Indian Avifauna
Red Wattled Lapwing was the first bird I captured with my camera from the terrace of my second home in Ujjain in May 2018. Since then, my journey to discover and photograph birds began. It became an obsession to capture every new bird I saw. Being a resident of Mumbai, it is tough to find birds other than house crows and rock pigeons. In the cacophony of the city, the voices of various birds remain unheard. However, I am lucky enough to study in a college in Coimbatore which has a variety of birds for me to discover.
Below are the photographs of birds that I clicked over a period of 9 months in various cities like Mumbai, Ujjain, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore.
Red-wattled Lapwing, Ujjain. The Red-wattled Lapwing's eyes are closed in this photograph.
Red-wattled lapwing are usually seen in pairs.
Little Egret, Mumbai. This Little Egret was spotted at Dadar Chowpatty, catching fish in the Arabian sea.
The Little Egret jumping across the tetrapods, looking out for fish.
The Little Egret has a slender black bill which helps it catch tiny fishes.
Pond Heron, Mumbai. The Pond Heron was spotted at Dadar Chowpatty, along with the Little Egret.
Due to its unique earthy colours, the Indian Pond Heron camoflages itself very well.
Rock Pigeon, Mumbai. I clicked this particular image through the window of my apartment's living room. Rock pigeons, have beautiful orange eyes; green and purple iridescent neck plumage.
Pied Bushchat, Coimbatore. This Pied Bushchat was sitting on the flag post in my college.
Asian Koel, Coimbatore. This is the male Asian Koel, belonging to the Cuckoo order of birds. It sings melodiously, especially during the mating season. Koels are brood parasites and and mostly lay thier eggs in the nest of crows.
Green-bee Eater, Coimbatore. Green-bee Eaters are often spotted on wires and television antennae.
Green-bee eaters feed on bees, wasps and ants which are caught in the air. Before swallowing the prey, they remove stings and break the exoskeleton of the prey by repeatedly thrashing it on the perch.
White-throated Munia, Coimbatore. They were spotted along with the Green-bee Eaters on the same wires. They mainly feed on seeds and small insects.
Hoopoe, Coimbatore. Hoopoe is notable for its crown of pinkish-brown feathers which it raises when excited.
Hoopoe is named after its call. Its Latin name Upupa describes the call more accurately.
Coppersmith Barbet, Coimbatore. Mostly solitary birds, they are known for the metronomic call which is like a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer.
Coppersmith Barbet and Common Myna, Coimbatore. The Coppersmith Barbet was spotted sitting calmly with the Common Myna, known to be one of the world's most invasive species.
Pariah Kite, Bengaluru. Pariah Kite, a bird of prey spends a lot of time soaring, gliding in thermals in search of food.
Rock Pigeon, Ahmedabad. There were plenty of Rock Pigeons inside the Adalaj Stepwell at Ahmedabad.
Rock Pigeons are monogamous, with two squabs per brood.
This Rock Pigeon couple was spotted kissing each other with passionate love.
It was beautiful to see them happily caressing each other.
Rock Pigeons make great parents, both male and female pigeons share equally in the nesting duty.
Laughing Dove, Ahmedabad. This Laughing Dove was captured at Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. It gets its name from its particularly characteristic call, which sounds like human laughter.
Little Egret, Coimbatore. It was quietly sitting alone high up on a tree.
The Little Egret sat there on the branch, elegantly posing for me.
The Little Egret preening its feathers..
I waited for half an hour to get this one shot of the Little Egret in flight, worth the wait I believe.
Thank you!
