Birds at FUNDERA PARK , Yelagiri

Birds at FUNDERA PARK , Yelagiri

During our trip to Yelagiri early last year we visited the Fundera park, Yelagiri. 

This park has all the farm animals - rabbits, guinea pigs, pony horse, goats, cows, different species of hens and roosters from different parts of the world, colorful chickens, and different kinds of parrots. 

The parrot house to walk around was the highlight of the place. 

You can see bird from different continents living together in harmony, the birds are not in cages but out in the open reserve.

we reached there late in the afternoon, but managed to get some pictures of the beautiful birds out there. i couldn't cover all due to the time constraints. some of the bird pictures from that visit 

Blue-and-yellow Macaw

The Blue-and-yellow Macaw, is a large South American parrot 

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White Cockatoo

The white cockatoo, also known as the umbrella cockatoo, is a medium-sized all-white cockatoo endemic to tropical rainforest on islands of Indonesia. 

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The Eastern Rosella

The eastern rosella is a rosella native to southeast of the Australian continent and to Tasmania.

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Pink and Grey cockatoo

The galah, also known as the pink and grey cockatoo, is one of the most common and widespread cockatoos and it can be found in open country in almost all parts of mainland Australia.

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Grey parrots

African grey parrots are also one of the most intelligent. they are capable of amassing vocabularies of up to 1,000 words or more, and using the words that they learn to speak in context

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Conure

Conures are a diverse, loosely defined group of small to medium-sized parrots.

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Cinnamon Conure

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Green Cheeked Conure

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References

Wikipedia

Pictures:

Fundera park, Yelagiri (2019)

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The number of photos is more, so splitting this into 2 post, the next one with will be posted soon.

Bird Watching - Jungle Myna

Jungle Myna

Jungle Myna is very much like Common Myna but more greyish brown overall; with similar white wing patches, conspicuous in flight. absence of bare bright yellow skin round eyes, and the bushy upstanding tuft of feathers on forehead are diagnostic points.

Local names : Jangli Myna (Hindi)

                     kinnarimyna (Malayalam)

Scientific name: Acridotheres fuscus

Jungle mynas are omnivorous feed mainly on insects, fruit and seeds, for which they forage mainly on the ground often in the company of other myna species. Also eats wild figs and berries and flower nectar

Nest is a collection of twigs, roots, grass and rubbish stuffed in a tree hole or in the weep-holes of a roadside revetment. eggs is 3 or 4 glossy turquoise blue.Both sexes take part in nest building, incubation and feeding the young

References

The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)

Wikipedia

Pictures:

Wayanad, Kerala (2019)

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I just have one picture of this bird and is taken on the road-side during our wayand trip.

Bird Watching - Black-headed Ibis

Black-headed Ibis

The black-headed ibis , also known as the Oriental white ibis, Indian white ibis, and black-necked ibis.It is a large white marsh bird with naked black head and neck and long , stout, black, downcurved curlew-like bill. Males and females look similar and both have grayish tail feathers. 

Local Names : Munda / Safed baza (Hindi)

                     Thalaikaththi chondan (Tamil)

                     Kashandi kokku (Malayalam)

Scientific Name : Threskiornis melanocephalus

The black-headed ibis is very versatile being able to use a large variety of natural and man-made habitats. Walks about actively on marshy land probing with its bill into the soft mud, mandibles partly open like forceps.

They mostly feed on fish, frogs and other water creatures, as well as on insects.

It nests in heronry colonies near wetlands. The nests are shallow cup-shaped platforms of sticks, grasses or reeds that are typically situated on trees near a body of water, such as rivers, swamps or lakes. The average clutch consists of 2 – 4 eggs. Bluish or green white, sometimes with delicate spots of yellowish brown.

References

The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)

Wikipedia

Pictures:

Kaikondrahalli Lake , Bangalore (2019)

Bird Watching - Painted Stork

Painted Stork

A large stork with a long yellow bill that curves down at the tip. Adult is primarily white with black striped markings on the wings and bright pink on tertials. Their distinctive pink tertial (flight) feathers of the wing are pink giving them their name.

Local Names : Janghil Dokh (Hindi)

                     Varnakokku (Malayalam)

                     Chenga Narai (Tamil)

Scientific Name : Mycteria leucocephala

Painted Storks feed in groups in shallow wetlands. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. They also take frogs and the occasional snake.  

These storks typically fly with their head and neck drooping almost at or below the belly level. 

Often seen near water bodies such as wetlands, marshes, and flooded agricultural fields. Breeds in crowded colonies, often with other waterbirds.

They nest colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds. Nest  is a large stick platform with a shallow depression in the middle lined with leaves, straw etc. Built on trees standing in or near water, often 10 to 20 nest in a single tree and almost touching one another. Breeds in enormous heronries, often sharing these with other water birds. Eggs 3 to 5 , dull sullied white , occasionally with sparse brown spots and streaks. both sexes share all the domestic duties.

The bare red skin on the head is developed when reaching breeding maturity and involves the loss of feathers and the deposition of lipids under the skin

References

The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)

Wikipedia

Pictures:

Kaikondrahalli Lake , Bangalore (2018, 2019)

Pallikaranai Wetlands , Chennai ( 2020)

Bird Watching - Purple-rumped Sunbird

Purple-rumped sunbird

Purple-rumped sunbirds are tiny at less than 10 cm long. They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations for nectar feeding. 

The males have a dark maroon upperside with a blue-green crown that glistens at some angles, bright green shoulder patch and violet/purple rump patch which is generally hidden under the wings.The female and juvenile are duller with an olive-green back, brown wings, white throat and yellowish chest.

Local Names : 

Hindi : Shakarkhora / Pukudichan

Tamil : Oodha Pitta Thenchittu 

Malayalam : Manja Theankili

Scientific Name : Nectarinia zeylonica

Like other sunbirds they feed mainly on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. 

They pollinate the flowers of many plant species. Sunbird may indulge in dew-bathing, or bathing by sliding over drops of rain collected on large leaves.

The nest is constructed by the female alone out of fine plant fibers, cobwebs and is studded on the exterior with lichens, bark pieces, flying seeds and other materials. The nest is lined with soft fibers and placed on the end of branch. The average clutch consists of two oval, pale greenish and white eggs with spots and streaks that become denser at the broad end. Both parents incubate the eggs for 14 - 16 days and raise the young.

References

The Book of Indian Birds (Salim Ali)

beautyofbirds.com

Pictures:

Chettikulangara , Kerala (2018, 2019)

Chennai ( 2020)

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We might confuse this bird with another bird from the  same family, Loten's Sunbird. The Purple sunbird is found in the entire subcontinent - where as the Loten's sunbird is found in Southern India and Srilanka. In South India both the birds exist.

 The major difference is in the size and color. The Loten's sunbird is slightly bigger than the Purple sunbird. Bill is Longer and more curved for Loten's Sunbird, comparatively smaller for Purple Sunbird.