Different types of Birds’ Nests: Part 1

The information on the below posting of the main types of bird’s nests found in India has been compiled primarily from the works of the famous Indian ornithologist and naturalist, Salim Ali:

1. Simple scrapes in the ground sparsely lined with grass and leaves, e.g. quail, jungle fowl and other game birds, or with no semblance of lining, e.g. tern and lapwing. Protections is secured by the eggs and young of such birds through their remarkable obliterative coloration.

Lapwing Nest

2. Twig nests like platforms with a cup-like depression in the centre usual lined with softer material-grass, tow, feathers, etc. This type, built in trees or on buildings or cliffs, is common to a large number of birds of different families, e.g. crow, kite, dove, vulture, cormorant, stork, etc.

Turtle Dove

3. Nests in tree-holes either excavated in living or decayed wood, or in natural hollows and either with a sparse lining of soft material or unlined, e.g. tits, Yellow-throated Sparrow, woodpeckers, barbets, hornbills, owls, some mynas and most of our resident ducks. The holes are in the first instance cut by woodpeckers, parakeets or barbets and subsequently appropriated in rotation by many other species. Nesting in natural tree hollows is a common habit among our resident ducks, all of whom breed during the SW. monsoon. The situation gives security against sudden rise of water level in the jheels due to cloud-bursts or the swelling of streams flowing into them. The ducklings reach the water by tumbling out of the nest and are not carried down by the parents as has sometimes been asserted.

Woodpecker

4. Nests in excavated tunnels in earth-banks or in clefts or buildings, rock cliffs, etc., e.g. bee-eaters, kingfishers, hoopoe. The tunnels are driven horizontally into the side of an earth-cutting or bank of a stream, the bird using its bill to dig and its fee to kick back the loose earth. The tunnels are from a few inches to several feet in length and usually bent near the extremity where they widen into a bulbous egg chamber.

Adult Kingfisher going to Nest

Adult Kingfisher feeding Chicks

5. Nests built entirely of mud or in which mud predominates, e.g. Whistling-Thrust, blackbirds, swallows, martins. The wet mud is commonly collected a r rain puddles. It is mixed with a certain amount of saliva in the case of swallows. There is a marked increase in the size of the salivary glands of these birds and swifts during the breeding season. Swallows’ nests have perforce to be built very gradually, pellet by pellet, so that not too much of the material is daubed on at one time before the underlying layer is sufficiently dry.

Barn Swallows

Cliff Swallows

6. Cup-shaped nests of grass and fibres in crotches or forks of branches, usually well plastered over with cobwebs, e.g. iora, fantail, and other flycatchers, orioles, white-eye minivets, reed warblers, cuckoo-shrikes, etc. Cobwebs are very extensively employed as cement in bird architecture, for binding the material compactly and neatly together. It is collected by being twisted round and round the bill and is then unwound and attached on the exterior of the nest, or used in securing the nest into position.

Iora Adult Feeding Chick

7. Domed or ball-shaped nests of twigs, grass or rootlets with a lateral entrance hole, e.g. munias, Rufous-bellied Babbler.

Munia Nest

8. Pendant nests, e.g. weaver birds (woven), sunbirds, flowerpeckers. The sunbird’s nest is a vertical oblong pouch suspended from the tip of a thin outhanging twig, usually not high above the ground. It has an entrance hole at the side with a little projecting porch over it. The exterior is draped untidily with pieces of bark, caterpillar droppings, and spiders’ egg-cases which give it an effective camouflage. The flowerpecker’s nest is a hanging pouch of the same general pattern, but made entirely of seed and vegetable down worked into a felt-like fabric.

Weaver Bird Making Nest

Weaver Bird Nest Creation System

Hanging Weaver Nests

9. Woven oblong purse; loofah-like—attached to stems of tall grass or low bushes, e.g. prinias (alternative to the next type).

Plain Prinia

 

10. Nest in leaves stitched together in the form of a funnel, e.g. Tailorbird, Franklin’s Prinia, Ashy Prinia.

Funnel Shaped Tailor Bird Nest

Tailor Bird Feeding Chicks in Nest

Southern Grey Shrike

Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher" because of their feeding habits. Among its super family, the closest relatives of the Laniidae are the Corvidae (crows and allies). 

Adult male

The Southern Grey Shrike, Lanius Meridionalis, is a member of the Shrike family. It is closely related to the Great Grey Shrike, Lanius Excubitor, but the species do not interbreed and are separated by choice of habitat. This bird is not a common resident in Tamil Nadu, but I have viewed it several times in the open scrub country (which it prefers to habituate) of the Samudram Eri. 

Bird Preening

The Southern Grey has a narrow black forehead and broad face mask, grey mantle with white scapulars, broad white tips to secondaries, white sides tip to tail, and white underparts. Juveniles have sandy cast to grey upperparts, buff tips to tertials and coverts, and grey mask. 

Bird in Flight from Above

This bird eats small vertebrates and insects. Most important among invertebrate prey are insects, especially beetles, crickets, grasshoppers and bumblebees. To hunt it perches on an elevated spot in a conspicuous upright stance some distance above ground not only to watch for prey but also to advertise its presence to rivals. Alternatively this bird may scan land below during flight, staying in one place during prolonged bouts of hovering that may last up to twenty minutes. 

Bird in flight from below

This Shrike is medium-sized with a hooked beak reminiscent of a bird of prey. It has a harsh strident call. Prey is killed by hitting it with its beak, aiming for the skull in vertebrates. If too large to swallow in one or a few chunks, it is transported to a feeding site by carrying it in the beak or (if too large) in the feet. 

 

Adult Bird with impaled food in its "larder"

It is then impaled upon a sharp point such as thorns or barbed wire or even just wedged between forking branches. These “larders” are typically around a metre above ground and although they can be found anywhere within the birds' territory generally tend to be in the general vicinity of the bird’s nest sites. 

Eggs of the Southern Grey Shrike

Shrikes are territorial and are generally monogamous. Males attract females to their territory with well stocked caches, which may include inedible but brightly coloured items. During courtship the male will perform a ritualised dance which includes actions that mimic the skewering of prey on thorns and will feed the female. To lay its eggs, Shrikes make simple, cup-shaped nests from twigs and grasses, in bushes and the lower branches of trees. 

Juvenile Bird

Red Vented Bulbul

The Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus Cafer, Tamil: Kondai Kuruvil) is a member of the Bulbul family of Passerines. It is a resident breeder across India and found throughout Tiruvannamalai District. 

Beautiful Crested Head

Bulbuls are birds of graceful form and movement, their wings are short but broad and their tails are long and nearly even at the tip, instead of being forked or tapering as it usually the case with longish tails. Their bills are rather slight than stout and of moderate length; their legs are short. 

Eating Flower Nectar

The Red Vented is a largish bird as Bulbuls go, being about nine inches long. Its very picturesque in appearance, with a full black crest and black tail tipped with white (which is more noticeable during flight) and a crimson one below. It has scale-like markings on its beak and back. Sexes are alike in colouration, but young birds are duller than adults. 

This bird has no song as such and instead makes short, joyous notes. It calls throughout the year and has a number of distinct call types for roosting, flight, greeting etc. Its alarm call is usually responded to and heeded by many other bird species. 

Bulbul Preening

 Video of two adults feeding chick

This is a bird of dry scrub, open forest, plains and cultivated lands. It is a common visitor to gardens. Large numbers of his bird collect to feed on Banyan and Peepul figs and winged termite swarms. 

Bulbul cooling off

Red-vented Bulbuls feed on fruits, petals of flowers, nectar, insects and occasionally geckos. They have also been seen feeding on vegetables and the leaves of certain trees (e.g. Medicago Sativa). This bird is an important disperser of seed of plants such as Carissa Spinarum. 

Two Adults Grooming each other

Red-vented Bulbuls build their nests in bushes or tree cavities at a height of around 2–3 m (7–10 ft). Nests are occasionally built inside houses or in a hole in a mud bank. The nest is usually a cup of rootlets, sometimes plastered outside with cobwebs. Two or three eggs is a typical clutch and this bird is  capable of multiple clutches a year. Their eggs are pale-pinkish white with spots of purplish brown. The eggs hatch after about 14 days and both parents feed the chicks. The Pied Crested Cuckoo is a brood parasite of this species. 

Bulbul Eggs in Nest

In 19th Century India these birds were frequently kept as cage pets and for fighting especially in Karnataka. The bird would be held on the finger with a thread attached around its middle and when they fought they would seize the red feathers of its opponents. 

Newly Hatched Chick in Nest

Sri Seshadri’s power over birds

The below two stories illustrate the power over birds and nature exhibited by the great mahan, Sri Seshadri Swamigal. 

Calling out for Garuda Birds (Brahmini Kite):

“One one occasion the writer was given a send-off by Swamiji. It was 8 a.m. They were passing near Sadhu Chatram. Swamiji put his hands around the writer’s neck and stood for a while. In the distant sky it appeared as if a lone bird was flying. Pointing to that, Swamiji asked the writer, “Is that a Garuda?” The writer replied, “Yes, it looks like a Garuda.” At that time Swamiji made a gesture with his hands as if calling that bird. He bade farewell to the writer saying, “That bird will come, you can go.” 

Hardly had the writer walked on a few yards on the way to the railway station, when two Garuda birds flew very close to him, one on his left and another on his right. As Swamiji had said that the birds would come hundreds of Garuda birds flocked there. It was if the devotee’s journey should have a good augury. One could normally expect a few such birds like sparrows, crows. But hundreds of Garuda birds would not normally be seen. The confusion is irresistible that Swamiji had purposely called them in.” 

Beautiful Brahminy Kite

The Garuda bird in Hindu mythology is the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu and in daily life is believed to be the Brahminy Kite. To find out more about the Brahminy Kite, go to this link here, and for in-depth information about Garuda mythology go to this link here. Incidentally the photograph at the top of this page is of the Brahminy Kite.

Calling various Birds:

“Venkatachala Mudaliar and his wife Subbalakshmi Ammal were earnest devotees of Swamiji. Quite often Swamiji used to visit them, take food in their house and talk to them in a jolly fashion. In the centre of their house there were two Poovarasa (Portia) trees and two drumstick trees. It was a new moon day. Swamiji dropped in a 4 p.m, and said, 'Subbalakshmi, come here, I will show you some fun.'

When she asked what he was going to show, Swamiji was looking into the sky through the open verandah and raised his hands calling out, “Come! Come!” Immediately one crow came, then another crow flew in, then five, then, fifty, hundred crows flew in; likewise a number of other species of birds like pigeons, parrots, various types of sparrows—yellow sparrows, black sparrows, etc., all flew in. 

They all crowded the whole place including the neighbouring house, sitting on the ground, on the roof, on the trees and started making a noise and jumping hither and thither and playing. Swamiji was standing in their midst and played with the birds. Subblalakshmi was watching the scene with curiosity. A few minutes elapsed when she told Swamiji: 'You have called the birds from somewhere and are playing with them like this! After all they will also feel hungry and thirsty. Will their young ones not feel anxious?' Swamiji asked, 'But should I ask them to go back?' Saying that, he took a strand from his shoulder cloth and blew it. Immediately all the birds departed.” 

Asian Koel

The Koel called Kokil in Bengali, is the commonest and most familiar of Indian Cuckoos and is found in Tiruvannamalai District as well as the rest of India. 

Handsome Male Koel

Cuckoos are found all over the world, but are not numerous in species except in warm regions. They have slightly curved bills of moderate size, with conspicuous nostrils set low down and near the edge of the upper chap, and their toes are in two pairs, the outer front toe being turned backwards, as in Woodpeckers and Barbets. Tree-Cuckoos, which, in the East at all events, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, have long wings and short legs, while Bush-Cuckoos, which always bring up their own young, have short wings and long legs suited for running; the Tree-Cuckoos on the rare occasions when they come to the ground, being only able to hop. Cuckoos usually have long rounded tails, and are very readily recognizable when a few have been seen. 

Close up of Male Koel

Cuckoos have peculiar notes and are generally more heard than seen. They generally feed on insects, and are exceedingly useful birds. Only in India are any Cuckoos commonly kept as cage-birds, they are not hard to rear, but require hand-feeding for a longer time than other birds. 

The Koel is about as big as a large pigeon, with a long rounded tail; its whole length being nearly a foot and a half, it measures 39–46 cm (15–18 in) and weighs 190–327 g (6.7–11.5 oz). It has a peculiar steady level flight which makes it easily recognizable. 

Male Koel

The cock and hen differ absolutely in colour, the former being a glossy blue-black, while the latter is brown, spotted with white on the head and back, and barred with that colour on the wings, tail and under parts; altogether she rather reminds one of a hen pheasant in colour. Both male and female have pale green bills, bright red eyes and lead-coloured feet. Young birds have black bills and grey eyes; in plumage they resemble adults of the corresponding sex, but not completely, young cocks being usually slightly marked with buff, and young hens having the head and top of the neck black. But there appears to be some variation, so that young cocks may be found in female plumage and vice versa. 

 Video of the song of the Koel

The Asian Koel is omnivorous, consuming a variety of insects, caterpillars, eggs and small vertebrates. However the adult bird feeds mainly on fruit. They will sometimes defend fruiting trees that they forage in and chase away other frugivores. They have been noted to be especially important in the dispersal of the sandalwood tree in India. Large seeded fruits are sometimes quickly regurgitated near the parent tree while small seeded fruits are ingested and are likely to be deposited at greater distances from the parent tree. They have a large gape and are capable of swallowing large fruits including the hard fruit of palms. 

Female Koel with distinctive colouring

This bird is much beloved by indigenous locals who admire the bird’s fine mellow call and it is with them quite a bird of romance with its glossy black plumage. The Koel deserves consideration from all, not only on account of its beauty and musical capacities, but for being one of the very few creatures which scores off the Crows, those birds being the foster-parents which it selects for its young. 

Beautiful photograph of male and female eating

The Asian Koel is a brood parasite and lays its egg in the nests of a variety of birds, including both the Jungle Crow and the House Crow, but the House Crow is the usual victim and the egg of the Koel is a miniature of a Crow's egg, being about an inch long, and green with brown spots. 

House Crow at its Nest

Sometimes two Koels' eggs may be found in one Crow's nest, and at times the big black Jungle-Crow has to do parental duty for the Koel. The most curious thing about the whole business is that the Crows, although they bring up the young Koel and feed it even after it has left the nest, yet evidently know there is something wrong, for they cherish a lively prejudice against the old Koels and hunt any Koel they can to death if they get the chance 

Koels breed from March to July, and at this time the call whence is derived its Hindustani name ''ko-eel ko-eel'' running up the scale, is one of the characteristic sounds of the country. Unfortunately the bird insists on calling at night as well as by day, and is rather apt at all times to be "instant out of season;'' whence thus many call the Koel, the Brain-fever Bird, and detest it accordingly. 

[Narrative taken from book by Frank Finn]

Common Babbler -- Passerine

I earlier made a posting on the Common Babbler, but am including below an extract from a book by Frank Finn 1902, entitled “Garden and Aviary Birds of India.” Frank Finn was part of the British Colonial Service and a dedicated amateur ornithologist. There are many parts of his book, now out-of-print which have an unusual and fresh viewpoint towards birds we are normally quite familiar with here in India.

His chapters on aviary birds and the description of interspecies relationships, sometimes good – and sometimes very bad, are fascinating, and I hope to include more extracts from his book in later postings. But to begin with his chapter on the Passerine, Common Babbler:

The Passerines

"More than half of the known species of birds belong to the great Passerine order, so called from the Latin name of its most prominent member, Passer, the Sparrow. Birds of this order are usually small, the Raven being the biggest, while some are almost the smallest of birds. The Sparrow and Mynah represent fair average sizes of Passerine birds.

They can always be distinguished by their feet: the foot of a Sparrow or Crow will serve as a model for all. The shank is slight and covered behind with long entire plates, and before with a single row of large broad scales, or even with one continuous horny plate; there are three toes before, unconnected by any web or other junction and one behind, which, taking it with its claw, is as big as or bigger than any of the rest.

The shank may be long or short, and the foot as a whole large or small as compared with the bird's body, but the style of scaling and proportion of the toes is always unmistakable. The shape, and the wings, tail and beak vary a great deal in Passerine birds; but they always have large heads in proportion to their size.

Their young are always hatched blind, helpless, and naked or nearly so; their nests are usually in a bush or tree, and they live in pairs in the breeding season. They are the most skilful nest-builders of all birds, and the only ones which are commonly accounted songsters. They bear captivity well, but are not so easy to breed in that state as some groups of birds.

The order is divided into many families, which are not always easy to distinguish, as there are many connecting links. One of the families is the Babbler. Which form the most numerous group of Indian birds and are, of all the smaller fry the most interesting in my opinion, whether at large or in the aviary.

The Common Babbler

They vary a good deal in size, but there is something about their general style which marks them off at once when seen in life, though, as skins in a museum collection, they are not so easy to separate. They have very short rounded wings, and rather long tails. As a rule their plumage is lax and fluffy, not close and sleek, and their legs and feet are strong, not to say coarse. Their bills are moderate in size; not actually slender, but not thick like a Crow's.

Common Babbler Feeding

Common Babbler in Tree

Common Babbler Calling

They usually go about in parties, and have a weak flight, never going far at a time, and often whining and skimming alternately, like Partridges. They feed mostly on insects, and take hold of their food in one foot, if they wish to break it up. On trees or on the ground they are very active, moving about by long hops, for very few of them run. Males and females are alike in colour, and the young resemble them. They are very affectionate and constantly caress each other with their bills.

Affection Babblers in Tree

Common Babbler Preening

THE SAT-BHAI (Crateropus Canorus), is the most familiar of the larger Babblers, the native name, which of course means seven brothers, having been practically accepted as English. I have not thought it necessary to figure this common bird; everyone must have noticed it, with its pale-drab, dust-coloured plumage, cunning-looking white eyes, and sickly-white legs and bill. It is found all over India in the plains and low down in the hills, and comes freely into gardens, making its presence known obtrusively by a squeaky babbling varied by hysterical outbursts.

Common Babbler Nest and Eggs

In confinement it is very easy to tame, will eat table craps readily and is amusing for a time; but nobody would want to keep such a frowsy unmusical creature for long. Interesting as its habits undoubtedly are. Birds which I turned out after studying them for some time remained so tame that they would still take food from the hand; and I imagine that a hand-reared one would make a very nice pet. The nest is an open cup-shaped one, placed low down and the eggs are of a most lovely blue."

Adult Common Babbler Feeding Young

Local Bird Artist

The artist in the below paintings is Kumar, who is an expert of birds found in Tiruvannamalai District. He has already painted many of the birds spotted locally and which are on exhibit in the gardens of the Mountain of Medicine, a few minutes walk from Ramana Ashram and located across from the Local Arts College. 

In the above painting, the bird on the left is the Little Stint, in the centre the Black Winged Stilt and to the right, the Sandpiper.

One of his completed and labelled paintings below showcases the: Blue-Winged Leafbird, the Golden Fronted Leafbird and the India Pitta.

Spotted Eagle

I have not made any postings of the birds listed above, as I only write about birds after I have viewed them personally. Already over 150 birds have been listed by official bird watchers as being spotted in this area, so the postings on Arunachala Birds will develop incrementally with my own sightings. However invite information, photographs and personal reminiscences from bird watchers in this area. 

Do visit the gardens of Mountain of Medicine when next in this area, the paintings and information about local birds and other wildlife is fascinating -- a perfect days outing, specially for the young at heart!

Asian Palm Swift

The Asian Palm Swift (Cypsiurus balasiensis) is a small swift the size of a Swallow. It is a common resident in Tiruvannamalai District where there is a profusion of palm trees. 

Bow like wings, with tail held closed

The Palm Swift is only a little less in length than the House Swift, but is really a much smaller bird, being more slender, with a fairly long and well forked tail; in colour it is drab without any conspicuous markings. It has a narrow deeply forked tail and long slender bow-like wings. The tail is usually held closed but the fork is particularly noticeable when the bird wheels or banks in flight. 

Bird of the open skies

These Swifts spend most of the day hawking tiny winged insects in the vicinity of the palms where it roosts. When in the air it turns and twists to the accompaniment of a loud, shrill joyous triple note ti-ti-tee. Asian Palm Swifts often feed near the ground, and drink on the wing. 

Feeds and drinks in the air

This bird of open country and cultivation is associated with the fan or toddy palm as the rigid folds and furrows of the palm leaves provides the bird with suitable roosting and nesting sites. Its nest is a tiny half-saucer of feathers and vegetable down agglutinated with the bird’s saliva, and attached in a fold on the underside of a tad palm leaf. The bird’s saliva is also used to secure the eggs. This species of Swift generally lays 2 or 3, pure white long pointed oval eggs. 

Notice the Swift's sharp right claw

Sexes are similar, and young birds differ mainly with a shorter tails. The Asian Palm Swift has very short legs which it uses only for clinging to vertical surfaces, since swifts never settle voluntarily on the ground. 

Young nestlings in fronds of Palm Leaf

The Swift has only ten tail feathers and its first toe is not directed backwards as in Swallows, instead all its four toes spread out like the finger on a hand, falling into right and left pairs. The Asian Palm Swift does not perch or walk, but can cling and climb well as its claws are very strong and sharp. 

Feeding its young

Purple Rumped Sunbird

The Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) is common in Tiruvannamalai District. This species is found in a variety of habitats with trees, including scrub and cultivation and is usually absent from dense forest. Males are brightly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below. Their call is ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit or a sharp twittering tityou, titou, trrrtit, tityou. I currently have a number of these beautiful birds visiting my garden and its in bloom Coral Tree.

Male Sunbird

The Purple-rumped Sunbird is small in size, and feeds mainly on nectar, sometimes taking insects, particularly when feeding young. They can hover for short durations but usually perch to feed. When the flowers are too deep to probe, they sometimes pierce the base of the flower and rob the nectar. It has been noted that they maintain special scratching posts, where they get rid of pollen and nectar sticking to their head 

Male Sunbird with Distinctive Colouring

Duller Female Sunbird in Flight

Female Preening

Female Sunbird constructing nest

This bird breeds through the year and may have two broods. Its nest is made up of fine plant fibres and lined with soft fibres from seeds of the Calotropis, cobwebs and is studded on the exterior with lichens, bark pieces, flying seeds and other materials. The nest is constructed by the female alone although the male may fly alongside her. The nest is placed on the end of branch and the entrance usually faces a bush. Nests may sometimes be built close to buildings or under open porches.

Video of female Purple Rumped Sunbird feeding chicks

The clutch consists of usually two eggs which are oval pale greenish and white with spots and streaks becoming more dense at the broad end. The eggs are incubated by both the male and female. The chicks fledge in about 17 days and continue to be fed by the male for a few days. Old nests are sometimes reused. Nests are sometimes parasitised by the Grey-bellied Cuckoo.

The Purple-rumped Sunbird may indulge in dew-bathing, or bathing by sliding in drops of rain collected on large leaves. Sunbirds are a confusing species with overlapping range. To learn more about the differences between the types of beautiful Sunbirds go to this link here. 

Male Sunbird on Feeding Duty

Immature male Sunbird