Anu Kusumakar Kadri

Author: Anu Kusumakar Kadri

  • Life is a roller coaster

    I would never want to turn back to recall my last few months, how life drastically changed its face towards me and my family.
    For so long, life was pretty satisfying. I was occupied with my own stuff; life was healthy and peaceful.

    life was beautiful


    After few painful months of illness and suffering, I lost my husband on the 24th of May 2021.
    Due to the pandemic, we had to seek treatment at an hospital, who eyed the potential profit from my husband’s illness. They drained my savings along with the hope of bringing him back alive.
    They charged unreasonable charges, then put him along with covid patients in the ICU.
    They didn’t care; they fed him unnecessary medicines and didn’t do the required emergency treatments. If we questioned their intentions, we were harshly yelled at and ignored. Each doubt we raised made them threaten to delay his meds. We suffered financially, emotionally and physically.

    All alone, I stood there, day and night to observe them silently.
    The last few months have showed that death during this pandemic can be the loneliest of affairs. Family members and friends stayed away, using the excuse of lock downs and fear of contagion.

    When he died, my son and I collected the body and performed the final rites at the cremation ground, helpless and alone. Only one friend came to console me and send help to my daughter, who was alone at home. My nephew traveled during the rainy night to help us take care of ourselves.
    The next day, we had to pick up the ashes. All alone. None of his blood related family turned up.


    The lockdown has changed the way we mourn. Not being able to cope with grief is likely to leave a deep impact on our psyche. Packed, highly charged ambulances, queued dead bodies, rushed farewells, unreasonable charges and desperate cries at the unexpected deaths were the norm at crematoriums.
    For most of the families, death in the time of the coronavirus compounds a time of great tragedy.
    In normal times, death was rarely quiet. Everyone visited, shared grief, fondly recalled the memories, bathed the beloved, make them wear new clothes with some Gangajal in their mouth. It should have been a similar farewell to Kusumakar too.

    I feel sad that the vivacious, stylish and sophisticated king that he was, Mr Kusumakar went to the crowded crematorium without his favorite colours draped on him. He was a good man, he deserved more.

    Being in lockdown, the challenge of procuring, death summary, death certificate, shifting of the house, health insurance,13th day rituals left us with no time to grieve.


    We are all aware about Kusumakar’s love of Mangalore, hence we decided to perform the 13th day rituals there. These emotions of gratitude, love, respect and commemoration call for a grand celebration of the 13th day after death, where the soul moves on its journey to send him to his peace.


    Travel during the lockdown was not permitted, but with reason at hand, my children and I traveled to Mangalore. Every checkpoint, we were stopped and questioned. We had to show them the death certificate to proceed.


    It always felt good to respect the feelings of Kusumakar and we could perform religiously the pinnda pradana karya(ritual) with the help of priest to wash off the asthi in Kumaradhara river.


    My children were very closely knitted with their father, always caring and helping him. Both of them were devasted; even today, they are unable to sleep peacefully at night.

    Sri Sahasra Lingeshwara Mahakali Devasthana


    There’s a lot of paperwork and running around, for it is a difficult job, one that can drain you mentally. It can also be physically challenging.
    I don’t have the time to be sad…
    I have recurring nightmares, very bad dreams of being alone… watching death…
    Grieving the loss of my husband at a time when every aspect of life was completely upended.

    The Sangam. Kumaradhara River on one side and Nethravathi River on the other. …

  • Mystery bird : Pheasant-tailed jacana, Hydrophasianus chirurgus also known as the water-pheasant

    Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    This lovely southeast Asian mystery bird is unique. It is the only member of its genus,  Jacanidae family of wading birds that are readily identifiable by their huge feet and claws that have adapted them well to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. Even though the jacanids can swim, they prefer to walk on floating vegetation.

    The pheasant-tailed jacana is distinct because it has different plumages for the breeding and non-breeding seasons — unique in its taxonomic family. This individual is in non-breeding plumage. In breeding plumage, the central tail feathers grow very long, resembling a pheasant’s tail, which is how this bird got its common name. On the nape of the neck there is a patch of brilliant, gleaming gold feathers. The wings and underparts are dazzlingly white in flight in both plumages, as you can see in this photograph. Females are polyandrous and thus, they are slightly larger than the males and have brighter plumage colouring.

    Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    These birds are notable for the strong sharp spur on the bend of their wings. Additionally, the first flight-feather ends in a lanceolate (leaf-shaped) appendage, and the fourth and fifth flight-feathers are obviously elongated with an attenuated point. The toes are very long with long claws.

    The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a wader belonging to the family of jacanas, Jacanidae. The pheasant-tailed jacana species are distributed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan and Oman. These jacana species have long legs and toes, an adaptation for the life on floating vegetation. These jacanas are monotypic species.

    The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is the only jacana with breeding plumage. In breeding plumage it measures 40 to 60 cm in length, including its 25 to 35 cm tail. The female is slightly larger and weighs 190 to 230 grams whereas the male weighs 120 to 140 grams.

    Pheasant Tailed jacanas wading in the swamps
    Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    In breeding pheasant-tailed jacana, the body is blackish and the tail is long. The head is white with a black patch on the rear crown, which varies in size. A narrow black necklace line from the upper nape extends down to the upper breast, separating white front of the neck from the glossy golden rear neck.

    The upperparts and lowerparts of pheasant-tailed jacana are blackish chocolate brown, with green or purple lustre. Except for the brown tertials, black tips of outermost secondaries and primaries and the black edges of three outer primaries, the wings are white. The tips of the outer primaries are elongated.

    The tail of pheasant-tailed jacana is blackish and the two central pair of feathers are stiff, slightly down-curved and elongated. The bill is slender and is slaty-blue with yellow tip. The legs and toes are very long and are pale bluish gray. The breeding birds call is a mewing “m-e-e-ou” sound.

    Pheasant tailed jacana in non breeding plumage
    Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    In non-breeding pheasant-tailed jacana, the upperparts are pale greenish brown and the underparts are white. The crown becomes blackish, the rear neck becomes brown and the golden area is reduced to a few patches.

    A brownish black line from the lore region passes through the eyes, down the sides of the neck to join on the upper breast. The non-breeding jacana tail is shorter and white with greenish brown central feathers. The legs and toes are greenish-bluish.

    Origin, geographical range and distribution
    The pheasant-tailed jacana species are distributed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, Taiwan and Oman.

    Vagrant pheasant-tailed jacana have been observed in Yemen, Qatar, Afghanistan and Australia. The Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) of these jacana species in Bangladesh are Tanguar Haor and Panabeel.

    Pheasant tailed jacanas with family
    Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    Ecosystem and habitat
    These pheasant-tailed jacana species do not normally occur in forests. These species occur in altitudes from 0 to 3000 meters.

    The natural ecosystems of these pheasant-tailed jacana species include wetlands like freshwater lakes, marshes, pools, ponds, swamps, peatlands and flooded grasslands.

    Diet and feeding behavior
    The diet of these pheasant-tailed jacana species is mostly insects. Floating insects, small molluscs and probably plant seeds are their primary food. They forage by walk over the floating vegetation or by swimming.

    Reproduction and breeding habits
    The breeding season of these pheasant-tailed jacana species is mainly in summer from March to July. The breeding season in South India coincides with the monsoon rains. In Sri Lanka, the laying season is from January.

    These pheasant-tailed jacanas are polyandrous. They breed in freshwater lakes and ponds with emergent and floating vegetation. The nest is built with plant material. It may rest and float on water.

    In one breeding season, a pheasant-tailed jacana female may lay up to ten clutches, to be incubated by several different males. The female pairs up and presents a clutch of 4 eggs to a male. A few days later the female pairs up with another male.

    The brooding male pheasant-tailed jacana supporting itself with wings, scoops the eggs and keeps them warm between its breast and the underside of wings. If the nest is threatened by predator, rains or flood, the male may build another nest and move the eggs by carrying them one by one, wedged between the breast and bill.

    Migration and movement patterns
    The pheasant-tailed jacana species are partially migrant birds. The northern populations (China and Himalayas) of jacana migrate southwards for wintering. They move to southern Thailand, Malay peninsula, Sumatra, southeast and northeast india and Oman. The birds in higher altitudes may move to lower altitudes in winter.

    The pheasant-tailed jacana populations in Sri Lanka, Philippines, central and northwest India, Myanmar, southern Pakistan, north Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Taiwan are resident.

    Post breeding, the pheasant-tailed jacana juveniles may disperse and establish in new locations within the range. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range. These jacana species also move in response to floods and drought.

    Pheasant tailed jacanas in breeding plumage
    Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    Conservation and survival

    The global population size of the pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is estimated to be more than 100,000 individual birds. The overall population trend of these jacana species is considered to be decreasing. Throughout its range it is reported to be locally common. The generation length is 4.8 years. Its distribution size is about 19,700,000 sq.km.

    The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable, either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion, or under the population size criterion. The ongoing habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation are the main threats that may endanger the survival of these pheasant-tailed jacana species.

    Watch this video to see the beautiful Pheasant tailed jacana in non breeding plumage.

    Here’s a video of an adult in breeding plumage, slowly wading in shallow water:

    Fairy Princess Pheasant tailed jacana in its Breeding plumage.

    Information source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheasant-tailed_jacana

    https://indianbirds.thedynamicnature.com/2017/05/pheasant-tailed-jacana-hydrophasianus-chirurgus.html?m=1

  • Indian Eagle Owl ~ Bubo bengalensis

    Introduction

    Indian eagle owl, It is also known as the Rock Eagle Owl or the Bengal Eagle Owl, is a species of owl that is closely related to the European eagle owl (once classified as its subspecies). The Indian Eagle Owl is a fairly large owl with prominent brown ear-tufts. Dark and light morphs of this bird occur. Orange Eyes and Physical Appearance

    As its name suggests – Indian eagle owl can be found across the Indian subcontinent.

    Photos by : Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    Description: 

    The facial disc is fulvous-brown to buffy, with a prominent blackish rim. The eyebrows start out whitish at the centre of the face, and change to a blackish line at a point just above the centre of each eye, and then continue up to the dark ear tufts. The forehead is buffy brown, with small blackish flecks, which become greater in number towards the crown, giving it a dark appearance. Eyes are Orange-yellow to orange-red, and the bill greenish-horn to slate-black. The Chin and throat are white. Upperparts are tawny brown, mottled and streaked with blackish brown. There is often a whitish bar across the shoulder. Wing and tail feathers are tawny-buff, barred with blackish brown. Lower parts are fulvous, becoming whitish near the centre. The upper breast has small, dark streaks, with the rest of the underparts having fine streaks and faint cross-bars, which become fainter towards the abdomen. Legs and toes are feathered fulvous, with the outer joints of the toes being bare, and a greenish-slate colour. The claws are dusky black.

    Size: Length 50-56 cm. Wing length 358-433mm. Tail length 185-227mm. Weight 1100g (weight of one male specimen). Females are larger than males.

    Habits: Generally nocturnal. Flies with slow, deliberate wingbeats interspersed with long bouts of gliding on outstretched wings. Usually flies close to the ground. When defending young, adults often resort to diversionary tactics, such as feigning wing injury.

    Voice: Male has a deep, resonant, double hoot bu-whooh, repeated at intervals of several seconds. The female’s song is similar, with a slightly higher pitch. At the nest both sexes with may make a clucking noise, or a series of huwoo-huwoo sounds – again, the female is slightly higher in pitch.

    Hunting & Food: Indian Eagle Owls usually hunt from a perch, but will also make low foraging flights to dive on prey. They primarily hunt rats and mice, but will also take birds up to the size of peafowl. They will also eat reptiles, frogs, crabs and large insects. Pellets are up to 150 x 40mm.

    Breeding: Generally, these owls will breed from February to April, but this may vary locally between October and May.The nest is usually a shallow scrape on bare earth. This may be on a protected rock ledge, river bank, or a recess in a cliff that is in a ravine. They have also been known to nest on the ground under a bush, or between rocks on a slope. 2-4 white eggs are laid, averaging 53.6 x 43.8mm. They are incubated by the female for 35 days.

    Habitat: Rocky Hills with bushes, earth banks, wooded county with ravines, semi-deserts with rocks and bushes. They have been known to inhabit old Mango orchards close to human populations.

    Distribution: West Himalayas, Pakistan, throughout India, Kashmir, Nepal, Assam and Burma.

    Status: Uncertain, not uncommon in suitable habitats.

    Interesting Indian eagle-owl Facts:

    Photo by : Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    Indian eagle-owl inhabits rocky hills, semi-deserts, mango orchards and wooded scrublands.

    People in some parts of India believe that beating of hungry Indian eagle owl can force this bird to speak and predict destiny of its tormentor.

    Despite organized hunting due to false beliefs, number of Indian eagle owls is stable in the wild and this bird is not on the list of endangered animals.

    Indian eagle owl can grow to the height of 19 to 22 inches and reach 39 to 70 ounces of weight. Females are larger than males.

    Upper part of Indian eagle owl is dark colored, covered with brown, black and white feathers. Lower part of the body is pale and covered with dark colored stripes. Indian eagle owls can be lighter or darker colored, depending on the habitat.

    Rapid Growth

    A lot of animals, just like humans, take years to attain the mature size of adults. Indian eagle owls, on the other hand, are pretty speedy in the physical development department. By the time they’re around 10 weeks in age, they usually are adult-sized, though they’re not mature yet.

    The feathers of the Owls help blend them into their habitat and makes them almost impossible to detect in some cases.

    Orange Eyes and Physical Appearance

    One cool Indian eagle owl fact involves their eyes, which have a striking orange coloration that creates a major contrast to the rest of their bodies, which are rather subdued in comparison.

    Other cool aspects of their physical appearance involve the conspicuous brown tufts of feathers on their ears and the white coloration over their throats.

    Indian eagle-owl has a wingspan of 50 to 60 inches. When in the air, Indian eagle owl combines active flying with passive gliding. It often flies close to the ground. Indian eagle owls pretend to have wing injury or fly in a zigzag manner when they want to distract predators and to keep them away from their offspring.

    Indian eagle owl is crepuscular animal (active in the dusk and dawn). Indian eagle owl is a carnivore (meat-eater). Its diet is based on rodents, reptiles, crabs, amphibians and large invertebrates.

    Indian eagle owl does not swallow its prey in one piece. It tears apart its prey before it swallows it.

    Vocalization

    Indian eagle owl produces resonant, loud, two-note “whooo” calls that can be heard at dusk and dawn. During the nesting season, both males and females produce clicks. The signature vocalization of Indian eagle owls is low, full-bodied, clear and ringing.

    Their calls are often associated with misfortune. If a specimen vocalizes from the roof of a residence, it is thought to indicate the upcoming passing away of a member of the household. People believe that Indian eagle owl predicts death.

    Mating season of Indian eagle owl lasts from October to May. Female nests in the shallow scrapes in the ground, or in the rock ledge and river bank and lays 2 to 5 creamy white eggs. Incubation period lasts 35 days.

    Indian eagle owls are covered with white feathers when they hatch. They communicate via clicks and hisses. Young birds spread their wings when they want to trick predators that they are bigger than they actually are.

    Indian eagle owls reach adult size at the age of 10 weeks, but they depend on their parent until the age of 6 months. Indian eagle owl can survive 25 to 30 years in the wild.

    Information source:

    https://www.softschools.com/

    https://www.owlpages.com/owls/species.php?s=1260

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_eagle-owl

    Original Description: Franklin, James. 1831.

    Proceedings of the Committee of Science and Correspondence of the Zoological Society of London (PZS): Pt. 1, no. 10, p 115.

  • Indian Cliff Swallow Colonial Nesting

    Streak-throated Swallows nesting

    Streak-throated Swallow Commonly known as Indian swallow, Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon Fluvicola.

    Introduction:

    The streak-throated swallow or the Indian cliff swallow (Petrochelidon fluvicola) is a species of swallow found as Native (breeder, year-round resident or winter visitor) in South Asia in the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

    • Photo by
      Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photo by
      Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photo by
      Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photo by
      Anu Kusumakar Kadri
    • Photo by
      Devadatha Kumar SR

    Indian Cliff Swallow is a small swallow with glossy steel-blue colour. The forehead, crown, and back of the neck is chestnut with faint dark streaks. Ventrally white with blackish on side and pale brown rump, and is more prominent in flight. The back is glossy deep blue with a few narrow whitish streaks on head. Underparts are buffy white with blackish-brown streaks, especially the chin, throat, and upper breast. The wings are blackish-brown. Tail is darkest- brown, almost square-ended slightly forked and short. And comparatively weak flight. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is duller and browner than adult, with buff feather edges and faint streaks on underparts. It is resident and partly migratory.

    Cira lake, Tumkuru, Karnataka.

    Colonial nesting involves a number of factors.

    Indian Cliff swallow/ Petrochelidon fluvicola are one of the favorite subjects for behavior ecology studies because of their gourd shaped enclosed structured nest construction behaviour. The nest construction preferably takes place beneath the cliff, under surface of bridges, sloping edges of the man- made constructions, against the gravitational pull. Cliff swallows are good architects and builders in the nature. Cliff swallows use mud for construction slightly reinforcing the organic fibrous contents. Mud is a plastic material that can be molded when wet into required shape & structure on drying it hardens to give a durable shape. Nearly 5% of the bird species use mud as the vital material in nest construction. Mud bear load in compression and in cliff swallows the nests built on rock overhanging are not supported from below. The addition of grass, feather & hair in to the mud probably provides the strength in tension. Mud may vary in its contents. The mud is selected by swallows only when there is a consistency appropriate for building the nest.

    Selection of nest site is an important task in colonial breeding. Birds usually prefer their nesting sites within the foraging site so as to reduce the number of trips to the nest. Closer feeding sites also help in increased vigilance of the nest and minimize chances of predation of eggs and nestlings

    SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN NESTING INDIAN CLIFF SWALLOWS

    These gregarious swallows keep in large rabbles in close of water along with other Swallows. All the ordinary activities of Cliff Swallows were performed in groups, and positive social responses were readily seen on the loafing perches, at the foraging areas, at mud and grass-gathering areas, and at the nesting colonies.

    Telephone wires were the commonest perching sites for loafing swallows after seven o’clock in the morning. Habit seemed to be involved in the selection of loafing areas, An hour or so of sun-bathing and preening for out of the many miles of wires accessible to the birds.

    At mud- and grass-gathering areas: The gathering of mud and of grass for the nest was a major activity of Cliff Swallows during the nest building phase of the breeding cycle and irregularly thereafter as nests needed repairing.

    Mud for the nest shell was gathered at rain puddles or along open muddy banks of lakes, streams and sloughs and carried as small pellets in the bill to be added to the nest rim. Grass for the lining was collected in exposed dry spots where the strand was sparse and the grass texture fine. Mud and grass gathering were highly social activities. All participating birds typically concentrated their activity on one or two areas of a few square yards regardless of the extent of suitable facilities in the neighborhood. One or two birds would start the activity by descending to a particular mud site, others would follow, and soon the entire flock would be gathering mud and carrying it back to their nests. From ten to thirty birds might be clustered together in this limited area while dozens more were shuttling back and forth to the nests. Each bird appeared to work independently, holding its wings high above the back and fluttering them as it pecked repeatedly until a large beakful had been secured.

    • Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
    • Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
    • Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
    • Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
    • Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

    Collecting the mud usually required 15 to 40 seconds and placing it on the nest from 30 to 40 seconds. The time required to make the commuting flights was determined by the distance, being‘ about 10 seconds for every 100 yards.Nesting Materials.–The availability of mud thus affected the rate of construction. Mud for nest construction was gathered at sites from twenty feet to at least one-half mile from the nesting colony. After rains, almost any puddles close to the nests were utilized, but at other times the birds went farther afield. . Mud collecting was an intermittent activity in which nearly all members of a flock participated as a group. Dried grass for the nest lining was commonly collected near the nesting site. The collecting of this material was, as with the mud, a social activity in which many birds from a flock participated as a group. The period of greatest grass gathering activity was in the early morning before mud gathering had started.

    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
    • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR

    Territorial threat and fighting were most frequent at partially built nests where a wide entrance meant a relatively large area, to defend or close approximation of neighbouring entrances and many avenues of approach for intruders. That it was this that occasioned the fighting rather than the attainment of a particular stage in the breeding cycle is indicated by the prompt reappearance of intrusion and fighting at nests which had been broken back by the observer.

    The completion of a narrow tunnel entrance apparently served to reduce the occasion for quarreling at the nest. The construction of an enclosed mud shell surrounding the nest proper is a behavioral specialization of considerable theoretical interest. This characteristic, as already suggested, appears to be related to the intense localized territorialism of the species, the shell screening the nesting bird from its numerous close neighbours and thus enhancing social stability in the group.

    The swallow which build their nest first has to keep it’s tunnel entrance extending outward to keep it’s approach to it’s nest accessible. This can be noticed in the above picture

    A comparison of the mud nests of cliff- and ledge-nesting swallows reveals a series ranging in complexity from a simple cup as found in the Barn Swallow to an elongate retort with entrance tunnel such as that built by the Cliff Swallow. Homologous relationships seem to exist through the series: the mud frame or cup has merely been ex-tended upward and outward until the retort form is achieved. Construction in the Barn Swallow and the Cliff Swallow proceeds in a closely similar manner up to the time of egg laying. At this point the Barn Swallow stops while the Cliff Swallow continues to complete its retort and to maintain it in repair.

    Please watch the entire playlist here:

    Indian_Cliff_Swallow #Streak-throated_Swallow #Petrochelidon fluvicola #Nahar Ababil #Bhekhad Ababil: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-BYiNWpklmf9o0KKqfskQv-fRAj9eOHQ

    Information collected from these sources:
    1. John T. Ellen, JR www.jstor.org/stable/1364635

    2. Chaya H C et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications www.ijera.com ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 3( Version 1), March 2014, pp.925-930

    Thanks to Devadatha Kumar SR for contributing the photos.

    https://www.jstor.org/stable/1364635

    • Leafbirds – Golden-fronted leafbird

      Golden frontend Leafbird

      The Golden-fronted Leafbirds (Chloropsis aurifrons) are common resident breeder in India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia. They inhabit in deciduous monsoon forests and scrublands.

      Leafbirds were named for the fact that their mostly green and yellow plumages blend in well into their tropical habitat, where the green leaves and bright flowers of the canopy provide a perfect camouflage for these birds. However, leafbirds that are stressed will shed most of their colorful feathers. This adaptation may have evolved as a way of confusing predators, such as snakes. Captured birds under stress will do the same.

      • Female Golden-fronted leafbird Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Male Golden-fronted leafbirdPhotos by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Photos by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Immature Golden-fronted leafbird by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
      • Immature Golden-fronted leafbird by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

      DESCRIPTION

      The adult is green-bodied with a black face and throat bordered with yellow. It has an orange forehead and blue moustachial line, Young birds have a plain green head. Immature birds look like duller versions of the females.
      They have forked, brush-tipped tongues and fairly hefty, straight to lightly down-curved bills with stiff, hair-like feathers at the base that protect their eyes from the legs and wings of their insect prey.

      NESTING / BREEDING

      Leafbirds build open cup-shaped nests out of fine stems, leaf parts and rootlets. These nests are typically placed on the ends of branches near the tree crown; although some may hang from thin horizontal shoots of trees, or they are attached to a pair of vertical twigs. The average clutch consists of 2 – 3 pinkish eggs. The incubation lasts about 14 days and is performed by the female alone, while the male feeds the brooding female. Even though unconfirmed, it appears likely, that the male also helps raise the young.

      Golden-fronted leafbird family Male, juvenile, female

      DIET / FEEDING

      Leafbirds typically forage alone or in pairs in the subcanopy; but some species may occasionally join mixed feeding flocks, while other species defend their feeding territories.

      They feed on mostly insects, as well as taking fruits, berries and nectar.

      Insects: Their long sharp beaks are curved down slightly and a brush tipped tongue, helping them to pick insects from the bark and leaves of trees. They will also pursue flushed prey into the air or down to the forest floor.

      Nectar: Their spiked tongues are well adapted for taking nectar from tubular flowers, such as the Rhabdornis of the Philippines. Like hummingbirds, they will hover in front of a flower while retrieving the nectar. In the process of feeding, the flowers benefit from cross-pollination as the leafbird’s head becomes covered with pollen and spreads from flower to flower. As they move to the next flower, the pollen is deposited on the next flower, which is then able to produce seeds and fruit. Many native plants rely on them for pollination and would not be able to exist without the “services” inadvertently rendered by the leafbirds.

      Fruits: Usually, leafbirds swallow pieces of fruit whole. If this isn’t possible, they will pierce the fruits with their beaks and let the juices leak into their mouths.

      Their attractive songs include various melodious whistles and chatters.

      Information source:

      Species Research by Sibylle Johnson
      https://www.beautyofbirds.com/goldenfrontedleafbirds.html

      Photos courtesy by Devadatha Kumar SR : https://www.facebook.com/dath36

    • Leafbirds in India Jerdon’s leaf bird

      The leafbirds (Chloropseidae) are a family of small passerine bird species found in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. As presently defined, the leafbird family is monogeneric, with all species placed in the genus Chloropsis.

      leafbirds are brightly plumaged, with the predominant green over the body giving rise to their common name. The family is mostly sexually dimorphic in their plumage, this can vary from the highly dimorphic orange-bellied leafbird to the Philippine leafbird, which exhibits no sexual dimorphism. Most of the differences between the sexes are in the extent of the other colours in the plumage, particularly in the colours around the head and the blue or black face mask, with females have less colour and a less extensive (or absent) mask. Some species have blue on the wings and tail. The plumage of juvenile birds is a duller version of the female’s.

      Most are restricted to evergreen forests except the golden-fronted leafbird and Jerdon’s leafbird which live in deciduous monsoon forests, and the orange-bellied leafbird, which occurs in deciduous forests. Within this requirement, they occupy all broadleaf forest types in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. 

      To human ears, their songs are melodious, and several species are good mimics. The calls include whistles and chatters.
      Leafbirds are always found in trees and shrubs.

      They feed on fruits, insects and even nectar.

      Jerdon’s leaf bird male – PC Devadatha Kumar SR

      There are four species of leafbirds (also known as chloropsis) found in India and they never fail to enthral a birder. Each of them is largely green, slender in build, with a medium-length tail and the habit of dwelling in the top or mid-canopy.

      *The Orange-bellied Leafbird Chloropsis hardwickii is restricted to the lower and middle Himalayas.
      *The Blue-winged Leafbird Chloropsis cochinchinensis is found in the North-eastern lowlands (and further up in the Cachar Hills as well), while the very similar (and recently split from Blue-winged). 
      *Jerdon’s Leafbird Chloropsis jerdoni is found throughout much of the peninsula.
      *The Golden-fronted Leafbird Chloropsis aurifrons is widespread across the entire region, overlapping in range with all the other subcontinental leafbirds.

      Jerdon’s leaf bird male – PC Devadatha Kumar SR

      Calls

      All leafbirds may sounds extremely similar to the untrained ear. Most calls are a mixture of harsh and sweet notes with some differences in quality. Leafbirds are also excellent mimics and often have an impressive repertoire of sounds that may cause confusion amongst several birders!

      Jerdon’s leaf bird male – PC Devadatha Kumar SR

      Jerdon’s leafbird (Chloropsis jerdoni) is a species of leafbird found in forest and woodland in India and Sri Lanka. Its name honours Thomas C. Jerdon. It has traditionally been considered a subspecies of the blue-winged leafbird (C. cochinchinensis), but differ in measurements and morphology, it lacking the blue flight feathers for which the blue-winged leafbird was named.

      • PC Devadatha Kumar SR
      • PC Devadatha Kumar SR
      • PC Devadatha Kumar SR

      It builds its nest in a tree, and lays 2–3 eggs. This species eats insects, fruit and nectar.

      Jerdon’s leaf bird male – PC Devadatha Kumar SR

      The male is green-bodied with a yellow-tinged head, black face and throat. It has a blue moustachial line.

      Jerdon’s leaf bird female – PC. Devadatha Kumar SR

      The female differs in that it has a greener head and blue throat.

      Jerdon’s leaf bird juvenile- PC. Devadatha Kumar SR

      young birds are like the female but without the blue throat patch.

      Like other leafbirds, the call of Jerdon’s leafbird consists of a rich mixture of imitations of the calls of various other species of birds.

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafbird
      Ramit Singal
      https://birdcount.in/leafbirds/

      Birds of the Indian Subcontinent Grimmett *Inskipp*Inskipp

      Devadatha Kumar SR photography – facebook.com/dath36

    • Yellow-wattled lapwing Vanellus malabaricus Endemic Bird Photos and notes.

      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR

      The yellow-wattled lapwing (Vanellus malabaricus) belongs to the family of plovers, dotterels, and lapwings, Charadriidae.

      The yellow-wattled lapwing species are distributed in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. These lapwing species are endemic to Indian subcontinent. These lapwings are monotypic species.

      Appearance, physical description and identification

      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR

      Appearance, physical description and identification
      The yellow-wattled lapwing (Vanellus malabaricus)
      is a medium-sized wader, measuring 25 to 30 cm in length and weighing 100 to 200 grams. The wingspan is 65 to 70 cm.

      • Yellow-wattled lapwing  Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR

      The yellow-wattled lapwing species have the characteristic, prominent triangular yellow facial wattles at the base of the bill and forehead. There is a black or brownish black crown, separated by a border of thin white band. Excited bird can raise crown feathers.

      In these lapwings, the neck and the upperparts are sandy brown. The rump and the tail are white. Excluding the outer tail feathers, there is a subterminal black band on the tail feathers. The breeding yellow-wattled lapwings have black patch on the chin and throat.

      Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR

      The flight feathers are black and there is a white wing bar on the inner half of the wing. The throat and the upper breast are buff brown. In breeding lapwings, the breast is separated from the white belly by a diffuse blackish band. The rest of the underparts are white.

      The lapwing bill is short and dark gray with yellowish base. The irises are pale brown. The long legs are yellow. The feet extend well beyond the tail while flying. These species do not have hind toes.k

      The juvenile wattled lapwing is a dull version of the adult. The wattle appears small and dull. The chin is white. The cap is pale brown with dark striation. The upperparts may have dark markings.

      The call of these yellow-wattled lapwing species is a descending “ke-oo..ke-oo”, a high pitched repeated “twit.twit.twit” or a sharp “tchee-it” sound.

      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR
      • Yellow-wattled lapwing Photo by Devadatha Kumar SR

      Diet and feeding behavior

      The diet of the yellow-wattled lapwing consists mainly of insects. Grasshoppers, crickets, locust, beetles, caterpillars, grubs, mantids, stick insects, spiders, macrobenthic fauna, macrophytes, cereals and grains are their primary food.

      The yellow-wattled lapwing species are mainly terrestrial birds and obligate visual foragers, catching prey from the surface of the ground or from low vegetative cover. The chicks feed on small insects, annelids, cereal, spiders, small frogs, millipedes and small toads.

      Reproduction and breeding habits

      The breeding season of these yellow-wattled lapwing species is from March to May in India. The laying season in Sri Lanka is from March to August. The breeding season is from April to June in Pakistan.

      During courtship, the yellow-wattled lapwing male produces high frequency notes with fully puffed breast. The female in the vicinity responds by repeated short calls. They make fly and dive display, which culminates in mating on the ground.

      These wattled lapwings are monogamous. The male selects the breeding site. The site is usually located on open sparsely vegetated ground in the vicinity of water body. Both the male and female build the nest. The nest is a slight depression on the ground.

      These wattled lapwings are monogamous. The male selects the breeding site. The site is usually located on open sparsely vegetated ground in the vicinity of water body. Both the male and female build the nest. The nest is a slight depression on the ground.

      The typical wattled lapwing clutch contains 3-4 eggs. The eggs are soil-brown with black and creamy blotches. Pebbles and soil balls are accumulated from nearby areas and placed in the nest to provide camouflage to the eggs.

      The yellow-wattled lapwing pair take turns to incubate the eggs for about 28 days. Though the eggs are laid with a difference of a few days, hatching is synchronous. The hatchlings are covered with brown black down feathers, providing perfect camouflage.

      The yellow-wattled lapwing hatchlings are nidifugous and leave the nest soon after hatching. The parents feed the chicks with small insects, spiders, millipedes and earthworms. Parental care goes on for nearly one month.

      The breeding yellow-wattled lapwing pair actively defends its territory from other birds. The parents distract the intruders away from the nest. They also defend their nest from stray dogs, shikra and crows. On warning call from parents, the chicks squat and freeze.

      The parent lapwings may soak their breast feathers at the watering hole and, returning to nest, brood to cool the eggs and chicks with water. A second brood may be raised, particularly when the first fails.

      Migration and movement patterns

      The yellow-wattled lapwing species are non-migratory resident birds. They make short distance movements in rainy season. The movement pattern is not clear.

      Watch video on Yellow-wattled lapwing Vanellus malabaricus in YouTube

      Reference links:

      1.Wikipedia : https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-wattled_lapwing

      2. Indian birds : https://indianbirds.thedynamicnature.com/2017/08/yellow-wattled-lapwing-vanellus-malabaricus.html?m=1

      3. Photos courtesy : Devadattha Kumar SR https://m.facebook.com/dath36

    • Legendary stories associated with Ahalya and Anusuya

      This is part 2 of another article check here – https://anukusumkadri.9sh.org/2020/06/30/suchindram-thanumalayan-temple/

      There are many legends associated with this temple. Anasuya, the wife of Atri Maharishi was famous for her chastity and her devotion to her husband – an embodiment of a Hindu wife. She could perform miracles by sprinkling the ‘paatha theertham’ (water with which she washed her husband’s feet) to bring rain to a parched earth or to transform objects to her desire.

      When the three Devis, – Goddesses Lakshmi, Saraswathy and Parvathy(athishakthi) heard through Sage Naradha the powers of this earthly woman they wanted to test her chastity. They approached their husbands Lords Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva to test Anasuya’s devotion to her husband. The three Moorthys transformed into three old mendicants and went to the hermitage where Anasuya was living and sought alms from her. When Anasuya was about to serve them food they told her that they had taken a vow whereby they could not accept alms from a person wearing clothes. As it was a sin to refuse alms to mendicants she prayed to her Lord and sprinkled a little ‘paatha theertham’ on the three old beggars. They were all immediately transformed into babies and throwing off her clothes she offered them food.

      The Goddesses learning what had happened pleaded with Anasuya to grant them ‘maankalya biksha’ (gift of married life) and to give them back their husbands. Anasuya showed them the three babies. The Devis ran to the cradle and picked one baby each. Anasuya then prayed to her Lord to restore them back to their original form. Lo and behold! Lord Sri Vishnu was in Lakshmi’s embrace, Siva in Parvathy’s lap and Saraswathy with Brahma. They accepted that Anasuya’s fame as the chastest woman on earth was justified. Thus the Thrimoorthy came to be represented by the Lingam at Suchindram; the bottom represents Brahma, the middle represents Vishnu and the top Shiva.

      There is another lore associated with this temple. Once Indra was infatuated with Ahalya, the wife of Rishi Gautama. One night he came to the hermitage where Gautama was living and crowed like a cock indicating the approach of dawn. Rishi Gautama thinking that dawn was imminent awoke from his sleep and went to the river for his ablutions prior to commencing his prayers. Realising that it was too dark for dawn and too early for morning to break he returned to his hut. In the meantime Lord Indra took the physical appearance of Rishi Gautama, approached Ahalya and satisfied his desire. Rishi Gautama returning from the river was enraged when he saw his wife in another man’s embrace and cursed the man’s entire body be covered with ‘yoni’ (the female organ) and his wife Ahalya to become a statue of stone. Lord Indra in order to get rid of this curse went to Gnanaranya and prayed to the Three Moorthys to rid him of this curse. When he was rid of his curse and transformed into his original form he built a temple and installed the Lingam to represent the three Moorthy – Thanu-Maal-Ayan, and the name of the place came to be known as Suchi-Indran (the place where Indran was purified).

    • Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple

      Amazing architecture, Intricate architecture in stones.

      On my yogic tour to Kanyakumari 2019, I made my visit to this historical temple in Tamil Nadu, south India. This place is a splendid example of architectural miracles, built in the 17th century, known for attracting various pilgrims from across the neighboring states. The legends of Anasuya and Ahalya are attached to the temple. (To read more : https://anukusumkadri.9sh.org/2020/06/30/legendary-stories-associated-with-ahalya-and-anusuya/)

      The Thanumalayan Temple is popularly called as the Sthanumalayan Temple. Also known as the Suchindram Anjaneyar temple, or Sri Dattatreya temple, is an important Hindu temple located in the city of Suchindram in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. this temple is of importance to both Shaivaite and Vaishnavite sects of Hinduism.

      Temple entrance

      The name Stanumalaya denotes Trimurthis. “Stanu” means Shiva; “Mal” means Vishnu; and “Ayan” means Brahma.
      There are two temples within the premises. The smaller temple is from the 9th century AD and the second temple was built later by the rulers of this region, including the Kerala King Marthanda Varman. The temple’s art and architecture is of the Dravidian style.
      The Huge temple complex covers around two acres and has two gateway towers known as gopurams. The taller of two is the eastern tower, with eleven stories and a height of forty four metres (144 ft).
      The temple has a huge Gopura which rises to a height of 134 feet and has a number of small deities. Many huge pillars made of single stone are additional attractions. There are pillars with musical notations too.

      At the beginning you can see Dakshina moorthy, then proceed to see other temples . The three deities Bramha, Vishnu and Maheshwara is carved on a single stone and worshipped here. There is a 200 year old tree behind this ‘thrimoorthy’ idol. The trunk has been plated to preserve it from decaying. There are Nandi, Shiva, Nataraja, Navagraha and Vishnu temples too.
      There is a temple of Lady Ganapathi known as Ganeshwari, which is not seen elsewhere.
      There is an Anjaneya(Hanuman) statue which stands at twenty two feet (6.7 m) and is carved of a single granite block. It is one of the tallest statues of its type in India (62 ft).

      Photo courtesy: Google search


      Opposite to this statue there is Rama and Sita temple, Sendai melam pillar, and a statue with hollow ears where a straw can be passed through them.
      You can see the temple of Ganesha and take a walk around the pillared halls to enjoy one of the most amazing creations of anciet architecture.

      The special features of the temple include the four famous musical pillars, each formed by a group of smaller pillars, all carved from a single stone. Two of these large pillars have thirty three smaller pillars and the other two have twenty five each. Each of these smaller pillars produce different musical notes of Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, when tapped. Unfortunately these pillars are surrounded by iron grills to prevent vandalism.

      Photo courtesy: Google search

      The place got the name of Suchindrum from the Sthala Purana. A Hindu mythological legend has it that king of the devas, Indra, got relieved of a curse at the exact place of the main linga in the temple. The term “Suchi” in Suchindrum is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit meaning that stands for “purify”. Accordingly, Lord Indra is supposed to visit the temple for performing “Ardhajama Pooja”, or worship, at midnight every day.

      There are many priests who come forward to guide tourists. You can hire any one of them to enlighten you as this temple has plentiful history which is worth knowing. The one who guided us explained in kannada, telugu and hindi. Overall, it was a really good experience..

      Entry to the temple is free to all. Special ‘Darshan’ costs an amount of Rs 250 per person. Required dress code: males must remove their shirts and enter the temple bare chested. Females may wear saree/half saree/churidhar with upper cloth. Prasadam is served to all.
      Photography is not allowed. The cameras can be handed to the security for a fee of ten rupees(at your own risk) before entering the temple.

      The pond is so huge, and peaceful.
      This is definitely a place that has to be on your list if you are visiting Nagercoil/Kanyakumari.
      It is about 13 km distantce from Kanyakumari. You surely won’t regret a tour of this beautiful establishment. There are memories worth making.

      watch the video to know more about the temple

      https://anukusumkadri.9sh.org/2020/06/30/legendary-stories-associated-with-ahalya-and-anusuya/

      Additional information has been taken from Wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanumalayan_Temple

    • Indian paradise flycatcher -plumage polymorphism in male

      Indian Paradise Flycatcher
      In White Morph, Rufous plumage, Intermediate form

      Check out part-1 of this series –https://anukusumkadri.9sh.org/2020/06/20/amazing-birds-and-truly-amazing-facts-of-birds-indian-paradise-flycatcher/

      Many species show polymorphisms, which are often sex-related. However, there are also polymorphisms within a sex — these may be related to age or may be stable throughout their life. Which one of these depends on the function of the polymorphism.

      Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi). Males of this species have two morphs: rufous and white. Both are with long tail streamers.

      There are several hypotheses about these male morphs.
      *One notion is that juvenile males are rufous, and that they moult in the third year into white morph adults.
      The existence of intermediate form (intermediate between the two morphs)is an evidence for morph relating to age.

      *Another hypothesis is that the morphs are not due to age, but instead of coexistence with each other.

      *The third hypothesis is, it includes elements of the previous two, that is that juvenile males are rufous, but moult in the third year to either rufous or white.

      In general

      *The females are cinnamon above with a grayish throat, dirty white below, a shorter tail, and they have black eyering which makes them look dull, grey bill and grey feet. (See the photo attached)

      Female Indian paradise flycatcher, Photo courtesy: Devadatha Kumar SR

      *Juveniles/young males are rufous and have short tails. They have blue eye ring, the head, face, crown, crest and nape are glossy black. The throat is black ( See the photo)

      Young male Indian Paradise Flycatcher. Photo courtesy: Devadatha Kumar SR

      *The adult males exhibit plumage dichromatism. They are either predominantly bright RUFOUS abovementioned or predominantly WHITE.
      The edges of the wings and tail feathers are sometimes black.
      The head, face, crown, crest and nape are glossy black. The throat is black in males, the bill is black. The males have blue eye-ring, the legs are gray.

      Adult Indian Paradise Flycatcher in White Morph, Rufous plumage
      Photo courtesy: Devadatha Kumar SR.

      *Intermediates of both forms also exist. ( See the Photo)

      Indian Paradise Flycatcher in Intermediate form
      Photo by Anu Kusumakar Kadri


      *Some birds also molte from rufous into white plumage. (See it in the photo attached)

      Young male turning into white Morph
      Photo by Anu Kusumakar Kadri

      According to Summer Research Fellowship Programme of India’s Science Academies
      the possibility of age related polymorphism within this framework, and suggest that young birds are rufous but become white adults in the north but remain rufous in the south.

      Reference collected from:

      http://www.reports.ias.ac.in/report/19978/investigating-male-plumage-polymorphism-in-indian-paradise-flycatcher
      Dr. Suhel Quader
      Nature Conservation Foundation, No.361 ‘Hari Hara’, 5th Main Road, 1st cross Road, Kodigehalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560097

      A. Civin Solomon
      Bharathidasan University, 196/236, Joshua Street, Opposite to YMCA, College Road, Nagercoil, 629001

      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_paradise_flycatcher

      In this video you can see the polymorphisms,(different plumages) in male at different stages of its life.

      Indian paradise flycatcher is a eye catching bird, which turned me into a bird watcher since 2017. My encountering these birds, and all my observations are purely from the wild and each film recording spontaneous from nature direct during 2017 – 2020 in my Sunday birding trips in outskirts of Bangalore. I have attached Photographs borrowed from Mr Devadatha Kumar SR my batch mate and guide in this article.

      All about Indian paradise flycatcher in wild.: