder.
The breeding season extends from January to October, but the
majority of eggs are laid in March or April. Two broods are
sometimes reared.
The nest is a large bulky cup, solid and well constructed, and
placed at moderate heights from 4 to ra feet up in a thick bush or
small tree, preferably thorny in character. It is composed of thorny
twigs, coarse grass roots and the like, thickly lined with wool, fibres,
cotton and other miscellaneous materials soft in character.
The eggs vary in number from three to six. In shape they are
a broad oval, somewhat pointed towards the smaller end. The
texture is fine and close and there is a slight gloss. The ground-
colour is delicate greenish-white, moderately blotched and spotted
with various shades of brown and purple, the markings in nearly
every case collecting into a wide zone round the broader end.
The eggs measure about 1*05 by o8o inches.
THE BAY-BACKED SHRIKE 139
THE BAY-BACKED SHRIKE
LANIUS VITTATUS Valenciennes
(Plate ix, Fig. i, opposite page 176)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. A broad band
through the eye joined by a broad band across the base of the beak
black ; crown and upper neck grey, divided from the black by a
whitish area ; back and shoulders deep chestnut-maroon ; rump
white ; wings black, with a white patch at the base of the outer
flight-feathers ; tail black with much white on the outer feathers ;
lower parts white except for the breast and flanks which are fulvous.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
The bill has a notch at the tip of the upper mandible ; tail rather
long and graduated.
Field Identification. Common in cultivation ; a small bird with
a longish tail, broad grey and white head with heavy black marking,
maroon back and black and white tail, the markings sharply defined
and conspicuous ; perches in exposed positions.
Distribution. This Shrike is a purely Asiatic species, occurring
from the west in Afghanistan and Baluchistan right across the whole
Peninsula of India to Darbhanga, the Rajmahal Hills and Midnapur.
It occurs in the Himalayas, but sparingly at heights up to 6000 feet,
extending often far into the valleys as in Chitral. In the south it
reaches Cape Comorin but it avoids the rain areas of the south-west.
In portions of its range it is migratory, but for the most part it is a
resident species.
Habits, etc. This charming little Shrike is a bird of open country
and cultivation with groves of trees, and it avoids both desert country
and thick jungle. It perches on telegraph-wires and the lower boughs
of trees, and on large bushes some 6 to 10 feet from the ground, and
watches thence for insect life to stir in the vicinity ; a desirable morsel
spied, it flies down to secure it, and after a meal upon the ground
returns to its perch. It has a fixed territory, and seldom stirs far
from its established perch. The food consists of insects, caterpillars,
beetles, and the like.
The ordinary call is a harsh churring note, but the bird has a
pleasant little warbling song and is something of a mimic, imitating
the notes of other birds.
The breeding season lasts from March to September, and it is
possible that two broods are often reared. The nest is a rather
massive, compactly woven and very beautiful cup composed of fine
grass, rags, feathers, soft twine, and a few fine twigs, the exterior
being neatly plastered with cobwebs ; it is lined, as a rule, with fine
140 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
grass. The situation chosen for the nest is in the fork of a small
tree, at heights usually about 6 to 10 feet' from the ground. The
nest is seldom well concealed, and though the bird generally comes
close to an intruder and feigns readiness to attack, its attention is
easily distracted by the sight of a caterpillar or other succulent morsel.
The clutch consists normally of four eggs, but as many as six
may be found. The eggs are very typical of the genus, broad rather
blunt ovals, fine in texture with a slight gloss. The ground-colour
is dull white tinged with stone, greenish or grey ; near the middle
of the egg towards the broad end is a wide, conspicuous but broken
and irregular zone of feeble spots and blotches of pale yellowish-brown
and pale lilac, a few of these specks and frecklings being also dotted
about the rest of the surface of the egg.
The eggs measure about O' 83 by o- 66 inches.
THE BROWN SHRIKE
LANIUS CRISTATUS Linnaeus
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
reddish-brown, brighter on the crown and nape ; a faint white line
over and a broad bladkish line through the eye ending with the ear-
coverts ; wings dark brown, the feathers margined with rufous ; tail
reddish-brown with pale tips to the feathers ; lower plumage fulvous,
whiter on the throat and belly and usually with the breast and flanks
barred finely with black.
Iris brown ; bill horny-brown, paler at gape and base of lower
mandible ; legs bluish-grey, claws brown.
The bill has a notch at the tip of the upper mandible ; tail fairly
long and graduated. -^
Field Identification. A typical Shrike, reddish-brown above with
a dark line through the eye and fulvous white below. Found sitting
on- bushes and fences in open country and the possessor of a very
harsh voice.
Distribution. This Shrike breeds over a great part of Central Asia
and Siberia and Northern China and in winter migrates south to
North-east Africa and southerr; ^\sia generally. We are concerned
with two races. The typical race winters in India east of a line from
Cawnpora to Mhow and also in Ceylon and Burma. The Turkestan
race L. c. phoenicuroides which is more brightly coloured and has a
small white patch in the wing breeds in Baluchistan and passes on
passage through the North-west Frontier Province, the Punjab and
Sind to its winter quarters in North-east Africa.
A very similar' species is the Pale-brown Shrike (Laniiis isabellinus)
THE BROWN SHRIKE 141
which is a common winter visitor to the more barren areas of North-
west India. The upper parts are sandy-brown and there is a small
white patch at the base of the wing- quills.
Habits, etc. This Shrike may be found in the cold weather in
every type of country ranging from cultivation and dry scrub or mixed
bamboo jungle to the fringes of forest and often for considerable
distances within forest where cart-tracks and clearings encourage it
to enter. In such terrain the bird is found singly, sitting on a telegraph-
wire or a fence or a bush or small tree from which it keeps a keen
lookout for its insect prey, launching out to capture it either in the
air or on the ground. It is apt to be shy and difficult* to approach
and is always an active bird except when \ sheltering from the heat of
the day.
The voice is singularly harsh, chr-r-r-ri, comparable with but easily
distinguished from the call of the Rufous-backed Shrike.
This species is one of the earliest to arrive and one of the latest to
depart of the winter visitors to India. The first arrivals may be noted
at the end of August, even as far south as Ceylon, and some birds wait
into May. A few non-breeding birds also seem to linger in the plains
throughout the hot weather.
In Baluchistan the race'L. c. phoenicuroides breeds in May and June
m a zone between 5000 and 7000 feet. The nest is a massive cup of
the usual Shrike type built of grass and bents and lined with seed-
down, wool and scraps of cloth. They are placed in trees or more
usually in low thorn bushes.
The clutch consists of four to six eggs.
The eggs are rather variable in shape, some being long ovals and
others more broad. The ground-colour varies from pale cream to
warm salmon-pink or less commonly pale stone-colour or various
shades of pale greenish. The markings are spots and blotches, mostly
in a zone round the broad end, and they vary also according to the
ground-colour from chestnut red to grey-brown and olive-brown with
secondary markings of lavender and grey.
* The egg measures about 0*75 by 0*65 inches.
THE RUFOUS-BACKED SHRIKE
LANIUS SCHACH Linnaeus
Description. Length 10 inches. Sexes alike. Forehead and a
broad band through the eye black ; crown to the centre of the back
clear pale grey merging on the shoulders and rump into bright-rufous ;
wings black with often a small white patch at the base of the outer
flight-feathers ; tail black and brown, the feathers tipped with rufous ;
142 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
the whole of the lower plumage white, washed with rufous on the
flanks and vent.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
A notch at the tip of the upper mandible; tail rather long and
graduated.
Field Identification. Perches conspicuously in open country ;
slender build with heavy head and long tail, conspicuous black
mark through eye, grey back with rufous edging, dark wings and
tail and pale under parts very distinctive ; distinguish from Bay-
backed Shrike by larger size, less black on face, and grey not maroon
back.
Distribution. Lanius schach is a common and widely-distributed
form of Shrike which occurs throughout India to China, and is
divided into several races. Four of these occur within our area.
The best known is L. s. erythro-
notus y with pale grey upper
parts and much rufous on the
lower back and scapulars,
which breeds in Turkestan,
Gilgit, Kashmir, the Outer
Western Himalayas, North-
west Frontier Province,
Baluchistan, Sind and the
F,G. 2I -Head of Rufous-backed Shrike Pu , n J ab > * nd winters in P f nin '
(11 nat. size) sular India. L. s. nepalensis,
with the upper parts dark
bluish-slate and the rufous confined to the rump, breeds in Tibet,
and is a common winter visitor to the Nepal Valley and the Outer
Eastern Himalayas. L. s. tephronotus, breeding in Suru and Lahul,
and visiting Upper India in winter, is intermediate between those
two races. L. s. caniceps, very similar to erythronotus but with less
rufous on the upper parts, is resident in Central and Southern
India and Ceylon, breeding abundantly in the hill ranges of the
south-west. The Tibetan and Lahul races breed up to 10,000 to
12,000 feet, and the other races up to 7000 to 8000 feet.
A species of similar type, but at once recognised by the black
head, is the Black-headed Shrike (Lanius nasutus) which is found in
some numbers throughout the north-eastern quarter of India from
Kumaon down to Nagpur and Vizagapatam district, breeding locally
in parts of this area.
Habits, etc. This bird is a typical Shrike, avoiding both forest
areas and desert, and preferring fairly open ground about cultivation
where a conspicuous perch on top of a bush or tree gives it a view
all around. The southern form, caniceps, is apparently strictly resident,
but the northern races are largely migrants, and their movements
THE RUFOUS-BACKED SHRIKE 143
remain to be worked out, the situation being obscured by the fact
that in some areas a proportion of individuals are resident and winter
where they breed. This Shrike has the ferocity and boldness which
is a characteristic of the larger members of the genus. It sits up
on its perch motionless, its sharp eyes watching the ground intently
for moving life, cricket or mouse, grasshopper or newly-fledged bird,
and all alike succumb to the sudden dash and the strong-hooked
beak. And its hunting never stops, for even if its voracious appetite
is satisfied it has the family habit of maintaining a " larder " in which
the surplus prey is stuck on to thorns. It is this habit which has
given to Shrikes the popular name of " Butcher-bird." Small birds
and mammals, bumble-bees, grasshoppers, dragon-flies, beetles,
butterflies, and the like may all be found firmly lodged in a favourite
tree, often eight or ten of them together. On occasions, when feeding,
the Shrike holds its food up in one foot after the fashion of a Parrot.
The ordinary call-note is harsh and scolding, gerlek-gerlek or
julek-julek, followed by a yapping yaon-yaon. The song is short
and pleasant but not often heard, while the bird is an excellent mimic,
often reeling off a regular repertory of other birds' notes.
The breeding season is somewhat irregular. Nests may be found
in different areas from February to August, and probably more than
one brood is raised ; but most nests will be found from April to
July whatever the locality.
The nest is a large, massive cup, sometimes neat and well built,
at other times a most disreputable structure. It is composed of a
medley of materials, twigs, roots, bents, grass, rags, and lumps of
wool, and the lining consists of fine grass or wool and hair. It is
placed in a tree or bush, preferably a thorny one, at heights varying
from 4 to 20 feet from the ground. The nest of the Tibetan race
may, however, be found in small bushes, only a foot from the ground,
but often there is not much choice of site in the barren hill-sides
where it breeds.
The clutch consists of three to six eggs.
In appearance they are typical of the genus, broad heavy eggs,
with very little gloss. The ground-colour is a delicate greenish-
white, in some eggs pale stone-colour or creamy ; the markings
consist of small specks and larger blotches of brown or reddish-
brown, with secondary markings of neutral tint and dark grey. They
are never very thickly distributed and generally tend to form a zone
about the broad end.
They measure about 0-92 by 0-70 inches.
144 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE PIED-SHRIKE
HEMIPUS PICATUS (Sykes)
Description. Length 5 inches. Male : Top and sides of the head
and neck and the back glossy black, the feathers of the rump broadly
tipped with white ; wings black, a white line running through the
centre of the closed wing ; tail black, all but the middle feathers
broadly tipped with white, the whole outer edge of the outer feather
white ; cheeks and sides of the neck white, produced to form an
indistinct half-collar ; lower plumage pale vinaceous-grey shading into
white on the chin and under the tail.
Female : Similar to the male but the black is replaced by sooty-
brown.
Iris yellowish-brown ; bill black ; legs blackish-brown.
The bill is broad and flattened like that of a Flycatcher.
Field Identification. A small black and white or brown, black
and white bird found in parties in trees, hopping about the branches
like Woodshrikes or flying into the air to catch insects like Flycatchers.
Largely confined to hill jungles.
Distribution. The typical race as described above is found in
Saugor district ; along the west coast of Peninsular India from the
Satpuras to the Travancore Hills ; in parts of the Eastern Ghats ;
in Lower Bengal and Lower Assam and into Lower Burma and
Tenasserim. It extends also further east to Sumatra and Borneo.
It occurs from 500 to about 6000 feet.
In the Sub-Himalayan ranges up to 5000 feet from Simla (very
rare) eastwards, in Upper Assam and Upper Burma to Northern
Yunnan and North Siam it is replaced by H. p. capitalis in which
the male differs in having the back and rump smoky-brown instead
of glossy black. The females are indistinguishable. There is also
an island race, //. p. leggei, in Ceylon. In this the male and female
are exactly alike and indistinguishable from the male of the typical
race. The racial differences in this species thus form a most interesting
evolutionary sequence. A resident species.
Habits, etc. The Pied- Shrike is a strictly arboreal bird. It is
found in many types of tree-growth, in lofty trees, in the fringe of
evergreen jungle, in the foliage of secondary growth in thin jungle
and even on occasion in roadside bushes and mere scrub. Except
in the breeding season it is found in small parties of about half a
dozen individuals and these often join the mixed hunting parties.
In habits these birds resemble both the Flycatchers and the Wood-
shrikes and between the latter and the true Shrikes they form a very
definite connecting link. Like the Woodshrikes the members of a
THE PIED-SHRIKE 145
party follow each other from tree to tree, searching the twigs and leaves
for the insect life which forms their food. Like the Flycatchers they
capture winged prey by launching graceful sallies after it into the
air, turning and twisting in mid-air with great agility. The notes,
frequently uttered, are a little trill whi-ri-ri y whi-ri-ri, whi-ri-ri-ri,
etc. very reminiscent of a cheap squeaky cracker whistle.
The breeding season of the typical form is from March to May
in Western India, but that of the brown-backed race capltalis is
apparently somewhat later, about May and June. The nest is a very
beautiful structure ; it is composed of grass and fine roots covered
externally with cobwebs and pieces of grey lichen and moss, taken
apparently from the tree on which it is built, so that it corresponds
almost exactly with the branch or fork in which it is placed. This
is usually at a considerable height from the ground and the branch
chosen is often a bare one. In shape the nest is a shallow cup with
a cavity i inches across and J inch deep, and it is so small for the
size of the bird that when the latter is sitting the whole of the tail
and the body down to the lower part of the breast is visible to the
observer below. The bird, in fact, merely appears to be sitting on a
small lump of moss and lichen.
The nestlings have a remarkable habit of sitting motionless with
their eyes shut and their heads raised together in the centre of the
nest, so that they and the nest together appear to form a dead spur
of the branch on which the nest is built.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs.
The eggs are very Shrike-like in appearance, rather elongated
ovals somewhat obtuse at both ends and entirely devoid of gloss.
The ground-colour is a pale greenish or greyish-white, profusely
blotched, spotted and streaked with darker and lighter shades of
umber-brown and dull inky-purple. These markings are usually in a
zone at one end. In some specimens the markings are sparse and small.
In size the eggs average about 0-65 by 0-5 inches.
THE COMMON WOOD-SHRIKE
TEPHRODORNIS PONDICERIANUS (Gmelin)
(Plate ix, Fig. 3, opposite page 176)
Description. Length 6 inches. Sexes alike. The whole upper
plumage ashy-brown, the feathers of the wings edged paler ; tail
dark brown, the central pair of feathers tinged with ashy, the two
outer pairs almost entirely white ; a broad whitish streak over the
eye, and a broad dark band below it ; lower plumage ashy, paler
down the centre.
Iris yellowish-brown ; bill dark horn ; legs dark plumbeous-brown.
K
146 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Field Identification. Common plains species ; arboreal, in parties ;
a quiet grey bird with a pale eyebrow and a dark band through the
eye, and white outer feathers in the tail.
Distribution. The Wood-Shrike is found almost throughout India,
Burma, Ceylon, Siam, and Annam, and is divided into races. The
typical race is found from the base of the Himalayas to Cape Comorin,
and on the east to Burma ; on the west it is replaced by T. p. pallidus,
a paler bird, which is found from the line of the River Indus through
the Punjab and Sind to about Kalka, Ambala, the Western United
Provinces and Khandesh. The race found in Ceylon, T. p. affinis,
which is darker below. It is a resident species.
A very similar but larger species, the Nepal Wood-Shrike (Tephro-
dornis gularis), is found in the Eastern Himalayas and has another race
on the Western Ghats from Belgaum southwards. In the latter the
adult has the upper parts a bluish-ash colour.
Habits, etc. The Wood-Shrike is a very quiet, unobtrusive little
bird which is almost entirely arboreal, hopping about the branches
of trees and searching the stems and leaves for insects and their
larvae. Occasionally it descends to the undergrowth and even to
the ground in its search for food, but this is unusual and it normally
moves from tree to tree, never leaving their cover. Forest is avoided,
the trees preferred being those of gardens, hedgerows and cultivation,
wayside trees and small groves. It is generally met with in pairs,
but in winter small parties collect and hunt in company.
The males have a very sweet and distinctive call of several whistling
notes, wheel wheel, followed by a quick repeated interrogative whi-whi-
whi-whi, besides which some low trills are uttered in the breeding
season.
The breeding season lasts from February to June, but most eggs
will be found in March and April. The nest is a very beautiful
structure, and rather small for the size of the bird. It is a broad,
shallow cup, composed of fine bents, fragments of bark and grass
stems, bound together with silky fibres and smeared exteriorly with
cobwebs, the whole being very compact and neat. The interior is
lined with wool and hair. The nest is built in a small horizontal
fork of a tree from 5 to 30 feet from the ground and is difficult to see
until the bird betrays it.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. They resemble the
eggs of the true Shrikes and are broad, regular ovals, of fine texture,
with very little gloss. The ground-colour is cream, stone, or pale
greenish-white, spotted and blotched with yellowish- and reddish-
brown ; many of these markings are gathered into a conspicuous
but ill-defined zone round the broad end, in which are intermingled
clouds of pale and dingy purple.
The eggs measure about 0-75 by 0*6 1 inches.
THE SCARLET MINIVET 147
THE SCARLET MINIVET
PERICROCOTUS SPECIOSUS (Latham)
Description -Length 9 inches. Male: Upper plumage to the
middle back, chin and throat glossy black; remainder of body
plumage scarlet ; wing black with a very broad band of scarlet
running through it, and with large round scarlet spots on the later
secondaries ; tail scarlet, the central pair of feathers black.
Female : Forehead yellow, fading on to the crown ; upper plumage
deep grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts olive-yellow ; lower plumage
yellow ; wings blackish-brown, with a broad band of yellow running
through them, and with round yellow spots on the later secondaries ;
central pair of tail-feathers black ; the next pair black with the end
of the outer web yellow ; remaining tail-feathers yellow with a black
patch at their bases.
Iris brown ; bill and legs black.
The tail is long and very deeply graduated.
Field Identification. Hill species ; purely arboreal ; found in
flocks which immediately attract attention by the scarlet and black
plumage of the males and the yellow and dark plumage of the females.
The larger size and oval spots on the secondaries distinguish it from
the Short-billed Minivet.
Distribution. The Scarlet Minivet has a wide distribution through
the Himalayas, part of Peninsular India, Assam, and Burma to China
and Hainan, as a resident species, though it appears to move
altitudinally according to season. It is divided into several races,
of which two concern us. The typical race is found throughout
the Lower Himalayas, below about 6000 feet from the Sutlej Valley
eastwards. P. s. semiruber, with the central tail-feathers largely red,
is found in Lower Bengal, Orissa, the Central Provinces, and the
Vizagapatan Ghats.
Another similar species, the Orange Minivet (Pericrocotus
flammeus), is common and resident along the forests of the Western
Ghats from Khandesh to Cape Comorin, occurring also in the
Shevaroy Hills and Ceylon. It is found up to 6000 feet. In this
the male has the lower parts orange-red.
Habits, etc. This Minivet keeps to well-wooded country, and is
a purely arboreal species, never descending to the ground. Out of
the breeding season it is found in small flocks which travel through
the tops of the trees searching for insects, usually alone, but some-
times in company with other species of insectivorous birds. Like
other Minivets, these birds flit from tree to tree in follow-my-leader
fashion, the red and yellow of the two sexes glinting in the sunlight,
while their cheery pleasant calls still further enhance the pleasure of
meeting with a flock.
148 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
The breeding season of the Himalayan race is from the end of
April to early June.
The nest is a shallow, massive little cup composed of fine twigs,
roots and grass-stems, bound together exteriorly with spiders' webs,
and studded with lichens, mosses and scraps of bark. It is placed
on a bough of a tree, and is well concealed, appearing to be merely
an excrescence of the wood.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. These are moderately
broad ovals, fine in texture and with practically no gloss. The ground-
colour is pale sea-green, and the markings consist of spots and blotches
of dark brown and lavender.
They measure about 0-90 by 0-67 inches.
THE SHORT-BILLED MINIVET
PERICROCOTUS BREVIROSTRIS (Vigors) l
(Plate XIH, Fig. 3, opposite page 264)
Description. Length 7 inches. Male : Upper plumage to the
middle back, chin and throat glossy black ; remainder of body
plumage scarlet ; wing black with a broad band of scarlet running
through it ; central tail-feathers black ; the next pair black with the
greater portion of the outer web scarlet ; the others all scarlet with
a black patch at their bases.
Female : Forehead greenish-yellow, fading on to the crown ; upper
plumage light grey tinged with olive ; rump and upper tail-coverts
olive-yellow ; lower surface yellow ; wing blackish-brown with a broad
band of yellow running through it ; central tail-feathers black ; the
next pair yellow with some black on the inner webs ; the others ajl
yellow with a black patch at their bases.
Iris dark brown ; bill and legs black.
The tail is long and very deeply graduated.
Field Identification. Purely arboreal ; found in flocks which
attract attention by the scarlet and black plumage of the males
and the yellow and dark plumage of the females. Distinguished
from the Scarlet Minivet by the smaller size, by the greater amount
of black in the tail, and by the absence of the scarlet (in female yellow)
round spots on the secondaries.
Distribution. The Short-billed Minivet has a wide distribution
through Northern India, Assam, and Burma to Eastern China. It is
divided into races, of which we are concerned with two. The typical
1 Some years ago it was pointed out that two distinct species were included
under the name brevirostris, but as the question of the correct name has not
beeri definitely decided it is considered advisable to leave the scientific name
as it appeared in the previous editions.
THE SHORT-BILLED MINIVET 149
race breeds between about 3000 and 10,000 feet on the Sufed Koh
and all along the Western Himalayas from Gilgit and Murree to
Nepal, moving in winter, from about November to the end of March,
into the plains of the Punjab, Rajputana, United Provinces, Central
Provinces, and Lower Bengal. From Sikkim eastwards to Assam and
Northern Burma it is replaced by P. b. affinis, which is a more darkly-
coloured bird in both sexes.
The Rosy Minivet (Pericrocotus roseus) in which the colours of
the male are rose-pink and brown is found throughout the Lower
Himalayas, as far west as Hazara, and also locally in the Peninsula.
Habits, etc. Except when actually breeding the Short-billed
Minivet is an essentially gregarious bird, living in family parties
which join with others to form flocks that sometimes number as
many as thirty or forty individuals. These are strictly arboreal,
frequenting the tops of trees and not descending even to the under-
growth. They are, however, by no means shy, and feeding in the
trees or flitting one by one across a patch of open the scarlet and
black of the males and the yellow of the females is so conspicuous
and so attractive in the sunlight that the Short-billed Minivet is one
of the best-known birds of the Himalayas and Northern India. There
is something particularly cheerful, too, about the pleasant call, a
Tit-like chatter, swit-swit-switi-tatit y or swisweet-sweet-sweet, though
the bird has no proper song. The food consists chiefly of insects and
their larvae.
The breeding season lasts from April to July. The nest is a
shallow but massive little cup of fine twigs, bents and roots, matted
with cobwebs, and studded with lichens to resemble the twig on
which it is placed. It is placed on a bough of a tree usually at a
great height from the ground.
The clutch consists of two to four eggs. They are moderately
broad ovals of fine texture ; the ground-colour is white tinged with
cream or greenish, and the markings consist of blotches and spots
of brownish-red, with secondary markings of grey and neutral tint.
The egg measures about 0-75 by 0-60 inches.
THE LITTLE MINIVET
PERICROCOTUS PEREGRINUS (Linnseus)
(Plate vi, Fig. 5, opposite page no)
Description. Length 6 inches. Male : Entire upper surface
grey except the rump which is flame - coloured ; wings blackish-
brown with a slight central patch of flame-colour ; tail long and
deeply graduated, blackish - brown, all but the central pair of
feathers broadly tipped with flame-colour ; sides of the head, chin
K2
ISO POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
and throat blackish-grey ; breast flame-colour, gradually paling into
the white of the vent.
Female : Paler throughout ; the whole lower plumage is white
tinged with yellow.
Iris brown ; bill and legs black.
Field Identification. Plains bird ; common in small parties,
fluttering about trees ; small with long tails, dull coloured with a
conspicuous flame-coloured patch on the rump and wing, and in
the males also on the breast.
Distribution. The Little Minivet is found throughout India,
Ceylon and Burma, extending on the east to Siam and Cochin-
China ; it is divided into several races. This species is unusually
susceptible to climatic and geographical influences. In Sind and
the South-west Punjab it is a pale desert bird, P. p. pallidus. On
the humid west coast from North Kanara to Travancore, P. p. mala-
baricus (with a black throat in the male) is as richly coloured as
any tropical species. In Ceylon an island race, P. p. ceylonensis,
approximates to another richly coloured race, P. p. vividus (with a
grey throat) in the Duars, Assam, and Burma. Whilst in the greater
part of India the typical form, itself strictly speaking an intermediate,
connects these variations, remaining unchanged through the immense
area of the Peninsula from the Cauvery to the Sutlej, and on the
edges of their ranges grading into them. A strictly resident species.
Another small species, the White-bellied Minivet (Pericrocotus
erythropygius), is found practically throughout India, except the
extreme north-west. The male is glossy black and white with a
red rump and a beautiful rosy flush on the breast.
Habits, etc. This Minivet is a plains bird, and only ascends
those lesser ranges whose elevation and character cause them scarcely
to differ from the plains. It is, like other Minivets, a purely arboreal
species, frequenting trees in open but well-timbered country, particu-
larly in the neighbourhood of cultivation ; forests it avoids. Except
in the breeding season it goes about in parties which flit gracefully
amongst the branches, uttering a low, pleasant note and occasionally
fluttering and hovering to reach those insects or their eggs and larvae
which cannot be picked with ease from a perch on the twigs.
The breeding season of this species is very extended, lasting,
according to locality, from March to September, earlier in the north
than in Central India and the south. The nest is a very beautiful
little structure which is almost impossible to find, except by watching
the birds, owing to its situation, size and character. It is a tiny
shallow cup, about two inches in diameter and one inch in depth, and
is built in a horizontal fork or on a small bough of a tree usually at a
considerable height from the ground. It is composed of very fine
twigs or grass stems, with sometimes also a few feathers, carefully
THE LITTLE MINIVET 151
bound together with cobwebs and coated with scraps of bark, lichens
and dead leaves, so that viewed from the ground it is virtually impossible
to distinguish from an excrescence of the branch on which it is built ;
the cavity is sometimes lined with fine down and cobwebs.
The normal clutch consists of three eggs.
In shape the egg is a rather blunt, broad oval, fine in texture and
without gloss. The ground-colour is a pale delicate greenish-white or
creamy-buff, and the markings consist of brownish-red specks, spots
and blotches, always more numerous towards the large end where
there is a tendency to form an irregular cap.
They measure about 0*67 by 0-53 inches.
THE BLACK-HEADED CUCKOO-SHRIKE
LALAGE SYKESI Strickland
Description. Length 7 inches. Male: Entire head, neck, and
upper breast deep black ; upper plumage dark grey ; wings black,
the smaller coverts and inner flight-feathers grey or margined with
grey and white ; tail black, the outer feathers broadly tipped with
white, the central pair entirely ash-grey; lower breast ashy-grey
fading into the white of the rest of the lower plumage.
Female : Upper plumage ashy-grey, most of the feathers faintly
barred with paler and darker grey ; wings dark sooty-brown, the
smaller coverts and inner flight-feathers grey or margined with grey
and white ; tail as in male ; lower plumage white, finely barred with
black fringes to the feathers except towards the tail.
Iris brownish-red ; bill and legs black.
The feathers are very stiff, downy and loosely attached, recalling
the plumage of Cuckoos and Doves. Tail graduated.
Field Identification. Male : Grey above, white below with black
head and neck and largely black wings and tail. Female : Ashy-grey
with the lower parts barred black and white. An arboreal species
found in small parties. In the breeding season remarkable for the
whistling call.
Distribution. Confined Jo India, Assam, and Ceylon. Distributed
very generally throughout India except north-west of a line through
Kangra, Sambhar and Mount Aboo. Occurs at all elevations up to
rarely 7000 feet. Birds from Kangra have been separated as L. s.
eximia on their darker colour. Evidently a local migrant, but the
movements have not yet been worked out.
Another species, the Large Cuckoo-Shrike (Graucalus javensis),
length 10 to 12 inches, is found throughout India, with the exception
of the Punjab plains, Sind and desert Rajputana. The plumage is
152
POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
largely grey with more or less grey barring on the white lower parts.
It keeps to the tops of trees and attracts attention by its loud, querulous
and rather Parrot-like cry. A rather larger bird is the Dark-grey
Cuckoo- Shrike, Lalage melaschista, found from Murree to Eastern
Assam and extending into the peninsula. It is a uniform dark grey
with black wings and tail, the latter tipped with white.
FIG. 22 Black-Headed Cuckoo-Shrike (jj- nat. size)
Habits, etc. The Black-headed Cuckoo- Shrike is found in well-,
timbered open country rather than in heavy forest, and is very partial
to large trees surrounding villages or the avenues of large trees which
line so many of the roads of India. It also enters gardens and
orchards and feeds along hedgerows. It never descends to the
ground. Except in the breeding season this species is usually found
in small parties which fly from tree to tree, slowly and carefully
examining the foliage for the insects and larvae which form its food.
The search is continued from bough to bough until the tree has been
thoroughly inspected when the flock flies off to another tree. It is
THE BLACK-HEADED CUCKOO-SHRIKE 153
usually a -silent bird, but during the earlier part of the breeding
season the male may frequently be heard repeating for minutes
together three loud and clear whistling notes in a descending scale.
Each time,, that he flies from tree to tree the song is repeated. The
flight is easy and somewhat undulating and the strokes of the wing
fairly rapid.
The breeding season in the greater part of the bird's range is
from June to August, but in the extreme south it is said to be somewhat
earlier, in April and May.
The nest is a very shallow rather broad cup of slight construction.
It is made of thin twigs and roots arid the exterior is lightly covered
with spiders' webs. The situation chosen is on a branch of a tree,
either in a fork or at the junction of the branch with the trunk, usually
at a height of 10 to 20 feet from the ground.
The clutch consists of two or three eggs. The egg is a moderately
broad oval, rather blunt at both ends. The shell is fine in texture
and slightly glossy. The ground-colour is pale greenish- white, thickly
blotched and streaked throughout with rather pale brown. The
markings tend to be most numerous towards the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-85 by 0-65 inches.
THE ASHY SWALLOW-SHRIKE
ARTAMUS FUSCUS Vieillot
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Entire body plumage
dull ashy, greyer on the head and paler from the breast downwards,
a blackish mark in front of the eye. Wings and tail deep blue-grey,
the latter tipped with white ; the longer upper tail-coverts white ;
the lower tail-coverts whitish, finely barred with ashy.
Iris dark brown ; bill clear pale blue, brownish at tip ; legs slate.
Bill curved, conical and pointed ; tail short and square and the
long wings when closed reach to its end.
Field Identification. Social, found in flocks ; a dull grey bird
that looks like a large heavy Swallow, soaring continuously into the
air from a perch and incessantly uttering a harsh cry.
Distribution. This interesting bird is found in the whole of India
east of a line drawn from about Simla to Godra in the Panch Mahals.
It is a resident in the plains and foot-hills up to about 2000 feet, and
in summer ascends the Himalayas up to about 5000 feet. It is also
found in Ceylon and eastwards through Burma towards Siam and
Western China. There are no races.
Habits, etc. The Swallow- Shrike is a gregarious bird, breeding
in colonies and spending its time in large flocks which feed and
rest together. It is specialised for the purpose of feeding on the
154 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
wing, and in the air looks like a large grey Swallow, though easily
distinguished by the constantly uttered harsh cry and by the slow-
sailing flight. The flocks settle in rows on some lofty bough or the
top of a tall bamboo and thence sally into the air in pursuit of
passing insects ; they fly round in a wide circle, though seldom for
more than a minute or two at a time, and then return to the perch
where they huddle closely together. During the heat of the day
they are quiescent, and they feed mostly in the early mornings and
late evenings, being partly crepuscular in their habits. They are
very bold when breeding, and attack passing Crows and Hawks, and
at times even swoop at the climber who essays to take their nest.
They never visit the ground.
FlG, 23 Ashy Swallow-Shrike ( nat. size)
The breeding season is in April, May and June. The nest is
usually placed on the top of broken projecting stumps of branches
or occasionally in holes; a favourite site is in palm trees, on the
bases of the leaves or the rough projections whence leaves have fallen. *
The site is usually 30 to 40 feet from the ground.
The nest is a shallow, loose cup of fine grass, roots, fibres,
feathers and similar miscellaneous materials, with, as a rule, no
definite lining. The clutch consists of two to four eggs, which
rather resemble those of the Shrikes. In shape the egg is a rather
narrow oval, a good deal pointed towards one end, fine in texture
and with a slight gloss. The ground-colour varies from white to
buffy-cream colour. The markings which tend to collect in a zone
round the broad end consist of spots and clouds of reddish-brown
and deep purple-brown, with secondary markings of lavender and
purplish-grey.
In size the eggs average about 0-95 by 0*65 inches.
PLATE VIII
i. Black Redstart. 2. Plumbeous Redstart. 3. Starling. 4. White-capped
Redstart. 5. Brahminy Mynah. (All about nat. size.)
[Face p. 154
THE KING-CROW 155
THE KING-CROW
DlCRURUS MACROCERCUS Vieillot
Description. Length 13 inches, including the tail 6 inches long.
Sexes alike. The whole plumage black, glossed with blue ; a small
white spot sometimes present at the base of the bill.
Iris red ; bill and legs black.
The tail is long and deeply forked, the outer feathers curling,
slightly upwards at the ends.
Field Identification. One of the commonest birds throughout
India, perching on trees and telegraph-wires ; noisy and pugnacious ;
deep black with a long, gracefully-forked tail.
Distribution. The common Black Drongo or King-Crow is a
widely-spread species occurring throughout India and Ceylon and
eastwards to China and Java. In this wide range it is divided into
several sub-species, based entirely on the variations in size and
relative lengths of wings and tails, so that individual specimens are
not easily identified. In India there is a progressive diminution in
size as one travels southwards. The longest-winged and largest-
tailed race, D. m. albirictus, is found throughout northern India from
the Lower Himalayas roughly to the southern fringe of the Indo-
Gangetic plain. All birds south of that area to Cape Comorin may
be treated as one form, D. m. peninsularis, whilst the smallest race
from Ceylon is known as D. m. minor. A resident species with some
local migrations. Found from sea-level up to about 5000 feet.
The much smaller and more highly burnished Bronzed Drongo
(Chaptia tened), and the heavily-built Hair-crested Drongo (Chibia
hottentottd), with an almost square tail and a tuft of long hairs
springing from the forehead, share a somewhat similar distribution
along the Outer Himalayas, near the eastern border of the Central
Provinces and in South-west India.
Habits, etc. In the King-Crow we have another of the most
familiar birds of India, attracting attention by its graceful shape, its
fearlessness and pugnacity, its abundance, and the wideness of its
distribution. This bird has no connection with the family of Crows ;
it belongs to a very highly-specialised and distinct family, the Dicruridce,
which appears to occupy a position between the Shrikes and the
Birds of Paradise. The familiar name is due partly to the colour " as
black as a Crow " and partly to its pugnacity and fearlessness in defence
of the nest, which leads it to attack all predaceous enemies. It is a
common sight to see a pair of these birds chasing a Crow through
the air, stooping at and around it with a mastery of flight and power,
like that of a Falcon, accompanying the performance with a series
of angry calls that attract the attention of the least observant ; verily
156 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
it is King of the Crows, who, otherwise, are a match for bird and
mammal, even including the arch-mammal man. And if necessity
arises it does not hesitate to attack Eagle, Falcon or Hawk with the
same courage.
But the King-Crow is not a mere bully : harmless species it
does not molest, and it has long been noticed that a tree containing
a King-Crow's nest usually also contains the nest of a Golden
Oriole, a Red Turtle-Dove, or some other equally gentle bird, and
FIG. 24 King-Crow (J nat. size)
it is difficult to resist the conclusion that these species recognise
the fact that the presence of the King-Crow's nest above their heads
is a guarantee of protection from all ordinary marauders.
The King-Crow is found in eveiy type of country, though it
certainly prefers the neighbourhood of open cultivation. Its chief
need is a vantage-point on which to perch, swaying and flicking its
long tail, and watching ceaselessly for every insect that stirs in the
air or on the ground. It seldom perches on buildings, but prefers a
bare dead bough at the summit of a tree or a telegraph-wire. One
may travel for days on an Indian railway and the King-Crows
dotted along the wires will be one of the unchanging sights of the
THE KING-CROW 157
journey. And from the chosen perch they are incessantly flying
either to capture an insect on the wing, returning to eat it on the
perch, or down to the ground to settle there and eat some more
sluggish quarry. Their whole build, however, precludes any
progression on the ground or about the branches of a tree and their
movements are entirely aerial. Herds of grazing cattle are generally
accompanied by one or more of these birds which travel with them,
perching on the back of one of the animals and hawking the
grasshoppers disturbed by the progress of the herd through the
grass. The bird also attends ploughing operations, perching on small
bushes and clods of earth in the vicinity and watching for larvae
exposed in the furrows. At times the King-Crow is somewhat of a
pirate, robbing Mynahs and Hoopoes as they search industriously for
tasty morsels on the ground. The food consists entirely of insects,
dragon-flies, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, bugs, etc., and their larvae.
The call-notes are loud and cheerful though somewhat metallic
in tone. The Punjabi names of Kalcheet and Kalkalichi are
onomatopoeic and fairly represent the more common calls, but it is
impossible to represent the evident fury imported into the bird's
tones when it is driving an intruder from the vicinity of the nest.
The song is short but not pleasing.
While undoubtedly in the main a resident species, the King-Crow
is certainly migratory to some extent ; but, as is almost inevitable,
with so abundant a species in which a large proportion of individuals
are sedentary, the extent and meaning of these movements is difficult
to observe and has not yet been worked out.
The breeding season extends from April to August. The nest
is a broad, shallow cup of tiny twigs and fine grass stems and roots
neatly and strongly woven together and exteriorly bound round
with a good deal of cobweb ; some nests are lined with fine grass,
horse-hair or roots. The side of the nest is thicker than the bottom
through which the eggs are often visible against the sky. It is suspended
in a horizontal fork of a tree, for the most part at a considerable height
from the ground and a little way in from the extremity of the chosen
bough. A second clutch of eggs is often laid in a nest that has been
robbed.
Three to five eggs are laid, but the usual clutch consists of
four. The egg is a rather long oval, somewhat pointed towards the
smaller end ; the shell is fine and rather fragile and usually without
gloss. The coloration is very variable. Some eggs are pure white
and spotless ; others are white with fine black spots ; while a third
type is pale salmon-colour spotted with rich brownish-red, blackish-
and purplish-brown ; there are infinite variations on these types,
but the markings are never very large or densely distributed.
The egg measures about 1*05 by 0-75 inches.
158 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
THE INDIAN GREY DRONGO
DICRURUS LONGICAUDATUS Jerdon
Description. Length 12 inches, including tail 6 inches. Sexes
alike. The whole upper plumage indigo with a high gloss ; the
lower plumage dark grey ; a blackish patch in front of the eye.
Iris red ; bill and legs black.
Tail long, slender and widely forked at the end, the outer feathers
curling upwards.
Field Identification. In the field appears black with a long,
slender forked tail, and is only distinguished from the King-Crow
with difficulty, by the more slender build, unless close enough for
the lighter duller colour of the under parts to be recognisable.
Distribution. The Grey Drongo is a very widely-spread species
in India, Burma, Ceylon, and still farther east, and has been divided
into a number of races based on differences of measurements and the
comparative darkness or lightness of the plumage, but several of
these are probably unnecessary. D. I. longicaudatus is found, as a
summer visitor from March to September, in the Himalayas from
Hazara to somewhere in Assam, being replaced in Lower Burma and
the Malay Peninsula by D. L intermedius. D. I. longicaudatus is found
also as a winter visitor throughout the greater part of Continental and
Peninsular India, avoiding Sind, Punjab, Guzerat and portions of
Rajputana. It also reaches Ceylon in winter.
The Grey Drongo is particularly a hill species, for the most part
breeding at altitudes between 4000 and 7000 feet, but also lower and
up to 10,000 feet.
The White-bellied Drongo (Dicrurus ceerulescens) is widely dis-,
tributed and locally common throughout the greater part of India,
except in the Punjab, Sind, and Rajputana. The brownish-grey
throat and breast and white belly distinguish it easily from all other
species, though it must be remembered that the young of the King-
Crow have the lower abdomen largely marked with white. The song
of this King-Crow is almost meruline in character, and is superior
to the songs of all other species of Drongo.
Habits, etc. The Grey Drongo is typically a resident of well-
wooded hills, preferring those of more open character to the
neighbourhood of dense forest. It has the same habits as the
Black Drongo, perching on high trees and hawking insects in their
vicinity. But as its favourite tree is usually on the side of some
afforested mountain-slope it normally flies at greater heights from
the ground than its Black cousin, and seldom descends actually to
the ground. It is a magnificent flier, turning and twisting with
extreme speed and skill, and it has the pugnacity of the family,
THE INDIAN GREY DRONGO 159
hunting larger birds from the vicinity of its nest with great courage.
It is usually found singly or in pairs, but the pairs do not object
to the vicinity of others of their own species, and several birds
often collect together to mob a common foe or to work some
desirable feeding ground. During migration small parties travel
together.
The Grey Drongo has much the same range of musical calls as
the Black Drongo, some harsh and scolding, others sweet and
cheerful ; a common call may be given as drangh-gip or gip-gip-
drangh. There is a short but pleasant song, and in addition the bird
is something of a mimic.
The food consists entirely of insects, the majority of which are
taken on the wing. A bird has been seen to settle by a bee-hive and
deliberately pick up and eat the bees.
The breeding season is in May and June.
The nest is a strong shallow cup, placed in a horizontal fork of a
tree at any height fiom 12 feet upwards, and often quite inaccessible.
It is built of fine grass stems, slender twigs and roots, plastered with
cobwebs and lichens and lined with finer grasses and hairs. The
bottom of the nest is usually thin enough for the eggs to be visible
through it against the sky.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, fine in texture and without
gloss. There are two main types of coloration. The first is pinkish-
salmon colour, streaked, blotched, and clouded with reddish-pink of
a darker shade. In the other the ground-colour is pale pinkish-white
boldly blotched and spotted, mostly in a zone round the broad end,
with brownish-red and faint inky-purple.
The egg measures about 0-95 by 0-74 inches.
THE LARGE RACKET-TAILED DRONGO
DISSEMURUS PARADISEUS (Linnaeus)
Description. Length to end of central tail-feathers 14 inches ;
outer tail - feathers up to 13 inches extra. Sexes alike. Entire
plumage black, glossed with blue except on the inner webs of the
wing-quills, throat and lower abdomen ; some white spots under
the wing.
Iris crimson ; bill and legs black.
An erect crest of long hackle-like plumes on the forehead falling
backwards over the nape ; the outer pair of tail-feathers greatly
elongated, the middle portion of the shaft webless, the terminal four
inches having the outer web very narrow and the inner web broad
and twisted upwards ; a twist in the shaft reverses the apparent
position of these webs.
160 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Field Identification. A glossy black bird, immediately identified
by the plumed crest and the extraordinary development of the outer
tail-feathers into rackets on the end of the wire-like shafts.
Distribution. Throughout the greater part of India, Burma, and
Ceylon to Siam and the Malay Peninsula. It has been divided into
a number of races differing in the size and
quality of the crest and tail. D. p. grandis
breeds along the Himalayas from Kumaon
to Eastern Assam and through to Yunnan,
from the plains up to 3000 and occasionally
4000 feet ; it extends east of a line
roughly from Kumaon to Mount Aboo
southwards to Sambalpur, Raipur and the
northern reaches of the Godavari River.
D. p. malabaricus, an altogether smaller
bird, occupies the rest of India south of
the above range. In Ceylon there are two
races, both still smaller, one D. p. ceylon-
ensis confined to the dry zone, and the
other with different outer tail feathers,
D. p. tophorhinuSy restricted to the wet
zone. It is a resident species.
This species must not be confused with
the Lesser Racket-tailed Drongo (Bhringa
remifer) of the Eastern Himalayas, Assam
and Burma which has the rackets fully
webbed on both sides, lacks the crest and
has the feathers of the forehead produced
in a curious flat pad over the base of the
beak.
Habits, etc. This wonderful Drongo,
known familiarly as the Bhimraj, is a forest
species, inhabiting by preference the
FIG. 25 Large Racket-tailed densest and dampest of the Indian forests,
Drongo ( \ nat. size) though it is also found in any well-wooded
country and even comes into gardens.
It appears to have a special partiality for bamboo jungle and is entirely
arboreal in its habits. It is more sociable than other Drongos, often
going about in parties of four and five. These parties appear to wander
a good deal in search of food, flying from tree to tree, swooping at
insects on the wing or capturing them from the branches. The bird
also hunts from a fixed station, returning again and again to the same
tree. Its food consists of a variety of insects, wasps, beetles, butter-
flies, locusts and their larvae, and it is accustomed to devour quantities
of bees.
THE LARGE RACKET-TAILED DRONGO 161
The call is very striking, beginning with a harsh chuckle and
ending in a peculiar metallic creaking cry, expressed by the syllables
tse-rung, tse-rung. It has in addition a number of musical calls and
whistles and is justly celebrated as a very fine mimic, imitating all
the birds of the locality. It makes a delightful pet, fearless and most
amusing with its imitations of noises about the house and garden.
The breeding season is from March to May, and, when nesting,
the bird is accustomed to harry passing birds of prey. The nest
is the usual cup-cradle of the Drongos, slung in the fork of a small
outside branch of a tree, usually at a great height from the ground.
It is composed of fine twigs and grass stems well interlaced
and firmly attached to the fork and strengthened with cobwebs ;
the outside is usually decorated with lichen, moss and scraps
of bark.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs. They are rather long
and pointed, fine in texture and with little gloss. The ground-
colour varies from white to rich cream, marked with blotches, spots
and specks of reddish-brown or purple and secondary markings of
lavender and pale neutral tint. The markings tend to collect towards
the broad end.
The egg measures about 1-15 by 0-83 inches.
THE INDIAN GREAT REED- WARBLER
ACROCEPHALUS STENTOREUS (Hempr. and Ehrn.)
Description. Length 7 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
olive-brown ; an indistinct fulvous buff line over the eye ; wings
and tail dark brown, washed with olive-brown ; chin and throat
creamy-white ; remainder of lower plumage fulvous buff, paler about
the vent.
In worn plumage the upper parts become much greyer and the
lower parts whiter.
Iris yellow-brown ; bill blackish-brown, base of lower mandible
fleshy-livid ; legs steely plumbeous. Inside of mouth salmon-red.
The tail is somewhat graduated.
Field Identification. One of the largest of the Warblers. A dull
olive-brown bird with fulvous under parts, chiefly remarkable in the
hand for the rich salmon-red mouth. Normally found in dense
reed-beds where it is very noisy.
Distribution. This species is widely distributed from Egypt and
Palestine through Western and Central Asia to India, Ceylon and
Burma. It is divided into races. Indian birds belong to the race
A. s. brunnescens which also breeds in Transcaspia, Persia and
Turkestan. In our area it is known to breed in suitable jheels in
L
i6z POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Sind, Baluchistan, North-west Frontier Province, Kashmir, the
Punjab and the United Provinces, and possibly also in Khandesh
and Bombay. It is largely migratory and is found in winter or on
passage throughout India. A smaller and more richly coloured race,
A. s. meridionalis, is resident in Ceylon.
Habits, etc. The Great Reed-Warbler is normally a bird of dense
reed-beds though it may also be found in any other thick cover
over water, such as the mangrove swamps along the tidal creeks
of the Bombay and Sind coasts. In such places it is more often
heard than seen. The call and alarm note is a harsh chack chack,
while the song is very distinctive, never forgotten when once heard.
It is very loud and variable, hard and metallic for the most part, but
also interspersed with pleasant bars. But the essential burden of
the refrain, constantly recurring, is the loud karra karra karreet
karreet karreet or prit prit pritik which suddenly bursts out of a
reed-bed with astonishing vehemence. It is to be heard everywhere
in the lakes of the Kashmir Vale even amongst the house-boats by
the Dal Darwaza in Srinagar. The singer himself usually keeps out
of sight, climbing about the reed stems and the heaps of debris a
few inches above the surface of the water. Although such a skulker
the bird is not particularly shy and allows a close approach, while at
intervals it climbs to the tops of the reeds or even into neighbouring
trees, singing a few bars of the song from such a vantage-point before
returning to the shady depths of the reed-bed. The food consists
of the various aquatic larvae and insects, small snails and slugs and
aquatic seeds to be found in such situations.
On migration the Great Reed-Warbler may be found almost
anywhere, skulking in garden bushes, hopping about in the boughs
of trees. It is then silent, save for the call-note.
The breeding season, which is of course dependent on the growth
of reeds, is from late May to August, most eggs being found in June
and July.
The nest is a very deep massive cup, which is woven round the
stems of four or five reeds usually at a height of about 2 feet above
the water. The nest is built of coarse water grass, shreds of leaves
and bark of the reeds, the fibrous roots of water-plants and similar
materials, and it is lined with finer materials of the same sort.
The clutch varies from three to six eggs, but four is certainly the
normal number. The egg is a moderately elongated oval with a fine
shell but no gloss. The ground-colour varies from greenish- or
bluish-white to creamy stone-colour. The markings consist of very
fine stippling overlaid with fairly bold and well-marked spots and
blotches of greyish-black, inky-purple, olive-brown, yellowish-olive,
and reddish-umber-brown, with here and. there pale underlying
clouds of pale inky colour. The markings are usually most dense
THE INDIAN GREAT REED-WARBLER 163
towards the broad end, and there is a great deal of variation, not all
the above markings and colours always appearing in one specimen.
The egg measures about 0-90 by 0-60 inches.
BLYTH'S REED-WARBLER
ACROCEPHALUS DUMETORUM Blyth
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. An indistinct fulvous
streak over the eye ; the remainder of the upper plumage and the
sides of the face and neck brown distinctly tinged with olivaceous ;
wings and tail brown, the feathers edged with olivaceous ; the whole
lower plumage pale buff, paler on the chin, throat and abdomen.
Iris light brown ; bill brown above, flesh-coloured below ; gape
and mouth yellow ; legs brown, soles yellowish.
Tail somewhat graduated.
Field Identification. A miniature edition of the Great Reed-
Warbler with the mouth yellow instead of salmon-red ; much less of
a marsh bird, being found in any sort of cover except in heavy
forest.
Blyth's Reed- Warbler is usually confused with two other Warblers
of similar size and appearance. The differences from the Booted
Warbler will be found under that species (p. 164). The Paddy-
Field Warbler (Acrocephalus agricold) has the upper plumage russet
in tint instead of olivaceous and is normally found near water in
reed-beds or similar cover.
Distribution. Blyth's Reed- Warbler breeds in Russia and Western
Siberia from Esthonia to Irkutsk and southwards to Northern Persia
and Turkestan. It is a very common passage migrant from August
to October and again from March to May through the Himalayas
and in the plains north-west of a line from the Rann of Cutch to
Lucknow and a more or less common winter visitor to the rest of
India and Ceylon. It also occurs in Assam and parts of Burma.
Habits, etc. The observer in India must not be deceived by the
name of Blyth's Reed-Warbler, for on passage and in winter quarters
the neighbourhood of water has no special attraction for this species.
In winter it is a bird of thick cover, found in any type of country
other than thick forest. All that is essential to it is concealment, and
whether this be found in the hedgerows of village cultivation or the
scrub of the barren plains on the Deccan plateau, in the tamarisk
of a river-bed in the plains or the dense bracken thickets or water-
logged patches of the South Indian hills, it is content. It hops about
the hidden stems in search of insects, solitary by habit though numeri-
cally abundant ; and the observer is lucky who learns much more
164 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
of it than the single harsh note tschuk uttered at intervals of a few
seconds, varied occasionally by chur-w or chr-chr.
On passage in Northern India this Warbler may be found anywhere,
in the trees of shady gardens and orchards, in isolated bushes on
barren hill-sides and of course in any patch of thick cover. On spring
passage the song is freely uttered. It is a vigorous and rather pretty
song of a rambling character and would remind an English naturalist
rather of a Linnet than of the Reed- Warblers of his own reed-beds.
The food consists chiefly of insects and their larvae.
Blyth's Reed- Warbler does not nest within our limits.
The breeding season in the northern part of its range is about
June. The nest is built both in marshy and dry localities reed-beds
are rarely chosen in varied types of undergrowth and is a deep
cup of bents and grasses, lined with hair, slung by the sides to the
supporting vegetation.
The clutch usually consists of four or five eggs. They are said
to be very variable. The ground-colour is bluish- or greenish-white
or suffused brownish-grey, scantily but rather boldly spotted and
blotched with olive-brown and ashy-grey.
The average size is about 0-7 by 0*5 inches.
THE BOOTED WARBLER
HIPPOLAIS CALIGATA (Lichtenstein)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. A pale buffy-white
line over the eye ; upper plumage brown with a pale olivaceous
tinge ; wings and tail dark brown, the feathers edged with olive-brown,
the outer tail-feathers faintly tipped and the outermost feather also
edged with whitish ; whole lower plumage very pale buff, the throat
and middle of the abdomen whitish.
Iris brown ; bill blackish-brown above, yellowish-brown below ;
gape and mouth yellow ; legs steely blue-grey.
Tail slightly graduated.
Field Identification. A very indefinitely coloured little Warbler,
brown above and pale buffy-white below with a pale streak over
the eye. Usually found creeping about in bushes uttering a clicking
note.
Distribution. This species is divided into two forms which were
formerly ranked as two separate species. The typical race (or Booted
Warbler of literature generally) breeds in Central and Eastern Russia
and Western Siberia, occurs on passage (March-May and August-
September) in Persia, Afghanistan, Baluchistan and North-west India
and winters from Central India to Ceylon. It does not occur east
THE BOOTED WARBLER 165
of the Duars and the Lower Brahmaputra. The other race H . c. rama
(or Sykes' Tree-Warbler of literature) breeds in Persia, Turkestan,
Afghanistan, Baluchistan, the Punjab and Sind and winters in India
and Ceylon. It has not been recorded east of Moghulserai and
Assensole.
In fresh autumn plumage caligata is a darker and more fulvous
brown and rama is more of a uniform mouse-grey brown in tint,
but these differences are soon obscured by wear and bleaching and
the two races are most easily separated by the length of tail measured
from the base between the two central feathers. This is below 50
millimetres (z inches) in caligata and above that figure in rama In
other details, more particularly the bill, rama is correspondingly
larger. The two forms cannot be separated in the field. Both these
races require to be distinguished from Blyth's Reed-Warbler (Aero-
cephalus dumetorum). In the first place, their general coloration is
much greyer. 1 In both the minute first primary or flight-feather of
the wing is 3-5 to 10 millimetres longer than the primary coverts,
whereas in Blyth's Reed-Warbler and the allied Paddy-field Warbler
(Acrocephalus agricola) this feather is usually shorter than or equal
to the primary coverts and never exceeds them by more than 3 milli-
metres. In the Booted Warbler the bristles that line the base of the
beak are small and weak ; and finally the tail is much less deeply
graduated and the white edge to the outer tail-feather is distinctive.
Habits, etc. In the cold weather the Booted Warbler is a bird
of any kind of dry country where bushes abound, save actual forest.
It frequents gardens, scrub-jungle and babool trees in open fields
and in such places it will be found skulking in the undergrowth or
creeping about the branches of the babool trees. In the latter case
its movements are very reminiscent of those of the Willow-Warblers
and like the Siberian Chiff- Chaff it often flies out from the extremity
of a bough to take insects on the wing. In general, it is very
unobtrusive and seldom shows itself, but a subdued chuck or chick or
chur-r, incessantly uttered at intervals of a second or two, records its
gradual progress. Although solitary by nature, these Warblers are
often numerically so abundant, especially on passage, that numbers
will be found in suitable localities.
The song is said to be sweet and powerful and uttered both by
night and day. It is not heard, however, on passage or in winter
quarters and is confined to the breeding ground. In Baluchistan
this species breeds in every orchard and garden of the Quetta Valley
and particularly in the thick rose-hedges which surround the lucerne
fields. In the Punjab and Sind it is a bird of the grass-jungles and
1 This species differs in tint according to wear and race. If I have
appeared inconsistent in describing the exact shades of brown, it is due to that
fact and also the necessity of emphasising the varied contrasts of colour.
L2
166 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
tamarisk-beds of the riverain tracts. In some areas it is so numerous
that the breeding appears to be almost colonial.
The breeding season lasts from the second half of March to the
beginning of July. The nest is a neat, compact little cup of grass,
bits of rotten bark, hair, string and other soft material, built on a
framework of grass and lined with fine grass stems, feathers and
cotton. At Quetta it is usually placed in the heart of a rose-bush.
In the Punjab and Sind it is built either in a tamarisk or in a thick
tuft of grass and in the latter situation it is usually a foot or less from
the ground.
The clutch varies from three to five eggs. The egg is a broad
blunt oval, of fine and close texture without gloss. There is much
variety, but the ground-colour is generally a very pale grey-white
tinged with greenish or pinkish and marked with spots and speckles,
blotches and fine hair-lines and scrawls of black, purple, red-brown
or pinkish-grey.
In size the egg measures about 0-6 by 0-5 inches.
THE TAILOR-BIRD
ORTHOTOMUS SUTORIUS (Pennant)
(Plate xiii, Fig. 6, opposite page 264)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. A rufous cap on
the forehead ; remainder of top and sides of head ashy-brownish,
shading off into the shining but sullied white of the entire lower
surface ; there is a concealed dark spot on each side of the neck,
and the thighs are rufous ; remainder of upper plumage yellowish-
green, the concealed parts of the wings and tail brown.
Iris reddish-yellow ; bill dark horny, lower mandible pale flesh
colour ; legs straw colour to pale fleshy-red.
Bill rather long and sharp ; in the breeding season the male
acquires very long and pointed central tail-feathers, two inches longer
than in winter.
Field Identification. A familiar small garden bird of the plains,
green above, white below with a rufous cap ; carries the tail (which
is long and pointed in summer, short and rounded in winter) erect
over the back like a Wren ; has a loud, strident call.
Distribution. In the Tailor-bird we again have a common bird,
of wide distribution from India to China, which is divided into
several races. The typical race, small, with a large bill and no
difference between the summer and winter plumage, is confined
to the low-country in Ceylon, and in the hill zone a darker race, O. s.
fernandonis. The Indian race, O. s. guzerata, is larger, and in the
breeding season develops the long tail-feathers. It is found through-
THE TAILOR-BIRD 167
out the country except in the more extreme desert areas, and from
about Eastern Bengal and the Duars it is replaced by a more richly
coloured bird, O. s. patia. The Indian form occurs in the Outer
Himalayas up to 4000 feet, stragglers even ascending to 7000 feet, and
in the southern ranges it also is found up to 4000 feet. The Tailor-bird
is a most strictly resident species, neither migrating nor moving about
locally.
Habits, etc. By name and repute the Tailor-bird is certainly one
of the best-known birds of India, yet the number of people who can
identify it by sight or sound or give any idea of its appearance is
probably very small indeed. Like many other famous persons, the
Tailor-bird is insignificant in appearance, a small, rather gawky, green
bird, with a pointed tail and a rufous crown, which climbs about in
undergrowth and is mostly hidden from sight. It is a bird of
gardens and even verandahs, of the outskirts of villages, of patches
of low evergreen undergrowth. Forest and bare desert areas are
alike abhorrent to it. Where man has settled and made his home
there will the Tailor-bird be found. Although seldom seen by the
unobservant it is not shy, but with endless activity hops about the
bushes and creepers round a house, investigating the flower-pots
in the verandah and willingly feeding within a few feet of people,
provided that they are not moving about. And as it goes it con-
stantly utters the loud, discordant, strident call, loud for so small
a bird and unmistakable when known, which is a familiar sound in
every garden though known to few as the note of this species.
When the note is uttered the throat swells and reveals the concealed
black spots on the sides of the neck. The head and tail are held
stiffly over the back after the manner of the English Wren. The
flight is very curious ; it seldom lasts for more than a yard or two
from cover to cover, and the bird flies with obvious effort, the long
tail flicking upwards over the back in a manner that can only seem
a hindrance. The food consists entirely of insects.
But all the fame of the Tailor-bird is of course centred in its
nest, and with the unfairness of the world it undoubtedly receives
alone in popular estimation the credit as an architect which should
be distributed amongst several species. For certain of the Wren-
Warblers build nests on exactly the same principles as the Tailor-bird,
and in addition build other beautiful types of nest, which it does not.
The nest itself is a deep, soft cup of cotton-wool and down, with
a slight lining of a few horse-hairs, and occasionally a few fine grass
stems. For it the bird prepares an aerial cradle by sewing two or
more leaves together, the nest being placed within the cavity so
formed. There is a good deal of variety in the method of sewing
the leaves together ; two large ones may be joined down their edges,
several smaller leaves may be sewn together, or the nest may be
168 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
slung between two or three leaves which are sewn to it and not to
each other. The sewing is done with threads of cobweb, silk from
cocoons, wool or cottons ; the bird pierces a hole in the leaf with
its sharp beak and draws the thread through, contriving in some
manner to make a knot on the outside sufficient to prevent the
thread slipping back ; except that each stitch is made separately
it would pass well for the work of human hands. It is frequently
stated that dead leaves are picked up and sewn to the side of the
nest, but this is an error, and the explanation is simple. These
leaves were green and fresh when the work began, but they are
injured and die from the effect of the stitches, and curling in the
heat break loose from their parent stem.
The nest is placed at all elevations, either in low bushes, in the
hanging boughs of loquat and similar trees, or high up in some lordly
mango tree. The only essential condition is a tough large type of
leaf ; but most nests will be found within 6 feet of the ground.
The principal breeding season is in May, June, and July, but
occasional nests may be found in other months. The bird is very
suspicious of interference, and readily deserts a half-built nest which
has been found and looked at.
Three to six eggs may be found, but the normal clutch is certainly
three or four. They are rather long and pointed in shape, very thin
and delicate, and with but little gloss. They fall into two types of
coloration, with the ground-colour either reddish- white or pale bluish-
green ; the former is more common. The markings consist of bold
blotches or sometimes ill-defined clouds, mixed with speckles, spots,
and dashes of red, reddish-brown, brown, black, or purplish-black.
These are seldom dense in character and there is a tendency for the
larger markings to collect towards the broad end of the egg.
The eggs measure about 0-64 by 0-46 inches.
THE FANTAIL-WARBLER
CISTICOLA JUNCIDIS (Rafinesque)
Description. Length 4 inches. Sexes alike. Winter plumage :
The whole upper plumage, including the wings, dark blackish-brown,
the feathers broadly edged with fulvous ; rump plain rufous ; a broad
eyebrow, the sides of the face, except for the brownish ear-coverts,
and the whole lower plumage buffy-white, becoming buff on the
breast and flanks ; tail dark brown, central feathers edged with fulvous
and remainder with white tips and a black subterminal bar.
The male in summer has the top of the head and heck plain brown
and the tail a quarter of an inch shorter with rufous patches above
the black bar.
THE FANTAIL-WARBLER i6g
Iris yellow-brown ; bill fleshy, darker along the top ; legs fleshy.
The tail is rounded and expands into a perfect fan.
Field Identification. Plains species ; a minute, streaked black
and brown bird, with pale under parts, found in thick herbage ;
skulks until disturbed, then has a curious mounting flight in the
air, accompanied by a loud clicking note.
Distribution. The Fantail- Warbler has an immense range in
Southern Europe, Africa, and Asia, and is divided into several races.
Of these, C. j. cursitans occurs throughout practically the whole of
India from the North-west Frontier Province and Sind, but not
Baluchistan, to Assam, Burma, Siam, and Yunnan. It occurs here
FIG. 26 Fantail-Warbler (- nat. size)
and there in the various hill ranges up to about 6000 feet, but is,
properly speaking, a plains bird. In the main resident, it is also locally
migratory. A darker bird, C. j. salimalii, is resident in Travancore,
and replaced in Ceylon by the larger-billed C. j. omalura.
Habits, etc. The Fantail-Warbler is typically a bird of low, thick
cover in wide open spaces, and it is found therefore in stretches of
grassland, in patches of reeds and tamarisk thickets, or the raised
grassy bunds of rice cultivation. In such cover it skulks and is
very retiring, seldom climbing above the stems, and would not come
to notice save for its curious habits of flight. When disturbed
the bird jerks itself high into the air, and after flying some distance
falls headlong again into cover. During the breeding season the
male soars in the air in a most erratic fashion, rising and falling in
jerks but keeping roughly above the area of which the centre is the
nest site, and towards this he falls very quickly at intervals as if
intending to settle ; just, however, as he nears the ground he shoots
up into the air again and resumes his soaring jerks. All the time
he utters a creaking, clicking note which rises to its climax as each
aerial jerk reaches its highest point, coinciding with it. When feeding
170 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
young the parent approaches the nest in somewhat similar fashion,
flying well up in the air though not to the height of the male's
display ; as it comes it utters a note which is softer and more level
in tone than the display song, but the whole approach rather resembles
the above display and may easily be mistaken for it. The young in
the nest when disturbed utter a menacing, hissing note.
The breeding season lasts from April to October, but is connected
with the rains, the birds never breeding when the weather is dry.
The nest is built in a tuft of green grass near to the ground, and
is a very delicate and beautiful affair, being composed of white cobwebs
with a lining of vegetable-down, the green blades of growing grass
being incorporated in the sides of the structure. In shape it may
be oval with the entrance near the top, a long deep purse narrowing
towards the top, or a cup with a canopy woven over it.
The clutch varies from three to seven eggs, but five is the usual
number.
The eggs are rather short ovals in shape, fine and delicate in
texture with a fair amount of gloss. They are pure white, faintly
tinged with blue, or even very occasionally a definite pale blue, finely
spotted and speckled with reddish-brown ; there is a tendency for
these markings to collect into a cap or zone.
In size the egg averages about 0-59 by 0-46 inches.
THE RUFOUS-FRONTED WREN-WARBLER
FRANKLINIA BUCHANANI (Blyth)
(Plate xii, Fig. i, opposite page 242)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
including the wings reddish-brown, brighter on the head ; a mark
over the eye and the whole lower plumage white, sullied with fulvous
on the sides of the head and towards the tail. Tail brown, rather
long and graduated, all except the central pair of feathers tipped with
white preceded by a dark spot.
In winter the tail is half an inch longer.
Iris reddish-yellow ; bill brown, lower mandible pale fleshy ; legs
pale fleshy-brown.
The Wren- Warblers of the genus Franklinia have twelve tail-
feathers, which readily distinguishes them from the genus Prinia
with ten tail-feathers.
Field Identification. A small plains bird found in scrubby bushes
in open arid country ; brown above with a reddish crown and whitish
below, a long full tail edged with white. Wren-Warblers of the genus
THE RUFOUS-FRONTED WREN-WARBLER 171
Franklinia are found in parties, while those of the genus Prinia are
found usually singly or in pairs.
Distribution. A purely Indian form. It occurs in the plains of
the whole of the north-west corner of India, from the North-west
Frontier Province and the Upper Punjab through the United
Provinces, Sind, and Rajputana down to the Central Provinces,
the Deccan, and Western Bengal and Behar as far as Ranchi and
Hazaribagh. A purely resident species.
Habits, etc. This quaint little bird avoids damp and well-
timbered localities, and is by preference a bird of semi-desert
localities. It is in its element in the bare sandy plains of the
Lower Punjab, Sind, and Rajputana, where the most conspicuous
vegetation is the wild caper, whose tight thorny bushes rise in little
mounds all over miles of open country. Here this Warbler is
abundant, and one of the most noticeable birds, living in energetic
little troops which are always on the move, creeping in and out of
the bushes and running like mice on the ground at their base.
It is also addicted to dry, stony hills with low bush-jungle, and
ventures into the lighter crops such as cotton and mustard.
During the breeding season its very cheerful little song is a
marked feature of the plains that it inhabits.
The breeding season extends from March to September, and
probably two broods are reared.
The nest is usually an oval domed structure, with the entrance
near the top at one side. It is built of fine grass stems and tow-like
vegetable fibres, and the egg cavity is softly lined with vegetable-
down and a felt-like substance formed of dry portions of the ber
bush. A few nests are cup-shaped or purse-like and suspended.
The site chosen is generally very close to the ground, a matter of
inches, but it may be occasionally 3 or 4 feet above it. It is built
in bushes, a favourite situation being either a low close caper bush,
or in a heap of dead thorn loppings overgrown with grass. The
clutch varies from three to six eggs, but the usual number is five.
The egg is a moderately broad oval, the shell very delicate and
fine with a fair gloss. The ground-colour is white, slightly tinged
with greyish or greenish ; it is thickly and finely speckled all over
with somewhat dingy- or purplish-red, and there is a slight tendency
for the markings to collect towards the broad end.
The average measurement is 0-62 by 0-48 inches.
172 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
FRANKLIN'S WREN-WARBLER
FRANKLINIA GRACILIS (Franklin)
Description. Length 4 inches. Sexes alike. Summer plumage :
Upper plumage dark ashy-grey, the wings and tail washed with
brown ; lower plumage white, a broad ashy band across the breast
and the flanks washed with ashy.
Winter plumage : An indistinct white streak over the eye ; upper
plumage brown, the wings and upper tail-coverts washed with
chestnut-brown, the tail washed with grey ; whole lower plumage
white, washed with grey and fulvous. In winter plumage the tail is
half an inch longer and the indistinct spots towards the ends of the
tail-feathers are more pronounced.
Iris brownish-yellow ; eye-rims orange ; bill dark brownish-black ;
legs yellowish-orange, claws dark horny.
Tail sharply graduated, of twelve feathers.
Field Identification. A small bird with a longish tail found in
parties in low open scrub. Summer plumage ashy-grey above, white
below with a broad ashy band across the breast. Winter plumage
warm brown above, sullied white below with no breast band, the
two plumages so different that they would never be taken for the
same bird.
Distribution. Ceylon, India, Assam, Burma to Tenasserim, Siam,
Annam, and Laos. Found throughout India except the Punjab
Plains, North-west Frontier Province, Sind, and desert Rajputana.
Occurs up to about 4000 feet, both in the Himalayas and in the
ranges of the Peninsula. A strictly resident species with the following '
races :
The typical race has sharply defined summer and winter plumages
as already described. It is found in Rajputana, the United and Central
Provinces, the Bombay Presidency and in North Hyderabad as well
as in Arakan. F. g. hodgsoni is found along the Outer Himalayas
from Murree and Kashmir to the Duars, in Assam and in the Kachin
Hills in Burma. This race has a more rusty tint in winter plumage.
F. g. albogularis of South India has the upper parts darker in summer
plumage and is whiter on the lower parts in winter plumage. F. g.
pectoralis in Ceylon is also a dark bird but is more remarkable for having
summer and winter plumage alike, both of the summer type. In this
it agrees with the three species of Wren- Warblers of the genus Prinia
found in Ceylon.
Habits, etc. Franklin's Wren-Warbler is a bird of all the more open
types of country. By preference it is found in open scrub-jungle
where low bushes grow amidst coarse grass and scattered small trees,
FRANKLIN'S WREN-WARBLER 173
but it is also met with in hedgerows, fairly light forest, in cultivation
broken by patches of cover and even in reed-beds and mangrove
swamps. In such localities it is met with in small parties which
lead a life of great activity, hunting incessantly for insects in the
grass and bushes or running on the ground at their base. It seldom
ventures into trees at any height above the ground. It is a very
poor flier, proceeding by curious little jerky flights, the tail jerking
awkwardly as it goes. There is a feeble little twittering song.
The main breeding season is in the rains from July to September,
but in the hills the birds are said to breed earlier from about April
to June.
The nest is a small cup of fine dry grass and vegetable fibres,
felted here and there on the outside with small lumps of woolly
vegetable-down. It is carefully sewn with cobwebs, silk from
cocoons or wool into one or two leaves which often completely
envelop it, leaving no part visible. It thus closely resembles the
nest of the Tailor-bird, but as compared with that species the
situation chosen is normally closer to the ground at a height of 2
or 3 feet, and more nests are sewn to a single leaf only.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs, the latter being usual.
The eggs vary considerably. They are typically rather slender ovals,
a good deal compressed towards one end ; the shell is exquisitely
fine and glossy. The colour varies from pure white or pure bright
blue, unspotted, to almost any shade of pinky-white, pale grey-green
or greenish-blue, speckled all over or in a zone or cap at the broader
end with reddish-brown.
The egg measures about 0*58 by 0-42 inches.
THE LESSER WHITETHROAT
SYLVIA CURRUCA (Linnaeus)
(Plate xii, Fig. 2, opposite page 242)
Description. Length 6 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
earthy-brown, the whole top of the head contrasting brownish-grey ;
a broad band through the eye dark brown ; wings dark brown, edged
paler ; tail dark brown, a large portion of the outer feathers white ;
the whole lower plumage greyish-white.
Iris yellow-brown ; bill dusky, lower base slaty horn ; legs
plumbeous.
Field Identification. Brown above, dirty white below, with a
darkish cap and a white edge to the tail ; a very quiet, shy bird, which
creeps about in trees and is particularly .partial to acacias.
174 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Distribution. The Lesser Whitethroat is a widely-distributed
breeding species in Europe and Northern Asia, migrating southwards
to Africa and Southern Asia in winter. There arc several races, of
which we are concerned with two. S. c. blythi differs from the typical
European form in having the second primary always shorter than
the sixth, usually between it and the seventh in length. It breeds
in Siberia and Manchuria, and is a very abundant winter visitor to
the plains of India, extending on the south to Ceylon, and on the
east to Behar and Western Bengal. S. c. minula differs from S. c.
blythi in its smaller size and considerably paler upper parts. It breeds
in Transcaspia and Eastern Turkestan, and in winter appears in
North-western India in the North-west Frontier Province, Punjab,
Sind, and Rajputana. Both races, therefore, are to be found on the
same ground in North-western India, and the identification of some
individuals is a matter of difficulty. Both races commence to arrive
about September and leave about April, though blythi stays a little
later than minula. The typical race does not occur in India. A
darker allied species with a larger bill, Hume's Whitethroat (Sylvia
althcea), which breeds in Kashmir and winters in Southern India, is
easily confused with these two races.
The Orphean Warbler (Sylvia hortensis) is a winter visitor to
the greater part of India except the extreme north-east. It breeds
in Baluchistan and the North-west Frontier Province. Of the habits
and general appearance of the Whitethroats it is larger with a marked
cap, grey in females and black in males.
Habits, etc. Both the races of Lesser Whitethroat that arrive in
India are very similar in their habits in winter; they spend their
time creeping about in small bushes and trees looking for insects
and caterpillars, and are very silent except for an occasional tack
note. While blythi, however, living in any type of country except
deep forest, prefers trees, and more especially the various species of
acacia, with whose pollen its head is often stained yellow, minula
is usually found in the low-stunted bushes and scanty tree growth
of semi-desert country.
The breeding habits of both races are very similar in their respective
ranges, where they lay about May and June. The nests are neat but
rather fragile cups of grass and roots, lined with horse-hair or fine
grass stems ; they are built in bushes within a few feet of the ground.
The clutch consists of four to six eggs ; these are rather broad
ovals, creamy-white in colour, rather boldly but sparingly marked
with sepia-brown and grey.
They measure about O'66 by 0-5 inches.
THE CHIFFCHAFF 175
THE CHIFFCHAFF
PHYLLOSCOPUS COLLYBITA (Vieillot)
(Plate xii, Fig. 3, opposite page 242)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
brown, faintly tinged with green ; a distinct buff line over the eye,
with a darker line through the eye ; wings and tail dark brown, finely
edged with olive-yellow ; lower plumage buff, darker on the breast
and flanks ; wing-lining primrose-yellow.
Iris dark brown ; bill dusky brown ; legs brownish-black.
Field Identification. A very small brown bird, with pale buff under
parts and a buff line over the eye, which creeps about in trees and in
herbage near water, often in small parties, uttering a plaintive note.
Distribution. The Chiffchaff is very widely distributed throughout
Europe, Africa, and Asia in a number of races. The typical form does
not occur in our area, but two others are found as winter visitors.
P. c. sindianus breeds in Kashmir territories and Central Asia and is a
somewhat local winter visitor to the North-west Frontier Province,
Punjab, Sind, United Provinces, and Rajputana. The Siberian Chiff-
chaff, P. c. tristis, which breeds in Northern Asia, is found from about
September to the end of April in India, over the whole of the northern
and central plains as far south as Bombay and Orissa, often in great
numbers. In freshly moulted plumage it can be distinguished from
P. c. sindianus by the tinge of green in the upper plumage, and from
the typical English Chiffchaff by the absence of yellow in the lower
plumage.
Habits, etc. There are in the Indian Empire about thirty forms
of the genus Phylloscopus, which includes the well-known English
Chiffchaff and Willow- Wren. Their distribution is very variable, but
as far as India is concerned, it may be stated that none breed any-
where in the country except in the Himalayas and on the higher
ranges on the frontiers of Afghanistan and Baluchistan, and there is
no part of India where several forms may not be met with either as
passage migrants or as winter visitors. Their identification is a
matter of great difficulty, based on minor points of size and wing
formula and slight differences of plumage, which in practically every
case ring the changes on greens, browns, and yellows ; though in
the field this is assisted by slight differences in habits and voice.
The Siberian Chiffchaff is a very common winter visitor to
Northern India wherever trees in leaf or cultivation exist. It is
met with both singly and in small parties, which search for insects
up in the trees, in hedges, or in various crops, and it often flies out
from the extremity of a bough to take an insect on the wing. It is
176 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
particularly fond of cotton fields, lucerne, tamarisk, and acacias, and
it has a characteristic habit, seldom shared by others of the genus, of
hunting in reed-beds and other vegetation low over water. The call-
note is a very plaintive tweet. Passage migrants in March on their
way north freely sing a typical song, chiff-chaff, chiff-chaff, like that
so well known in England.
P. c. sindianus breeds in Gilgit, Baltistan, Ladakh and Lahul from
May to July.
The nest is a large structure of dry grass and bents, domed with
the entrance at one side ; it is profusely lined with feathers on a layer
of fine vegetable-down. The situation chosen is on or close to the
ground in herbage, low bushes or thorny hedges.
The usual clutch consists of four eggs. They are rather broad
ovals, very fragile with a slight gloss ; the colour is white, spotted
with chestnut-red, chiefly towards the broad end.
The average size is 0-65 by 0-48 inches.
THE YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER
PHYLLOSCOPUS INORNATUS (Blyth)
Description. Length 4 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
dull olive-green, with obscure traces of a pale streak down the crown ;
a broad buffy-white line over the eye ; sides of the face mottled with
buffy-white ; wings and tail dark brown edged with greenish, two
buffy-white wing-bars, the upper rather obscure ; entire lower plumage
sullied white.
Iris dark brown ; bill dark brown, base of lower mandible
yellowish ; legs greyish-brown.
Field Identification. This is another of the minute green or
brown birds which hunt for insects in the foliage of trees, and are
only to be discriminated with much practice and knowledge both in
the field and in the cabinet. The greenish colour, dirty white below,
the double wing-bar and the call-note tiss-yip are guides to the identity
of this particular species.
Distribution. Breeds throughout a large portion of Siberia and
Central Asia, migrating southwards in winter. It is divided into
three races. The typical form breeds in Siberia, migrates through
the greater part of Asia and winters in Bengal, Assam, Burma, and
eastwards to Southern China. P. i. humii, differing in the brighter
olive-green of the upper parts, breeds in the Western Himalayas
between 7000 and 12,000 feet, and in Turkestan, Tian-Shan, and
Afghanistan. Starting at the end of August it spreads in winter
through India southwards to Travancore and eastwards to Bengal
PLATE IX
i. Bay-backed Shrike. 2. Paradise Flycatcher. 3. Common Wood-Shrike.
4. Blue-headed Rock-Thrush. 5. Brown Dipper. 6. Bluethroat. (All
about ^ nat. size.)
[Face p. 176
THE YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER 177
and Orissa, but curiously enough avoids Sind. The return migration
takes place about April. P. i. mandelii, which breeds in Kansu and
Szechwan and is found in Bengal and Lower Assam in winter, has
the head darker than in the other races.
Habits, etc. In India the Yellow-browed Warbler is always
solitary and spends its time in the boughs of trees searching for
insects and uttering as it goes a note which is best described by the
syllables te-we-ut or tiss-yip, rather sibilant and plaintive. In the
breeding season the only song is a loud, double chirp uttered by the
male, really only an elaboration of the above note.
It has a trick of nervously flirting its wings as it feeds and moves
about the boughs. This species in winter seldom comes down low
near the ground, nor is it found in bushes by water like the Siberian
Chiffchaff.
The breeding season in the Western Himalayas is in May and
June. The nest is built on the ground on some sloping bank or
ravine-side, either in open ground or at the edge of forest. It is a
rather large globular structure, with the entrance at one side. The
materials consist of rather coarse grass, with an inner lining of fine
grass roots or hair ; feathers are not used.
, Three to five eggs are laid, but the usual clutch is four. The
egg is a broad oval slightly compressed towards one end, fine in
texture with very little gloss. In colour it is pure white, speckled
and spotted with reddish-brown or purple, the markings tending to
form a cap or zone round the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-56 by 0*44 inches.
THE GREENISH WILLOW-WREN
PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILOIDES Sundevall
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
dull olive-green, the concealed portions of the wings and tail dark
brown ; a pale yellow bar across the greater wing-coverts ; a broad
pale yellow streak above the eye with a darker line below it ; lower
plumage dull white washed with primrose-yellow.
Iris dark brown ; bill brown, lower mandible horny yellow ; legs
greyish-brown.
Field Identification. Olive-green above, yellowish-white below,
with one pale wing-bar, and a pale eye-streak ; a quiet, un-
demonstrative species creeping about in the foliage of trees.
Distribution. Breeds from Eastern Europe to Eastern Siberia
southwards to Persia and the Himalayas being divided into several
races of which the following concern us. P. t. viridanus (as described
M
178 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
above) breeds from Pomerania and the Baltic Provinces to Western
Siberia, Altair, North-western Mongolia and Dzungaria to Gilgit and
Kashmir. It winters in India below lines from Meerut to Bombay and
from the Sikkim Tera to Calcutta. On passage it is very common in
parts of the Himalayas, Punjab and North-west Frontier Province.
A greyer race, P. t. ludlowi, breeds in Baltistan and winters in the
upper Eastern Ghats. This race intergrades through Gahrwal and
Kumaon into the much darker P. t. trochiloides which breeds in the
Eastern Himalayas and South-western China and winters in North-
eastern India.
P. t. nitidus breeds in the Caucasus, Transcaspia and Persia,
passes in considerable numbers through North-western India on
passage and winters in South-western India and Ceylon. It is a much
brighter green above, bright primrose-yellow below and has two pale
yellow wing- bars.
Habits, etc. This Willow- Wren spends its whole time in the
winter in creeping about the foliage of trees collecting insects and
their larvae and eggs ; it is more silent than most of the other common
species, but has as call-note a penetrating chi-wee. During the spring
and autumn passage it often swarms in North-western India, every
tree containing one or more individuals.
In the Himalayas it breeds from May to July. The nest is a
large, untidy ball of grass and moss, mixed sometimes with a few
roots and dead leaves, the cavity being lined with wool and hair.
The entrance is on one side. It is always placed on steep ground,
either in the open or amongst scrub and herbage.
Four eggs are laid, pure white, very fragile and soft in texture
with practically no gloss.
They measure about 0-6 by 0-45 inches.
THE LARGE CROWNED WILLOW-WREN
PHYLLOSCOPUS OCCIPITALIS (Blyth)
(Plate xii, Fig. 4, opposite page 242)
Description. Length 5 inches. Sexes alike. Upper plumage
olive-green, the crown of the head darker and with a broad irregular
streak down the centre ; a well-defined yellowish line above the eye
and a dark line through it ; concealed portions of the wings and tail
dark brown ; two yellowish wing-bars, the upper less distinct, and both
tending to disappear in worn plumage ; lower plumage white suffused
with pale yellow.
Iris dark brown ; bill brown, lower mandible yellow ; legs greyish-
brown.
THE LARGE CROWNED WILLOW-WREN 179
Field Identification. The common breeding Willow- Wren of the
Western Himalayan stations ; green above, white below, with a
marked eye-streak and a pale streak on the top of the head ; rather
bold and noisy in demeanour.
Distribution. A purely Asiatic Willow- Wren, which breeds very
commonly in Turkestan, Afghanistan, and the Western Himalayas
as far east as Nepal. In the Western Himalayas it breeds at elevations
between 6500 and 9000 feet, being the common breeding Willow-
Wren of all the hill stations. In winter it migrates through or winters
in the whole of India (except Sind), extending to Travancore, Orissa
and Bengal.
Habits, etc. This Willow- Wren spends most of its time in trees
when in the plains, but in the hills it feeds a good deal in bushes
where it wanders with the mixed hunting parties of small insectivorous
birds. Its call-note is a loud sharp tit-wheet or chip-chip, chip-chip.
When breeding it has a loud song, the most monotonous repetition
of a rather shrill whistling note seven times repeated, and at that
season is much addicted to flirting its wings ; then, too, the males
become combative and quarrelsome.
In the Himalayas the breeding season is in May, June, and July.
The nest is placed in holes, either amongst the roots of trees, in
banks and walls, or even under the eaves of houses. It varies in
shape according to the circumstances of the hole, being either a
well-made domed structure or a mere pad, and is composed chiefly
of moss ; grass, hair and wool are sometimes added as a lining.
Four to six eggs are laid ; they are rather elongated ovals, often
sharply pointed at the smaller end, fine in texture and pure white
with a slight gloss.
They measure about 0-65 by 0-50 inches.
THE GREY-HEADED FLYCATCHER-WARBLER
SEICERCUS XANTHOSCHISTOS (Gray)
(Plate iv, Fig. i, opposite page 66)
Description. Length 4 inches. Sexes alike. Top and sides of
the head and neck and the upper back pale ashy-brown ; a paler
streak down the centre of the crown and another above the eye ;
remainder of upper plumage yellowish-green, the concealed portions
of the wings and tail brown, the two outer pairs of tail-feathers white
on the inner webs ; the whole lower plumage bright yellow.
Iris dark brown ; bill dark brown, lower mandible yellow ; legs
olive-brown ; soles yellow.
Field Identification. Abundant Himalayan form, of the Willow-
i8o POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Wren type in appearance ; upper parts grey and green, with pale
stripes on the head, lower parts bright yellow ; white outer tail-
feathers conspicuous. Noisy and bold in trees and undergrowth.
Distribution. A Himalayan species, extending from the hills of
the North-west Frontier Province on the west into Assam and the
Chin Hills in the east. It is divided into Eastern and Western races
which meet about Nepal The Eastern race is the typical one, while
the Western race, S. x. albosuperciliaris, is considerably paler through-
out, especially about the head. It breeds between 3500 and 7000 feet,
and while some birds winter in this zone the majority move lower,
and numbers of the Western race penetrate into the plains in portions
of the Punjab and United Provinces.
Another common species in this genus is the Black-browed
Flycatcher- Warbler (Seicercus burkii) in which the lateral bands on
the head are blackish. A marked yellow ring round the eye. It is
found throughout the Himalayas as far west as Dharmsala.
Habits, etc. This pretty little Warbler is a very familiar species
about the Himalayan hill stations. It is found in all types of wooded
hills, coming freely also into cultivation and gardens. Except when
nesting it is purely arboreal and it hunts incessantly for insects through
the leaves and twigs of trees and bushes, both singly and in the
mixed hunting parties. Its song is a loud and rather monotonous,
though not unpleasing, trill of several notes, which is one of the
most familiar sounds of the Lower Himalayas. The call-note is a
rather plaintive pritt-pritt or tyee-tyee.
The breeding season lasts from March to June in the Western
Himalayas and from April to August in the east.
The nest is a large, globular-domed structure, with a rather large
entrance high on one side. It is composed chiefly of moss with
which are mixed dry leaves and grasses and other miscellaneous
rubbish. The cavity is thickly lined with hair and wool in the
Western race, and more sparingly with vegetable downs and roots in
the Eastern race. The nest is usually placed on a grassy bank at
the foot of a bush and is well concealed and difficult to find unless
the bird is watched to it.
Three to five eggs are laid, but the normal clutch consists of
four eggs. The egg is a moderately broad oval, of fine texture, with
a fair amount of gloss. The colour is pure white.
The egg measures about O' 60 by o- 5 inches.
THE BROWN HILL-WARBLER
THE BROWN HILL-WARBLER
SUYA CRINIGERA HodgSOH
(Plate xii, Fig. 6, opposite page 243)
Description. Length 7 inches, including tail of 4 inches. Sexes
alike. Winter plumage : Upper surface fulvous-brown, streaked
with black except on the rump ; wings brown, edged with rufous ;
tail long and graduated, brown, obsoletely cross-rayed, the feathers
with indistinct pale tips preceded by a darker spot ; lower plumage
fulvous, slightly flecked with blackish on the throat and breast, and
whitish on the middle of the abdomen.
Summer plumage : Upper surface dark brown, the feathers edged
with olivaceous ; lower plumage uniform pale fulvous, the feathers
of the breast showing their dark bases ; wings and tail as in winter
except that the tail is shorter.
Iris yellow-brown ; bill, summer black, in winter brown, lower
mandible fleshy ; legs fleshy-pink.
Field Identification. Northern hill form ; a small brown bird,
paler below and usually streaked above, with a very long graduated
tail ; usually skulks in grass and bushes, but sits in elevated and
exposed positions to utter a loud, reeling song.
Distribution. The Brown Hill- Warbler has a wide distribution
in the hills that bound the whole of Continental India, through
Assam and Burma, reaching on the east as far as China. It is
divided into several races, of which two concern us. The typical
race is found from the North-west Frontier Province, along the whole
of the Himalayas, as far as North-western Assam, at elevations
from 2500 to 7500 feet and sometimes higher. S. c. striatula,
which is much colder and greyer in coloration, is found from plains
level up to about 3000 feet in the Punjab Salt Range and the hills
running from the western limit of the typical form along the North-
western Frontier down to Baluchistan. It is a resident species.
Habits, etc. This hill bird avoids forest and keeps either to
grassland and the neighbourhood of cultivation, or else to scrub -
jungle on bare stony hill-sides, often in the most barren and desolate
hills. It is capable of bearing great extremes of temperature. It is
rather a skulker and spends most of its time clambering about like
a mouse in the interior of bushes and tangles of vegetation, threading
its way deftly amongst the stems and often descending to the ground.
The flight is rather weak and jerky, and the bird seldom flies far at
a stretch. The long tail is an expressive feature, freely jerked in
response to the bird's emotions. The bird is, however, best known
to people through the medium of its song, a wheezy, scraping series
M 2
i8z POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
of notes repeated to monotony like the sound of a saw ; this song
is very commonly heard on open hill-sides round the hill stations
of the Himalayas, and the little bird utters it from the top of a bush
or tall plant, or from a telegraph-wire often high above a nullah.
The breeding season lasts from May to July, but the majority of
birds lay in May.
The nest is a flimsy, oval-domed structure, with the entrance
towards the top at one side ; it is composed of grass-blades, felted
with grass down, the bottom of the interior being lined with fine
grass-stems. It is built within 4 or 5 feet of the ground, in small
thorny bushes, in herbage or in the grass.
The normal clutch consists of four eggs. The egg is in shape
a regular but somewhat elongated oval with a fair amount of gloss.
The ground-colour varies from white to pale salmon-*pink ; the
markings consist of fine speckles, spots and blotches of reddish-
brown, sometimes scattered over the whole surface but more usually
tending to collect in a marked zone or cap round the broad end.
In size the eggs average about o- 70 by o- 50 inches.
THE STREAKED WREN-WARBLER
PRINIA GRACILIS (Lichtenstein)
Description. Length 5 inches, half of which is tail. Sexes alike.
Upper plumage fulvous-brown streaked with dark brown ; sides of
face mottled brown and white ; wings brown edged with fulvous ;
tail, long and graduated, brown, distinctly cross-rayed, the feathers
tipped with white preceded by a dark spot ; the whole lower plumage
very pale fulvous.
Iris yellow ; bill black in summer, in winter brown, the lower
mandible horny-yellowish ; legs fleshy-white, claws brown.
This and the following species of the genus Prinia have ten tail-
feathers as opposed to twelve in Franklinia.
Field Identification. A minute bird with a long graduated tail,
streaked light and dark brown above and pale below ; chiefly found
in coarse sarpat grass in riverain tracts. A miniature of the Brown
Hill- Warbler. Distinguished from the other Wren-Warblers by the
streaks on the upper plumage.
Distribution. This Wren-Warbler has a wide distribution through
Northern Africa, Palestine, Southern Arabia, Persia, and Northern
India generally. It is divided into several races, of which we are
concerned with two. P. g. lepida is found in Afghanistan, North-west
Frontier Province, Punjab, Sind, the United Provinces, and Rajputana.
THE STREAKED WREN-WARBLER 183
A rather darker race, P. g. stevensi, is found in Assam and Eastern
Bengal and in the Ganges delta. A strictly resident species.
Habits, etc. This, the smallest of the Wren- Warblers of the
genus Prinia, is essentially a bird of riverain areas, frequenting the
low sandy-ground, studded with clumps of sarpat grass and thickets
of tamarisk, which is found in the wide and partly dry beds of the
great rivers of Northern India. Where similar conditions are
reproduced along the sides of canals and in the neighbourhood of
j heels there also will the bird be found. In such localities it creeps
about the stems of the grass and tamarisk, at a height of two or
three feet from the ground, venturing into the open occasionally to
fly from clump to clump, no light task to so clumsily-balanced and
weak a flier. It constantly makes a curious snapping noise with
its bill.
When nesting the cock bird chooses a high stem of grass in the
vicinity of the nest, and from it untiringly pours out a feeble
monotonous song, which betrays the site to those who know his
habits.
The breeding season lasts from March to August, and it is
probable that two broods are reared. The nest is a tiny oval-
domed structure with the entrance hole high on one side ; it is built
of fine grasses and shreds of grass-blades, the inside being softly
lined with the pappus of grass seeds. It is placed about 2 feet from
the ground in the centre of the thick clumps of sarpat grass, which
by then have usually been cut off about 3 feet from the ground for
village purposes.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs.
The egg is a broad oval, rather pointed towards the smaller end,
and fine in texture with a decided gloss. The ground-colour is
greyish-, greenish- or pinkish-white, and the markings consist of a
fine and thickly distributed freckling of brownish-red and purplish-
grey, with a tendency to form a cap or zone at the broad end.
In size it averages about 0-53 by 0-44 inches.
THE ASHY WREN-WARBLER
PRINIA SOCIALIS Sykes
(Plate vi, Fig. 3, opposite page no)
Description. Length 5 inches, of which half is tail. Sexes alike.
Summer plumage : Whole upper plumage dark ashy, sometimes with
a white line over the eye ; lower plumage including sides of face
pale buff ; wings rufous ; tail long and graduated, rufous, the feathers
tipped with white preceded by dark spots.
184 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
Winter plumage : Top of head ashy with a rufous tinge ; a short
white line over the eye ; remainder of upper plumage including
wings and tail rufous-brown, the tail having the same markings as in
the summer plumage, but being one inch longer ; lower plumage
buff, except the chin, throat and central abdomen which are white.
Iris yellow-brown ; bill black ; legs fleshy.
Field Identification. A very small bird with a long tail ; upper
parts dark ashy, lower parts warm buff. Found singly or in pajrs in
rank herbage, particularly in gardens, attracting attention by its sharp
call-note.
Distribution. The Ashy Wren-Warbler is one of the commonest
birds of India and is widely distributed throughout the whole
continent from the Outer Himalayas to Ceylon, though it is not
found in Kashmir, the North-west Frontier Province, Baluchistan,
or Sind. On the east it reaches Eastern Assam. There are four
races : P. s. brevicauda of Ceylon and the typical race, found through-
out the Peninsula south of a line between Mhow and Lohardugga,
have their winter plumage similar to the summer plumage. The
former is, however, smaller with a shorter tail. P. s. stewarti of
Northern India assumes the very distinct winter plumage described
above. In the Duars and Upper Assam it is replaced by P. s. inglisi,
a darker bird with a fine short beak. All races are strictly sedentary.
Habits, etc. This little bird is found both in the hills and the
plains. But while in the north it is only found up to about 4000
feet in the hills, in the warmer south it occurs up to about 7000 feet,
literally swarming in suitable places in the Nilgiris. It is a bird of
open country, avoiding forest, and preferring cultivation, whether in
the shape of gardens or arable land. It is perfectly at home in the
close vicinity of houses and villages, and may equally be found in
open, rolling grassland. In all these localities it requires cover in
the shape of bushes, tangles of weeds and other herbage or crops
and it is very fond of fields of sugar-cane. As in the case of the
Indian Wren-Warbler, therefore, this species is compelled to move
its ground slightly according to the state of the crops in which it
lives. Its habits are the same as those of that species, but it is perhaps
more excitable and noisy during the breeding season, its very anxiety
often betraying the nest which it is anxious to preserve from
marauders. The call-note is very loud and sharp, and the song is
less of a jingle than that of the Indian Wren-Warbler.
This bird appears often to be double-brooded and nests may be
found from March till September ; but the majority are undoubtedly
built with the commencement of the rains in June or July and the
growth of the bush vegetation in which the little bird delights to
have his being.
The nest is very variable and falls into three types. The first
THE ASHY WREN-WARBLER 185
type closely recalls the nest of the Tailor-bird, sewing entering largely
into its composition. Either the nest is placed within the orifice
formed by sewing together the edges of two or three leaves, or else
it is attached to a single large leaf whose edges are drawn about it,
and partly enclose it ; large soft leaves, such as those of the sunflower,
fig and bindweed, are preferred for the purpose. The actual nest in
this type is a deep cup of fine dry grass stems and roots, mixed and
lined with a few horse-hairs, all visible portions of the outside and
the corners of the cavity between the stitches being plastered and
stuffed with a rough felting of vegetable cotton and fibre and similar
materials. The sewing is either a genuine in-and-out stitch used to
draw the edges of leaves together, or else the mere pushing of rough
knots of cotton through punctured holes in the leaf.
The second type of nest is an oval-domed structure of varied
shape and size, with the entrance on one side. It is composed of
fine shreds and stems of grass, fibres and threads, the result being
a drab-coloured ball ; it is built in thick bushes and occasionally
is steadied by the sewing of a leaf or two to the outside.
The third type of nest is a rough shapeless ball of roots or grass
thrown together between the stems of a plant and hardly attached to
them.
The clutch consists of three or four eggs, and occasionally as
many as six. The eggs are very handsome. They are a rather
perfect oval with a tendency to vary to a globular shape ; there is a
high gloss. In colour they are a rich brick-red, sometimes paler and
yellower, sometimes deeper and of a mahogany tint. There is occa-
sionally a clouded zone of deeper coloration about the broad end.
They average about 0-64 by 0-47 inches in size.
In the Deccan this bird is a common foster-parent for the Indian
Plaintive Cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus).
THE JUNGLE WREN-WARBLER
PRINIA SYLVATICA Jerdon
Description. Length 6 inches, female rather smaller. Sexes alike.
Summer plumage : The whole upper parts greyish-brown, a pale buff
line over the eye ; wings dark brown, the edges of the feathers washed
with fulvous ; central tail-feathers greyish-brown, the others growing
progressively paler and whiter until the outer pair is almost entirely
white ; lower plumage pale whitish-buff.
Winter plumage : Upper plumage warm ruddy fulvous, a pale buff
line over the eye ; wings dark brown, the edges of the feathers washed
with ruddy fulvous ; tail dark brown, all but the central pair of
i86 POPULAR HANDBOOK OF INDIAN BIRDS
feathers with pale fulvous tips, preceded by dusky subterminal spots ;
lower plumage white washed with ochraceous on the breast and flanks.
Iris and eye-rim orange ; bill black in summer, in winter horny-
brown, lower mandible fleshy ; mouth black in summer, brownish-
pink in winter ; legs pale fleshy brown, claws darker.
Field Identification. A small brown Warbler with a fairly long
graduated tail, in summer showing white in the outer feathers ; it
chiefly comes to notice from its habit of sitting on the top of a bush
and persistently uttering a triple note.
Distribution. Throughout India from the Himalayas to Ceylon.
It is divided into two races in India and a third in Ceylon.
The northern race, P. s. gangetica, is found across Northern India
from Gurdaspur and Jodhpur to the Duars and Midnapur. In this
race there are distinct summer and winter plumages as described
above. The Ceylon race, P. s. valida,on the other hand, has the summer
and winter plumage alike, a darker brown above and a more yellowish
fulvous below without white on the lateral tail-feathers. This is
correlated with a breeding season that lasts the year round in the
island. The typical race (Hyderabad, Mysore, Madras Presidency)
lies between the two both in coloration and in the degree of difference
between the two plumages. All these races are strictly resident.
Habits, 'etc. This Wren- Warbler is more particularly a bird of
broken boulder covered hills dotted with sparse and stunted vegetation
of the cactus and thorn-bush type. It is also found in bush and scrub-
jungle, in light forest interspersed with grass or in grass on the edge
of heavier forest. In such terrain it comes to notice from its habit
of perching on a large boulder, on a dead bough, or on the top of an
isolated bush or tree and there uttering a soft melodious but ventrilo-
quistic call for some minutes at a stretch, repeating it again after a
pause of two or three seconds. This call is a warbling pretty or tissip,
reminiscent of a Tailor-bird's call but louder and easily distinguished
from it. Each pretty is preceded by a curious subdued ventriloquistic
pit, uttered in a different key so that the song is really formed by a
succession of triple notes. As soon as the bird has finished its song
it descends hurriedly into the cover below with a quick jerky flight,
It also has a peculiar habit of rising into the air for a short distance
and making a noise (with the wings or beak I am not certain
which) like a diminutive cracker, returning afterwards often to the
same perch, sometimes to a fresh one. This habit is shared by Prinia
inornata and socialis. The alarm- note at the nest is a loud pit pit pit
pit pit. This species is wary and difficult to approach and the nest
is readily deserted.
The breeding season in India is from July to the end of August.
The nest is comparatively large and is placed in the centre of a thorn
bush, usually on rocky ground, or in the middle of a tussock of coarse
THE JUNGLE WREN-WARBLER 187
grass. It is a dome-shaped ball of grass with the entrance on one side
and is often fairly conspicuous, as the outside is smeared over with
white vegetable-downs and fibres or with cobwebs.
The clutch consists of four or five eggs. They are somewhat
elongated ovals, of hard and fine texture with a fair amount of gloss.
The ground-colour is a greenish or greyish stone-colour finely and
often rather sparsely freckled with faint reddish-brown. In some eggs
these markings are almost invisible. They are, however, usually
gathered into a conspicuous zone round the broad end.
The egg measures about 0-75 by 0-50 inches.
THE INDIAN WREN-WARBLER
PRINIA INORNATA Sykes
(Plate xii, Fig. 5, opposite page 242)
Description. Length 5 inches, including tail 2 inches. Sexes
alike. Summer plumage : Upper plumage dull earthy-brown, the
wings and tail edged with pale fulvous ; the tail long, graduated and
cross -rayed ; dark subterminal spots on the feathers are hardly visible
except from below. A ring round the eye, and a line above it dull
whitish ; the whole lower plumage pale buff.
In winter plumage the whole of the upper parts, wings and tail
are more rufous in tint, and the tail is an inch longer.
Iris yellow-brown ; bill black in summer, in winter brown with
the base of the lower ma 
