Indian Pitta (Pitta Brachyura)

The name of this bird in Tamil which is derived from its behaviour is Kathelachi (wind-blown) and Arumani Kuruvi (six-o’clock bird). Calling at dawn and dusk occurs on the wintering grounds, thus the reason for its Tamil name which translates as the ‘six-o’clock bird’.

It is a small stubby-tailed bird that is mostly seen on the floor of forests or under dense undergrowth, foraging on insects in leaf litter. It has long, strong legs, a very short tail and stout bill, with a buff coloured crown stripe, black coronal stripes, a thick black eye stripe and white throat and neck. The upperparts are green, with a blue tail, the underparts buff, with bright red on the lower belly and vent.

Illustration from Alfred Brehm's Tierleben

The four species of Asian Pitta that share buff underparts and conspicuous blue wing patches are the – Indian Pitta, Pitta Brachyura, Fairy Pitta, P. Nympha, Blue-winged Pitta, P. Moluccensis, and Mangrove Pitta, P. Megarhyncha – these four are clearly closely related species that sometimes overlap. To read in full about the identification of the various species of Pittas go to this link here.

Adult Pitta feeding

The Indian Pitta is a medium-sized passerine bird the size of a small Mynah and found throughout India. It is mainly terrestrial and roosts in trees. It affects wooded country and is fond of dry water channels and ravines with tangled undergrowth. The Indian Pitta (also sometimes known as the Bengal Pitta), hops along like Thrush turning over dead leaves and digging into damp earth for insects and grubs which comprise its food. This bird feed on insects and other small invertebrates that are usually picked up from the ground or leaf litter. They have also been noted to take kitchen food scraps from the ground.

Bird singing

Tail pattern photo by Kavisuman

The Indian Pitta’s call is a clear short double whistle (of monosyllabic notes) ‘wheeet-tieu’ or ‘wieet-pyou’ or occasionally, a triple note ‘hh-wit-wiyu’. When calling the head is thrown back and the bill is pointed upwards. Its stumpy tail wags slowly and deliberately up and down.

Pitta making Nest

Beautiful video showing the nesting Indian Pitta 

Young Chicks in Nest

Immature Pitta

The Indian Pittas' local migrations are controlled by the SW monsoon. It roosts in trees and breeds during the south-west monsoon from May to August. The nest is a globular structure with a circular opening on one side built on the ground or on low branches. It is made up of dry leaves and grasses. The clutch is four to five eggs which are very glossy white and spherical with spots and speckles of deep maroon or purple.

 Indian Pitta photo by P. Maheria

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The below is an extract from a Book published in 1915 by a Western Ornithologist Frank Finn, resident for many years in North India near Calcutta. Many of his observations are droll and charming. 

The Pittas By Frank Finn 

Garden and Aviary Birds of India (1915) 

“This bird is found all through the warm parts of India, usually keeping to jungle though coming into gardens. They are about equal to a small Mynah in size, but in form and action more resemble the Thrush, with which they used to be classed. Their bills are rather stouter than an ordinary Thrush’s and their legs longer, while their tails are absurdly short and hardly noticeable. 

In colour it is green above and buff below, with the head broadly streaked with black and drab, the throat white, and a patch under the tail scarlet. On the shoulder of the wing, and just above the root of the very short tail, are patches of intense shining sky-blue, and the flight feathers of the wings are black with a large white patch, as in the House Mynah. The bill is salmon-coloured and black, and the legs flesh-coloured, the eyes being dark brown. 

Their ordinary movements are very graceful, and their gestures when excited are most amusing. Sometimes they will stand bolt upright, at others crouch down; and in either position they will often expand their wings, an action which has a most ludicrously oratorical appearance when they are standing up. With other birds they seem to be quite harmless, even with much smaller ones, but they are liable to fight savagely amongst themselves.

They live mostly on the ground, and do not perch much; but unlike most ground birds, they never run, but always hop, though they get along in this manner very swiftly and gracefully. They are fairly good flyers but usually keep low down. They seem to feed entirely on insects and other small animals and they are not at all sociable, being usually seen alone. They do not sing, but their plumage is usually remarkably brilliant and beautiful, and shows a great variety of patterns. The bird builds a big round nest of twigs and leaves. This is either actually on the ground or on a low branch. The eggs are lustrous white with deep red and purple spots. 

The cock and hen are alike, and the young closely resemble them, being merely duller in colour below, where there is also a slight dark edging to the feathers. 

The Indian Pitta (or Bengal Pitta) is known as “nine colours” and is the most familiar of all pittas being found all over Indian and Ceylon. It is to a certain extent migratory, going south in the Winter and returning to the northern provinces in the hot weather and rains, though some birds appear never to change their quarters."

The Stately Peacock

There are a number of postings on Arunachala Birds, about the commonly found Peacock at Arunachala. Details of this bird can be viewed on Arunachala Birds at this link here, and excellent photos at links here and here. On my Arunachala Grace blog at this link here I have written about legendary birds in Hinduism including the Chataka (Pied Crested Cuckoo), Hamsa (the Swan), Chakor, and the Garuda. As the Peacock is so well represented in Hindu mythology, I am dedicating this posting to the legend and symbolism of this beautiful bird.

Hindu mythology describes the Peacock as vahana (vehicle) for Lord Kartikeya and Goddess Kaumari. In addition the Peacock is closely associated with Lord Krishna, as this God is often depicted with Peacock feathers on his head. The Peacock is featured in ancient Indian stories, songs and poems as a symbol of beauty and poise. Two examples of such literature are the epic poems of Kalidasa (Meghadutam and Kumarasambhava). This bird is often a prominent motif in Rajasthani and Mughal schools of paintings. In the Jataka tale “Mahamayur Jataka” the earlier birth of Lord Buddha is described as being that of a golden Peacock. 

Legend states that the bird was created from the feathers of Garuda, another semi-divine bird of Hindu mythology. In images of the Peacock as a mythical bird, it is depicted as killing a snake, which according to a number of Hindu scriptures, is a symbol of the cycle of time. The feathers of this bird are often used to dust sacred items and implements used in Hindu ceremonies and ritual. 

As the bird’s mating season coincides with the onset of monsoon rains, many songs of rains have the Peacock-dance mentioned in them. One possible origin of the name of the famous Maurya dynasty of ancient India is believed to be derived from the word “Mayura” as the ancestors of the Mauryas were thought to be Peacock-keepers of a Royal Court in eastern India.

Child’s Fable, Tortoise and the Peacock 

A Peacock and a tortoise became great friends. The Peacock lived on a tree on the banks of the stream in which the tortoise had his home; and daily the Peacock after he had a drink of water danced near the stream and displayed his gay plumage to his friend. 

One day, a bird-catcher caught the Peacock and was about to take him away to market when the unhappy bird begged of his captor to allow him to bid his friend the tortoise farewell. The bird-catcher allowed him his prayer and took him to the tortoise, who was greatly moved to see his friend a captive. 

The tortoise asked the bird-catcher to let the Peacock go; but the rogue laughed at the request, saying bird-catching was his means of livelihood. The tortoise then offered the bird-catcher a valuable present in exchange for releasing his friend. Whereupon the tortoise dived into the water and came up with a beautiful pearl and the bird catcher released the Peacock. 

A short time after, the man returned and threatened to catch the bird again if he wasn’t give more valuables. The tortoise, who had already advised his friend to hide in the distant jungle on being set free was enraged at the man’s greed, thereupon he took the first pearl from the bird-catcher on the pretext of finding an exact match for it. The tortoise swam out to the middle of the lake and wasn't seen again -- leaving the bird-catcher to be sorry that his greed had caused him the loss of his first pearl and no chance of any additional treasures. 

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In general, the Peacock is representative of glory, clarity of vision, spirituality, awakening, refinement, immortality, royalty, and incorruptibility. In history, myth, legend and lore, the Peacock is considered an emblem of protection, nobility, watchfulness, guidance, and holiness. All Peacocks are considered sacred, but the White Peacock is the most sacred as it represents purity of Consciousness. The Peacock is possessor of many admired human characteristics. Themes of renewal are also link to this bird and many traditions compare the resurrecting Phoenix to the modern-day Peacock.

Because of this birds’ loud and raucous call, Peacocks were often used in Temples and important places as guardians as their loud call sounded an alarm when visitors approached. In other traditions the Peacock is a symbol of immortality because ancients believed that the Peacock had flesh that did not decay after death. As this bird replaces its feathers annually, it is also regarded as a symbol of renewal. Alchemists thought the tail-fan of the Peacock to be associated with certain texts and images useful in turning base metals into gold. The Peacock has the ability to eat poisonous snakes without harm and the shimmering colours of its tail feathers were explained by his supposed ability to transform snake venom into solar iridescence. 

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A recent report about “Why Peacock tails are attractive,” (to the female Peahen) recently appeared on the BBC website:- 

“Scientists in the US have used eye-tracking cameras to work out exactly what peahens find alluring in a peacock's tail fan. The male birds grow their trains of iridescent feathers during the mating season, fanning them out and rattling them to attract a mate. 

This team of biologists fitted peahens with eye-trackers to find out what they looked at during this display. The eye-tracking footage revealed how difficult it is to keep a peahen's attention, which helps explain why such a large and elaborately decorated tail fan evolved. 

It also gave clues about what a peahen looks for in this tail fan. Side-to-side eye movements suggested that females were gauging the fan's width and that they were most interested in the striking eyespots on the feathers. 

To find out why the peacock's train is quite so cumbersome and elaborate, the scientists set out to understand what it takes to impress a peahen. The researchers trained 12 peahens to wear eye-tracking equipment. This consisted of two tiny cameras on a head mount. One recorded the scene in front of the bird and the other recorded eye movement. 

Rather than looking up at the high crescent of the fan above the peacock's head, the eye-trackers revealed that females looked primarily at the lower portions of the train. The experiments showed that females constantly shifted their attention between the environment and the peacock's tail. “If females are not alert and focus completely on a displaying male, they may end up as a tiger's dinner!” 

The research suggests that the peacock's tail has had to evolve to eclipse all the other things competing for a female's attention. It also raised the question of why the tail fans are held so high if the females focus most of their attention on the lower portion. The researchers hypothesis is that, “In their natural habitat in India, vegetation is very high and all you can see is the upper train of their fan-tail . . . so we think it's a long-distance signal to the hen." 

Happy Time—The Importance of the Bird Bath

Bird baths are probably the best way to attract birds to your garden even more so than bird feeders as sometimes fresh, clean water is hard for a bird to find. Parent birds will often bring their babies to the bath after they fledge and show them where it is. Water will actually attract more species of birds than feeders and a clean bath will attract all kinds of birds. Clean water is often the most difficult resource a bird must locate in order to survive. In addition to drinking, bathing is also essential for keeping the birds’ feathers in good shape for flight and insulation and keeping its body cool especially during the heat of summer. For bird lovers a combination of a suitable bird bath, wild bird food, shrubs and trees will attract many birds into their garden. 

Traditional pedestal-type bird bath

When placing the birdbath it is essential to scout out the best location. It is best to position the bath in an open area where there is no chance for predator hiding places. Birds cannot fly well when their feathers are wet, so one should allow at least two feet of open space on all sides of the bath, so that birds can see danger coming with enough time to escape. This is one of the reasons bird baths are customarily placed on pedestals in the middle of a lawn or beneath limbs of a large tree—so the bird may escape if threatened. To see approaching predators, birds should be able to see the clearing around it, over the edge of the bird bath as they bathe; hence a small diameter bird bath is better. Only very low and open foliage plants should be placed beneath a bird bath to avoid providing a hiding place for a predator. 

Beautiful bath but lots of predator hiding places

Perfect water depth for the bird

Choose a birdbath with an easy-to-clean surface and gently sloping sides or a shallow end. Place the birdbath away from your bird-feeders to keep the water from becoming contaminated. To reduce the chance of collisions with windows, place the birdbath either farther than 30 feet from windows (preventing confusing reflections from being a problem) or closer than 3 feet (preventing birds from building up enough flight speed to be injured by any collisions). 

The bath should be no more than three inches at the centre. It should be even shallower at the edge, so that a bird can ease its way in. Many birdbaths are too deep. If you have one that's too deep, you can put rocks in it to raise the bottom. It is also preferable to have a rough bottomed bird bath as birds don't like glazed, slippery bottoms. Cement is good, but it's heavy and hard to handle. Nowadays one can easily purchase fibre-resin type baths that are both lightweight and also with a rougher texture for easier traction for wet birds. 

Beautiful and unusual bird bath

 

The splash of moving water dramatically increases the number of species that visit a birdbath. To upgrade a regular birdbath to a moving-water feature, arrange a garden hose so that its water trickles or drips into the bath. Or make a 1/2-inch hole in the bottom of a bucket and plug it with a bit of cloth, and suspend the bucket over the birdbath. The dripping water makes sounds that birds can't resist. 

Change the water every day especially when hot and sunny as water that is exposed to direct sunlight will become stagnant and algae may grow. If you allow the water to sit for long periods of time, it will become less desirable for birds and much harder to clean. 

Best if this bath had a centre piece for perching

As there can be disease transmission from baths, it is essential to keep the water clean, especially if a sick bird shows up, but some contamination is inevitable. However if you maintain good bird bath hygiene, contamination risks are greatly reduced. 

Types of Water Related Diseases in Birds 

Chlamydiosis is caused by a bacteria-like organism that is spread from bird-to-bird etc., through contact with feces. This disease is usually most prevalent in the poultry growing industry. In birds, symptoms include discharges in the nasal and eye passages, coughing and diarrhea. 

Salmonellosis is caused by salmonella bacteria, which are spread through contact with feces. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting and low-grade fever. 

Colibacillosis is caused by E. coli bacteria, which is a bacteria normally found in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. Birds that contract colibacillosis may experience blood poisoning, inflammation of the joints, inflammation of the heart sac, chronic respiratory disease and inflammation of the oviduct. Avian tuberculosis is a reportable disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium avium. 

Avian tuberculosis is caused by ingesting the bacteria, which is present in bird feces. In birds, the disease will cause debilitating injury and tubercular nodules. 

Rotten beak in recent times there has been an increasing amount of information correlating diseased water of neglected bird baths to the increased prevalence of rotten beaks in birds. 

 

Socialising at the bird bath--NICE

Remember dirty, contaminated water can be more dangerous than no liquid water at all. Cleaning your birdbath is essential to the health and safety of your backyard visitors. Frequent cleaning helps prevent algae growth, disease transmission, and pesky mosquitoes from using it as a breeding ground. It also keeps your birdbath free of unsightly feathers, droppings, stains, organic buildup, and more. Concrete bird baths tend to become mossy and, therefore, slippery—requiring an occasional scrubbing out with a stiff brush. 

What a silly thing this is--couldn't resist posting!

The easiest way to clean a birdbath is to ensure it doesn’t get dirty. While all birdbaths will eventually need to be cleaned, there are steps that can be taken to minimise the need for frequent cleanings. Position the birdbath away from feeders so spilled seed will not land in the water. Choose a shady spot for the birdbath to minimise algae growth and slow evaporation. Position the birdbath where it will not be clogged by grass clippings, falling leaves and other debris. 

To clean the bath first remove ALL the existing water. Do not add harsh chemicals such as bleach to kill algae as this will harm the birds. Clean out your birdbath with a small scrub brush. For soiled birdbaths, use a mild detergent or birdbath cleaner along with your scrub brush. Make sure to hose out the bath bowl thoroughly afterwards, as birds are extremely sensitive to detergents then refill your bath with a fresh supply of clean water. 

It is a good idea to change the water in the birdbath on a daily basis. Simply hose out the old and refill the bowl. Since birds are drinking and bathing in the same water source, it is important you keep a fresh supply. 

Elegant yet inexpensive and VERY POPULAR

 

Bird baths can be pre-made basins on pedestals and columns or hang from leaves and trees, or be carved out depressions in rocks and boulders. Two inches of water in the centre is sufficient for most backyard birds, because they do not submerge their bodies, only dipping their wings to splash water on their backs. The bath should also be shallow enough to avoid the risk of birds drowning. This requirement may be fulfilled by making the bowl shallow enough to allow birds to perch in the water. Another way is to add clean stones inside the bowl to create places where a bird can stand. 

Traditional pedestal style in stone

If the bowl is too deep, some birds will be afraid to enter the bath, staying at the edge and using it for drinking water only, being unable to see beyond the edge if entering the water, or unwilling to enter water that is too deep for their safety. Birds lacking binocular vision have poor depth perception, and can find a bird bath off-putting if they're unable to judge the water's depth. Leaning a stick or flat rock against the bird bath rim as a ramp to allow them gradual access into the water may allay their fear. Larger birds, also enjoy baths. They may be accommodated as well by placing large agricultural sprinklers in a field. 

In summer, shade is important to keep the water cool. Remember to regularly check the birdbath in summer when evaporation causes the water to decline faster. A birdbath in the summer sun may have water so hot that it would be like drinking from a hot water heater. Keep several sources of water filled for the birds every day of the year. Every time you take a drink ask yourself if your birdbath has water in it? 

Nature Adapts

I posted a narrative on Arunachala Grace at this link here about the water problem at Samudram Eri (a reservoir south of Arunachala). The 750 area used to a haven for a multitude of bird species but now due to deforestation and the subsequent on-going industrial scale sand quarrying (with heavy machinery), much of the joy of the area has been destroyed for our sweet feathered friends.

Thorny bush branches covered by creepers

But its interesting to note how quickly nature is able to adapt to new circumstances. Previously the area was heavily covered with Acaia Arabica Nilotica (what I euphemistically call "thorny bush"). The trees were cut down and transported out by lorry, leaving just residual thorny branches on the ground. Subsequently creepers are now intertwining with the branches, and with great serendipity have become a haven for many species of birds such as Swift, Coucal, Drongos and Francolins. It really is a case of every cloud has a silver lining! 

Thorny bush in foreground yet to be covered with creepers

Parliament of Birds at Banyan Tree

It was just after 6 a.m. in the morning as I was taking my dogs for a walk, and even though the lighting was dark, and it wasn't possible to spot the birds, the figs were red and ripe and ready to eat on the Banyan Trees at Arunachala and each day a veritable parliament of birds are visiting the trees to eat the sweet, red, figs. 

Juicy ripe figs waiting to be eaten

To learn more about the mythology and legends surrounding the extraordinary Banyan tree (which is found in this area), please visit my Arunachala Land Blog at this link here. 

Parrots and the Kakapo

This posting gives general information about Parrots in India and in particular the Rose Ringed Parakeet. To find out more information about this particular bird, including photographs, visit my earlier posting at this link here.

Parrots are so different from other birds that all ornithologists are agreed in giving them an order to themselves. They vary a treat deal in size and colour but are always easily recognised. Their beak is exceedingly short and thick, and very much hooked; the upper jaw being moveable as well as the lower, in order to give sufficient play under the circumstances. Their shanks are very short, and like the toes, covered with many very small wart-like scales; the toes are in pairs, the outer front toe being turned backwards.

Rose Ringed Parakeet

Most of them use the feet as hands, holding pieces of food in one while they eat it. Another very characteristic habit of Parrots, and one almost confined to them, is the use of the beak as a third leg in climbing; indeed, the way in which they clamber about the boughs is very characteristic. As a rule, they keep to the trees, and when on the ground move with an awkward waddle. They are good flyers, but the style of flight differs a great deal. Their nests are almost invariably in holes of trees, etc., without any lining; and the eggs are always pure white. The young are usually naked at first, and fledge off very like the parents. When small, they are easy to feed by the old birds from the crop, as they will gape for food.

Parrots are found throughout the warms regions of the world. Only a few kinds are found in India with many imported from the Eastern Islands, Australia and even South America. But have become so well known in this country as to even have native names. The most common Parrots in India are the Grey Parrot and the small long tailed kind known as Parakeets or Parroquets.

The Rose-Ringed Parakeet (Palaeornis Torquatus) is about sixteen inches long, about ten of which belong to the tail; in colour it is green with a red bill and white eyes. This species is found nearly all over India but it usually avoids the hills. It is the commonest of Indian Parrots, and is very familiar as a garden bird and even comes into the towns. It breeds from January to May, using holes in buildings as well as those in trees.

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A few days ago I read online about a hitherto unknown Parrot to me, the Kakapo, which until this time has only been found in New Zealand (and is unknown in India). As the rare bird is so beautiful and unusual, decided to post about it here in this section dedicated to Parrots. 

Adut Kakapo,New Zealand

The Kakapo is a species of flightless Parrot: that is ground-dwelling, nocturnal and thoroughly rotund. This bird developed in the isolated environment of New Zealand, and its evolutionary upbringing accounts for its somewhat peculiar physical characteristics. Abundance of food and previously an absence of ground-based predators encouraged the Kakapo (the name translates as ‘night owl’) to sacrifice its power of flight. However, Kakapos compensate for their inability to fly with superb camouflage and a tendency to freeze completely when startled. The Latin name of the Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) translates roughly to owl-face soft-feather. 

Large beak of adult bird

Unfortunately with man’s arrival in the island of New Zealand, and accompanying visitation of cats and rats, the Kakapo population was almost completely wrecked. 

However nowadays the New Zealand Government has implemented a Kakapo Recovery Plan to save the species, which is monitoring the arrival of Kakapo chicks and relocating them and their parents to ‘safe’ islands, with feeding provisions and safety from predators. 

Egg that hatched

 

Conservationists are currently celebrating the arrival of a Kakapo chick hatched from a cracked egg held together by nothing more than tape and glue. The bird joins a global Kakapo population of just 125 birds. 

There is a Crow in my Garden

As I feed many small birds in my garden, and also because of my own six dogs and their eating requirements, we daily get a large number of Crow visitors to my compound. To read about the crow go to my earlier post at this link here, and to learn how very clever they are my post at links here and here. For a very comprehensive site created by crow aficionados go to this link here. 

I have read extensively on how to deal with the crow menace, and would recommend this link here which I found on the American Humane Society which deals with all kinds of information regarding unwelcome crow visitors. Below I am reproducing an extract from their article dealing specifically with Crows in Gardens. 

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Crows in gardens 

Crows are sometimes blamed for garden damage caused by other animals. Crows hanging around to eat insects and grubs may or may not also help themselves to fruits and vegetables. On balance, the benefits from crows eating insects, grubs, and waste grain may outweigh a little damage. 

You can ban crows from small gardens. 

• Drape bird netting over the plants or suspend it from a framework built around the plants. 

• Protect seedlings with fabric row covers 

• Protect ripening corn by placing a paper cup or bag over each ear after the silk has turned brown. 

• Set shiny streamers strategically throughout the garden. 

• Stretch cord, fishing line, or fine wire above gardens in a grid or parallel lines—at least a little higher than the gardener’s hat for safety. The stakes supporting tomatoes can support the wire. Reflective tape or other highly visible material will help both birds and gardeners see and avoid the lines. 

As long as crows have enjoyed our tasty crops and produce, we have been trying to frighten them away. What have we learned? 

• Birds can’t hear ultrasonic sounds. Devices supposed to scare birds away with ultrasonic sounds don’t work. 

• Birds are not fooled by plastic owls and inflatable snakes for long. 

• Effigies that move realistically may work for a little while. 

• Crows avoid effigies of dead crows. Paper crows, hung upside down with the wings spread, usually work. 

• Highly reflective shiny tape, or bird tape, hung in streamers or twisted and strung to make a temporary fence can frighten crows away. 

• Devices with reflective surfaces that spin or flap in the breeze can frighten crows. Buy them or make yourself—string up aluminum pie tins or discarded CDs around vulnerable plants or tie helium-filled Mylar party balloons around your garden. 

• Playing recorded crow distress calls disperses crows. 

• Farmers using firework. But these are too noisy unless your garden is far from neighbors. They may also be restricted or forbidden by local authorities. 

• A garden hose with motion sensor and sprinkler triggered by an animal’s arrival. The surprise of a sudden spray will frighten crows initially—until they learn there is no real harm. 

• All frightening devices work better when used consistently, moved around so crows don’t get used to them, and combined with other devices. 

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Browsing online I kept coming to the advice of hanging a dead crow in a tree to frighten away other crows. As Lord Sani is worshipped in South India, labourers I approached were unwilling to supply my garden with the necessary dead crow to put up in the trees. However finally a dead crow was acquired (through completely non violent means) and I was able to arrange for it to be put up into one of my garden trees. However I report that it doesn’t seem to work as most of the birds coming into my garden seem completely sangfroid that their deceased brethren is hanging close up. In fact even now a number of birds are happily perching on other branches of the same tree. 

I am still determined to rid myself of the pesky crow presence in my garden and to this end may order a CD of recorded crow distress calls from this website here. 

North of Arunachala off the Girivalam Roadway just before the Kubera Lingam, is a turnoff leading to the new and continually developing Balaji Temple (Lord Venkateshwara). 

 Lord Sani

As well as having a beautiful statue of the Lord identical in every aspect to that of the Balaji Temple at Tirupati, the Arunachala Balaji Temple has a number of other fascinating shrines. 

Shrine of Lord Sani with Raghu and Kettu

One of which is that of Lord Sani (Lord of the Crows) with Raghu and Kettu which is meant to be particularly efficacious in order to gain the support of Lord Sani thus mitigating painful and unpleasant karma. 

Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus Ibis and Unni Kokku = Tamil) is a species of Heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones and is seen throughout Tiruvannamalai. In non breeding birds its pure white plummage is distinguished from the Little Egret by the colour of its bill which is yellow not black. The Cattle Egret is white and adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. 

Cattle Egret, notice the yellow bill

Its wingspan is around 22 in and the bird weights up to 18 oz. It has a short, thick neck, sturdy bill and hunched posture. The positioning of the egret's eyes allows for binocular vision during feeding and it may be capable of nocturnal activity.

Cattle Egret with retracted neck

Cattle Egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other Heron species. Although the Cattle Egret sometimes feeds in shallow water, unlike most herons it is typically found in fields and dry grassy habitats, reflecting its greater dietary reliance on terrestrial insects rather than aquatic prey. This bird often accompanies cattle, catching insects and small creatures such as frogs disturbed by its attendant cow. 

Arunachala Field with Cow and Egret

The Cattle Egret adapted to a relationship with large browsing animals, but was easily able to switch to domesticated cattle and horses. When foraging with cattle, it has been shown to be 3.6 times more successful in capturing prey than when foraging alone. Its performance is similar when it follows farm machinery, but it is forced to move more. In urban situations cattle egrets have also been observed foraging in peculiar situations like railway lines 

Egret and Grazing Cow

Egret with Grazing Horse

This species gives a quiet, throaty rick-rack call at the breeding colony, but is otherwise largely silent. Its nesting season in South India is around November to March. It often nests in mixed colonies in large leafy trees, not necessarily near water. The male displays in a tree in the colony, using such behaviour as shaking a twig and pointing into the sky with a vertically upward bill. 

Male with material for nest

Its nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs and is constructed by both parents with the male collecting sticks and the female arranging them. 

Nests in large colonies of mixed birds

The clutch size can be anywhere from one to five eggs, although three or four is most common. Eggs are pale bluish-white. 

Abnormally large clutch of Egret eggs

Cattle Egret in Breeding Plummage

Incubation lasts around 23 days, with both sexes sharing incubation duties. The chicks begin to leave the nest and climb around at 2 weeks, fledges at 30 days and become independent at around the 45th day. 

Bird in Breeding Plummage with chicks

House Sparrow

The Indian House Sparrow (Passer Domesticus Indicus) belongs to the Passeridae family and is common in urban areas and human settlements. They are small passerines with short and heavy bills and strong legs, who hop to move about on the ground. They do not possess a true song and instead communicate with chirps. The female is dull and pale in comparison to the male. 

This bird, which is the most common avian in India, is known as Adaikalang Kuruvi in Tamil. Its size is the same as the Bulbul.

Male of species

The plumage of the House Sparrow is mostly different shades of grey and brown. The female is mostly buff above and below, while the male has boldly coloured head markings, a reddish back, and grey underparts. The male also has a dark grey crown from the top of its bill to its back, and chestnut brown flanking its crown on the sides of its head. The female has no black markings or grey crown. Its upperparts and head are brown with darker streaks around the mantle and a distinct pale supercilium. Its underparts are pale grey-brown. The female's bill is brownish-grey, and becomes darker in breeding plumage, approaching the black of the male's bill. 

Male House Sparrow

This bird is very social. It is gregarious at all seasons when feeding, often forming flocks with other types of bird. It roosts communally, and its nests are usually grouped together in clumps, and it engages in social activities such as dust and water bathing, and "social singing", in which birds call together in bushes. 

Birds taking a communal bath

Nesting season lasts practically throughout the year. With the most favoured months varying with locality. Its nest is a collection of straw, rubbish and feathers in a hole in ceiling, niche in a wall, an inverted lamp shade—and every conceivable site, within or without any occupied building. Its clutch usually ranges from 3 to 5 eggs, that are pale greenish white stippled and blotched with brown. Several successive broods are often raised. 

Large clutch of 7 eggs

The House Sparrow is monogamous with both the male and female helping in nesting activities, which are normally found in small crevices of traditional Indian homes, ground, banks and sometimes in trees. 

Female with different markings feeding young

The House Sparrow is believed to have been closely associated with people for around 10,000 years. This bird is inseparable from human habitations. It is a confirmed hanger-on with man, in hills and plains alike, whether in a bustling noisy city or outlying forest hamlet.

It is an omnivore and its food is comprised of; grain, insects, fruit buds, flower nectar and kitchen scraps. This bird sometimes collects in enormous flocks and does damage to ripening crops and in market gardens. In common with many other birds, the House Sparrow requires grit to digest the hard seeds it eats. Grit can be either stone, often grains of masonry, or the shells of eggs or snails; oblong and rough grains are preferred. 

Juvenile with pink bill and nestling gape—the soft, swollen base becomes harder and less swollen as the bird matures

Below is an eloquent narrative on the House Sparrow by Baljit Singh which originally appeared at this link here. 

The House Sparrow 

“A bit of cereal, the right kind of garden hedge or even just a nesting box are all that it will take to protect a bird that lives alongside humans but is fast disappearing. 

In the midst of much informed and universal concern about the future of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), one of man’s oldest living commensals, there is a ray of hope yet. For, returning home on the first sun-drenched mid-morning of January 2013, I experienced the heart-stopping moment of seeing 23 house sparrows, basking in the warmth of the sun! Given a conducive habitat, all other side effects of modern day life-styles notwithstanding, the house sparrow should be the last of all to wander off the living planet. 

The house sparrow is a sober-looking bird with a ubiquitous spread — from Leh in the North to Cape Comorin in the South and from the Somnath Temple in the West to the Camorta Island in the East. With that kind of a presence, we should be able to spot them anywhere. Ornithologist Salim Ali had labelled them as “man’s hanger-on” for they are known to enter homes nonchalantly, chattering non-stop as they set about arranging their personal living comfort by adding heaps of straw to any potential nest-site, quite unmindful of the householder’s presence. 

New lifestyles to blame 

But today, most Indians would perhaps know this bird only through photographs. Not even two out of 10 may be able to lay claim to having seen the bird in the outdoors. So why do so few of us encounter the bird despite its worldwide spread? As the bird lives only among humans, it’s not about disappearing forests, but about the pollution around us, including from communication towers, the use of steel and glass in our buildings that has reduced the availability of nesting sites and food, and, where there are gardens, the partiality for exotic rather than indigenous vegetation. 

This shift to new lifestyles, even in rural communities, is at severe conflict with the house sparrow’s basic existential needs. In China, the house sparrow was exterminated by about the end of the 1960s after being declared the number one crop pest. On the other hand, that very “pest number one” became the angel of progress in America and Australia where it was not native but consciously introduced for pest control in agriculture, to cut down the reliance on chemical alternatives. With time, the house sparrow came to be equivocally feted in both continents. Today, the bird figures high in their avian literature and is much cherished. 

Coming back to the large number of resident house sparrows at our home in Chandigarh, there are two contributing factors. One is that my wife has always spread abundant food on the rooftop, every morning. Coupled with that is the availability of secure roosting and nesting niches by way of thick, tall hedges on two sides of the house. Of course, there is natural predation of fledglings by crows and by an odd Shikra (a hawk sub-species) but the house sparrow is a sturdy breeder raising three broods of two to five chicks, thrice each year. So the population does not merely “hold” at the optimum survival figure for the given area at our home but also feeds the neighbourhood. As simple as that! 

No description of the bird will be complete without a mention of the strong streak of tenacity in its character. And here I can do no better than quote the master, Edward Hamilton Aitken (born in Satara, Maharashtra, in the mid-19th century to Scottish parents) from his book “Common Birds of Bombay” (1900): “And when a Sparrow makes up its mind nothing will unmake it except the annihilation of that Sparrow. Its faithful spouse is always, and very strongly, of the same mind. So they set to work to make a hole in the corner of the ceiling-cloth and they tear and tug with an energy which leaves no room for failure. Then they begin to fetch hay and the quantities which a couple will carry in a day is miraculous…. I declare solemnly that you might have fed a horse on the hay which I removed daily as most of it tumbled down….” 

Much like most bird species the house sparrow is highly adaptable. Even though its traditional wilderness has been usurped and its living niche inside man’s once mud-and-thatch dwelling replaced with glass and concrete, the house sparrow could well be the last on this living-planet if mankind were to spare just one hundredth of its cereal intake for the bird and make space for it around homes, where possible by planting indigenous hedges, and if there is no garden, by simply providing a nesting box. That’s not too much to ask.” 

[Baljit Singh]

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There seem to be an equal number of friends and foes to the House Sparrow. Some see the birds' value in ecology as a natural answer to pest reduction, and others, more so in the Western World, view them as pests to be eliminated. For those "friends" to the House Sparrow, here is a nice link about how to purchase and order small, inexpensive homes for the House Sparrow.