Red Vented Bulbul

Posted by Chester Pravine on March 29, 2009

The Red Vented Bulbul is a common bird that can be seen in the gardens of Delhi and Gurgaon. Small bird of about 20 cms, both the sexes are similar in appearance and have a sooty dark plummage . The head is darket in colour

Red Vented Bulbul

Pair of Bulbuls on the tree in Heritage City

with an almost black neck. A distinctive feature is the red distinctive vent and the tail ending in a white rump. Lives in Trees and bushes in pairs or small flocks, this is a lively bird.

Food : Lives on insects, fruits, kitchen food scraps, flower nectar

Sound : Noisy – screeches and whistles

Habitat : Forests, gardens and Human Habitats

Spread : Across India

Scientific Classification

Kingdom        : Animalia
Phylum         : Chordata
Class              : Aves
Order              : Passeriformes
Family            : Pycnonotidae
Genus             : Pycnonotus
Species          : P. cafer

Kingfishers

Posted by Chester Pravine on March 20, 2009

The Common Kingfisher

Kingfishers are small brightly coloured birds that feed on fish and are found around the world.

The common Kingfisher is a bright and sparkling blue coloured bird the size of a sparrow. In spite of its size, this small bird is visible from a distance because of it’s startling colour. It has a long strong grey coloured bill and chestnut coloured under parts with large head, short legs and stubby legs. Kingfishers live on trees near water and hunt on fish.

Common Kingfisher

kingfisher-1

Common Kingfisher

FACTS

Kingdom : Animalia

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Aves

Order : Coraciiformes

Suborder : Alcedines

Families

Alcedinidae

Halcyonidae

Cerylidae

Grey Heron

Posted by Chester Pravine on March 1, 2009

A large wading bird, the grey heron is found across Asia. It has a white head and a bright pinkish yellow beak. Feeds in shallow water and lives on fish and frogs. Their flight is slow with necks retracted into the body. The call is a load croaking that sound like ‘phraaank’.