The Rat Snake

A Rat Snake is usually resident either inside my home or somewhere in my garden. Previously I had a long term resident living behind my bedroom almirah. However nowadays, our current Rat Snake has made a comfortable home underneath the verandah. 

Rat Snake in Garden Bamboo

A Rat Snake is usually resident either inside my home or somewhere in my garden. Previously I had a long term resident living behind my bedroom almirah. However nowadays, our current Rat Snake has made a comfortable home underneath the verandah.

Rat Snake resident winding around its Kingdom!

Rat snakes are medium to large constrictors. They feed primarily on rodents and birds and, with some species exceeding 3 metres (10 feet), they can occupy top levels of some food chains. Rat snakes pose no threat to humans. 

File Photo of Rat Snake

This snake was long thought to be completely nonvenomous, but recent studies have shown that some Old World species do possess small amounts of venom (amounts so small as to be negligible to humans). 

Common Hoopoe

I’ve sighted the Common Hoopoe (Upupa Epops) several times recently on my evenings walk at the Samudram Erie. It’s a very elegant, beautiful bird that somehow looks much too grand for the parched scrubland of the area.



Adult Bird


The Hoopoe is found throughout India and is the State bird of the Punjab. It is a highly distinctive bird that has made a cultural impact in many cultures. They were considered sacred in Ancient Egypt and named as the King of birds in the Ancient Greek comedy ‘The Birds’ by Aristophanes. On the one hand this bird is listed in the Bible as among animals that are detestable and should not be eaten (for which they are probably delighted!) but on the other hand in Persia the Hoopoe is believed to be a symbol of virtue.



Adult with Juvenile


This bird is the same size as the Mynah. It is fawn coloured with black and white zebra markings on its back, wings and tail. It has a conspicuous fan-shaped crest, and a long, slender, gently curved bill. The sexes are alike and are to be found either singly or in pairs on the ground in lightly-wooded country. It is also fond of lawns, gardens and groves around villages and towns.


Bird Grooming


This bird walks and runs with a wadding, quail-like gait. The Hoopoe has a characteristic undulating flight which is like that of a giant butterfly caused by the wings half closing at the end of each beat or short sequence of beats.

It has a soft, musical, penetrating, ‘hoo-po’ repeated intermittently for up to 10 minutes at a time. It is from this call, that the bird has acquired its name i.e. the Hoopoe. This bird also makes other calls include rasping croaks and hisses. A wheezy note is produced by females during courtship feeding by the male.



Birds Mating


In what was long thought to be a defensive posture, Hoopoes sunbathe by spreading out their wings with tail low against the ground and headed tilted up, with wings folded. The Hoopoe is known to enjoy taking dust and sand baths.


Dust Bath


The diet of this bird includes many species considered to be pests by humans; for example the pupae of the processionary moth, a damaging forest pest. As this bird is regarded as highly beneficial to agriculture it is afforded protection under the law in many countries. The modification of natural habitats by humans for various agricultural purposes has led the Hoopoe to becoming common in olive groves, orchards, vineyards, parkland and farmland, and less common in intensively farmed areas.


Bird with Prey

The Hoopoe probes into the soil for food with its bill partly open like forceps. When digging, its crest is folded back and projects in a point behind the head. The strengthened musculature of the head allows the bill to be opened when probing inside the soil.


Eating Underground

The Hoopoe nests principally from February to May in a cavity on a vertical slope such as a tree hollow, hole in a wall or a building. It lines its next untidily with straw, rags and rubbish and lays around 5 or 6 white eggs. Both sexes share in feeding the young.

Hoopoe Video

A Garden Paradise

I was fascinated to read an online report about a couple in the U.K. who have transformed a half acre patch of scrub into an avian paradise.

Within this coming year I intend purchasing around 5 acres of unspoilt Arunachala Countryside, in order to create and develop such a bird haven. In this respect in my current home, I have already started growing young trees favoured by both indigenous and migratory birds to this area, for replanting on the land once identified and acquired.

If readers of Arunachala Birds have experience in creating happy bird environments, or would like to share ideas or information on such an endeavour, I would be VERY happy to hear from you. Please email me at the address on the top of the left column of this page.


The report from the U.K. goes thus:-

“With just a lawn, no feeder, and few perches, to most birds the bare patch of land – was hardly worth even a flying visit.



The Idyllic Bird Paradise


But after six years of green-fingered nurturing, the bare half acre patch of land has been transformed into an avian paradise for a huge variety of species. Which includes peregrine falcons, barn owls, kestrels, pheasants, woodpeckers, nightingales, doves and swallows.



Left to Right:
Sparrow Hawk, Woodpecker, Pheasant


This bird paradise has five distinct zones – which includes a flower area, pond, vegetable patch, as well as shrub and herb sections. In addition there is a bird bath, a wood pile and an unkempt area of pignut, wild red clover and wild fennel – ideal for honey bees. There are also hedges of hawthorn and blackthorn, with willow and conifer trees, home to several ring-necked doves.

Left to Right:

Doves, Blue Tits, Woodpecker

In the first hour of their latest bird census, 27 species alone were recorded visiting the avian paradise.”


Left to Right:
Green Woodpecker, Heron

Bird Conservation

A beautiful but rather sad video made by Louise du Toit this year calling for bird conservation and the preservation of their habitat.

Grey Francolin

The Grey Francolin (Francolinus Pondicerianus) is very common in scrubland throughout this area. This bird can also be found in large numbers in grasslands and in cultivated areas near villages.

I intentionally prevent thorny bushes around the side of my cottage being felled by wood cutters in order to provide a safe sanctuary for the large number of Francolins that rummage and nest near my house.



Juvenile Grey Francolin


This bird is a plump, stub-tailed greyish brown game bird with chestnut blotching above, barred plummage and chestnut wings. The male is slightly larger than the female and has a pointed spur on each leg.



Adult Drinking



Gray Francolins are fast runners and prefer to run when approached or disturbed. They take to wings only when surprised in the bushes or when persistently chased.



Adult Grey Francolin


This bird lives and feeds on the ground in daytime, mostly in pairs or small parties, but at night roosts on small trees. Its food consists of grain, seeds, shoots, drupes, termites, and insects and it may occasionally take larger prey such as snakes.



Male Adult Eating


The loud calls of the birds are commonly heard early in the mornings. Pairs of birds engage in duet calls. The female call is a tee...tee...tee repeated and sometimes a kila..kila..kila and the challenge call kateela..kateela..kateela is a duet. They are usually seen in small groups.




Male with Spur on Leg


The breeding season is practically throughout the year. Clutch size of 4 to 8 cream coloured eggs with an incubation period of 21-23 days. Both parents are very attentive.



Chicks


The nest is a grass-lined depression in the ground, usually hidden under bushes or in crop cultivation. The nest may sometimes be made above ground level in a niche in a wall or rock. The bird roosts in groups in low thorny trees


Adult with Young

Purple Sunbird

Sitting on a roof-top in Rajiv Gandhi Nagar just off Chengam Road one kilometre west of Ramana Nagar, I noticed this beautiful Purple Sunbird enjoying his perch on an electricity pole.

Purple Sunbird on Electricity Pole

The Purple Sunbird (Nectarinia Asiatica) is small (about the size of a sparrow) with a slender, curved bill and a tubular tongue, which is well adapted for feeding on the nectar of flowers The male Purple Sunbird has two distinct types of plumage. The breeding male is characterised by the metallic bluish-black body, and the tuft of crimson and yellow feathers under each wing. In contrast, the non-breeding male Purple Sunbird has a much duller ‘eclipse’ plumage resembling the female, with yellow underparts and a dark line of feathers running down the centre of the throat and breast.

The female is a brown to olive-brown above, pale dull yellow below – but with darker wings and a broad black stripe running down middle of breast.

Mature Male Purple Sunbird

This bird which is common throughout Tiruvannamalai District prefers gardens, gardens, cultivated and scrub country and also light deciduous forest.

Its diet consists mostly of flower nectar as can be ascertained from its long, curved beaked, which is adapted for probing and sucking flower nectar. However the bird also feasts on insects and spiders and fruits.

This bird is often seen in pairs or small groups in which as many as 40 to 50 individuals have sometimes been noted.

Purple Sunbird Immature Male

A sharp monosyllabic 'wich, wich' uttered as it flits about This species is known to defend its territory by singing and chasing intruders.

In courtship displays the male raises its head, fans its tail and flutters with partly open wings that expose the pectoral tufts and sings before the female.

Female Sunbird

Purple Sunbird Male Molting

Sunbird in Flight

Nesting season flexible mostly March to May.The nest is a pouch made of cobwebs, thin strips of vegetation, lichens and bark. The entrance hole on the side is often shaded by a overhanging projection. The nest is built almost entirely by the female. The nest material is not woven and most of it is held together by cobwebs. About five to ten days may be taken in the building of the nest. The inner cavity is expanded by the bird by openings its wing and turning around on the inside.

Male Purple Sunbird
feeding young in nest

Only the female builds the nest and incubates the eggs which hatch after 15 to 17 days. There are usually 2 or 3 greyish or greenish white eggs marked with various shades of brown and grey. Males assist in feeding the chicks although females involve themselves to a greater extent, making more trips as the chicks get older.

Purple Sunbird feeding on Nectar

Rose Ringed Parakeet

The Rose Ringed Parakeet, also known as the Ringnecked Parakeet, is a gregarious tropical parakeet species. This bird measures on average 16 ins in length including tail feathers with the tail accounting for a large amount of the bird’s total length. The wing span of the bird is around 5.9–6.9 ins.

Male on right, female bird on left

There are observable differences between the sexes of this species. With the adult male sporting a red neck-ring and the hen and immature birds of both sexes either have no neck rings, or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings

The bird, commonplace all around the Arunachala area, can often be found banded in large flocks. Its call is a loud, sharp, screaming 'keeak, keeak, keeak' uttered both at rest and while flying. Its flight is swift and direct, with rapid wing beats.

This species is one of the most familiar of Indian birds, as much at home in the countryside as within villages and towns. The non-migrating Rose Ringed Parakeet is one of the few parrot species that has successfully adapted to living in 'disturbed habitats', and in that way has withstood the onslaught of urbanisation and deforestation.

In the wild, Rose-ringed parakeets usually feed on buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries and seeds. Wild flocks also fly fly miles to forage in farmlands and orchards. This species feeds extensively on pigeon pea (Toor Dhal) during winters in India.

The Rose Ringed Parakeet's nesting season, which varies locally, is chiefly February to April. Its nest is generally a natural hollow in a tree-trunk, or one excavated by the birds themselves. Holes in rock scraps and walls of buildings, ruined or in occupation, often within noisy towns are freely utilized.

This bird lays 4-6, pure white, roundish oval shaped eggs. Both sexes share all domestic duties.

Asian Openbilled Stork

I've never noticed this bird in large numbers around the Samudram Lake (south of Arunachala and popular location for migratory waterbirds). But occasionally spot small groups of the Openbill. This season have spotted this bird on several occasions visiting for a few days, but none have been actually residing at the Samudram this season.

The Asian Openbill is a large wading bird of the Stork family. It is white or greyish white, with black on the wings. It can sometimes be confused with other Storks, except for its unique black bill with narrow open gap.

Openbills at Samudram
Indian Spot Billed Ducks background

One of the commonest Storks throughout India. It is both a resident breeder and also migratory. Sexes are alike and the Asian Openbilled flocks singly or in groups at jheels and marshes.

Openbills foraging for food at Samudram

Openbill at Takeoff

This bird is broad-winged and soaring, relying on moving between thermals of hot air for sustained flight. Like all storks, it flies with its neck outstretched. When on ground it walks slowly and steadily.

Openbill in flight

The origin of the bill is unknown but believed to have originated with the opening of thick shells of snails found on marshes which forms a large part of its food in season. The Openbill also eats frogs, crabs, large insects.

The bird gets its name (Openbill)
from its peculiarly shaped bill

Juvenile Bird

Nesting season mostly between November and Marsh in South India. This bird breeds in colonies amongst mixed flocks of cormorants, egrets, painted storks etc.

Its nest is a platform of twigs in a tree with a central depression lined with leaves. It lays around 2-4 white eggs.

Brahminy Starling

I receive many bird visitors throughout the day to my garden and am always on the lookout for the first time visitor. Whereupon I generally hurry for my camera, take a snap, and thereafter identify and learn more about the bird. In this case I observed for the first time a visit by two Brahminy Starlings to my garden

Starling on my Compound Wall

The Brahminy Starling (Sturnia Pagodarum) is a member of the Starling family. The species name Pagodarum was given based on the usual occurrence of the species on Temple Pagodas. The name Brahminy relates to its black crest which is similar to that of a Brahmin.

The bird is creamy orange with a black cap and a slight crest. The adult male has a more prominent crest than the female and also has longer neck hackles. Young birds have crestless sooty brown heads and duller coloration. The bill of this bird is yellow with a bluish base.

Adult Bird with Hackles
Photo by Douglas Janson

The Brahminy Starling has a merry chattering call with a pleasing song uttered during the breeding season.

Brahminy Starling on Drumstick Tree

The Brahminy Starling is usually seen in pairs or small flocks in open habitats. The bird which is a resident breeder in India is found in dry forest, scrub jungle and cultivation and is often found close to human habitations. It especially favours areas with waterlogged or marshy lands. It roosts communally in large numbers in leafy trees, often in the company of Parakeets and Mynahs.

The bird is omnivorous, eating fruit, insects and flower nectar and has been known to feed on the fruits of Thevetia Peruviana (Yellow Oleander) which are toxic to many vertebrates.

Pair of Brahminy Starlings
Photo by Koshy Koshy

It builds its nest in tree holes or artificial cavities. The breeding season is May to July. Both sexes take part in nest building. The nest is lined with grass, feathers and rags. The normal clutch is 3-4 eggs which are pale bluish green. The eggs hatch in about 12 to 14 days.

Bird with Nesting Material
Photo by J.M. Garg

In Flight

For more videos and photos go to this link here.

White-breasted Waterhen

Right-click on all photographs to view enlargements.

The White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the Rail and Crake family (Rallidae) and widely distributed across South Asia. During a previous season a couple of White-breasted Waterhens would daily visit my garden, which was my introduction to this bird, however since that time I haven’t personally spotted the White-breasted Waterhen in the Arunachala area.

Adult Waterhen [Photo: J.M. Garg]

This bird is a slaty grey stub-tailed long-legged marsh bird with white face and breast and bright rusty red under the tail. Immature birds are much duller versions of the adults. The adults are similar in size with the female being slightly smaller. The downy chicks are black, as with all Rails.

These birds are usually seen singly or in pairs as they forage slowly along the edge of a waterbody mainly on the ground but sometimes clambering up low vegetation. The tail is held up and jerked as they walk. They probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects, small fish, invertebrates and seeds.

White-breasted Waterhen in flight

Although ordinarily a silent bird its very noisy during breeding season during the rains, when it makes loud, repetitive croaking calls. At that time it is heard chiefly on overcast days and often through the night.

The nesting season is mainly June to October but varies locally. They nest in a dry location on the ground in marsh vegetation, laying 6-7 eggs. Courtship involves bowing, billing and nibbling. The eggs hatch in about 19 days. Both sexes incubate the eggs and take care of the chicks. Chicks often dive underwater to escape predation. Adults are said to build a roost or brood nest where young chicks and the adults roost.

Mother White-breasted Waterhen with Chicks

Waterhen Chick

Juvenile Waterhen

Birds' Favourite Trees

The below is an extract from Salim Ali 'The Book of Indian Birds', chapter 'Bird Watching'. I was fascinated by his advice and decided to make a positive identification of the birds' favoured trees with their fruit and flowers.



Bird Watching by Salim Ali
Favoured Trees


"Banyan and Peepul trees when in ripe fruit attract a multitude of birds of many species from far and wide and offer excellent opportunities to the bird watcher. A lively scene presents itself as party after party arrive, all eager to gorge themselves on the abundance spread around.

Banyan Tree

Banyan Tree Figs

There is a great deal of noise and chatter as the visitors hop from branch to branch in their quest. Bickering and bullying are incessant, but no serious encounters develop since every individual is much too preoccupied with the main business in hand. Such gatherings are ideal for studying the natural dispositions and ‘table manners’ of the various species.

Peepul Tree

Peepul Tree Figs

Some of the most charming and enjoyable venues for bird watching are certainly afforded by the Silk Cotton, Coral Flower, or Flame-of-the-Forest (Butea) trees in bloom. Their particular attractiveness lies in the fact that the trees, or the branches bearing the gorgeous flowers, are bare and leafless at this season, allowing a clear and unobstructed view of the visitors.

Silk Cotton Tree

Silk Cotton Tree Flower

Almost every small bird of the surrounding countryside flocks to the blossoms for the sake of the sugary nectar which they produce in such abundance. Riot and revelry prevails throughout the day, but especially in the mornings, and there is constant bullying, hustling and mock fighting amongst the roisterers.

Coral Flower Tree

Asian Pied Starling Feeding on Nectar
of Coral Tree Flower

A pair of good binoculars multiplies the pleasures of bird watching many-fold, and is indeed an indispensable item of the watcher’s equipment."

Flame of the Forest Tree (Butea)

Flame of the Forest Tree Flower