Grey Jungle Fowl
Latin Name : Gallus
sonneratii (Temminck)
Local Name : Jungle Murgi (Hindi)/ Adavi Kodi
(Telugu)
Also
known as the Sonnerat’s jungle fowl, the grey jungle fowl resembles a
village hen in size. It happens to be a wild relative of the domestic fowl
found in India. Cocks can be easily recognised by their black sickle shaped
tail. Hens have white breasts and their feathers have blackish borders. The
cry of a cock is referred to as crow (loud calls of ku-kayak-kyuk-kyuk). The
cries of a cock can be heard both a dawn and dusk.
A grey jungle fowl prefers to live in scrubland, deciduous forests,
evergreen forests, plains and hills. Being a very shy bird by nature, it
likes to hide in bushes. The nesting season of this bird extends from
February to May. It lays 4-7 eggs at a time; the colour of these eggs is
same as those of a domestic fowl.
The Great Indian Bustard
Latin Name : Ardeotis
nigriceps
Local Name : Batta meka (Telugu)
The
Bird Life International has declared this bird threatened in India. This
large brown and white bird inhabits plain grassland in rural surroundings.
This bird species is confined to Indian states including Rajasthan, Gujarat,
Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. A total of 22
species of bustards are found in the world.
The current total count of the Great Indian bustard is around 1,000. Loss
of habitat is the main reason for this decline of population. An adult male
measures 122 cm in height whereas the females are 15-20 cm smaller. The
weight of an adult male comes around 14.5 kg. This bird species feeds on
grains, insects, small lizards and snakes.
The White-breasted Kingfisher
Latin Name : Halcyon
smyrnensis (Linnaeus)
Local Name : Kilkila, Kourilla (Hindi)/ Lakumukhi
Pitta (Telugu)
The
white-breasted or white-throated kingfisher is a land bird found in
countries like Iran, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malayan peninsula and
southern parts of China. This bird measures 28 cm in length, a bit smaller
than myna. The bird is also characterised by its rapid and direct flight.
The upper plumage of a white-breasted kingfisher is bright blue. Its head,
neck and lower belly are deep chestnut brown whereas the throat and the
breast are white. The bird eats upon grasshoppers, tadpoles, frogs and
lizards. Occasionally, a white-breasted kingfisher can be seen taking a
plunge into water to feed on fish and crabs. Its breeding season falls
between March and July. Its eggs (4-7 in number) are spherical and
china-white in colour.
