By Ragoo Rao Come March, with the summer heat on, the rivers neither in full stream nor dried up, right enough to expose the sand-banks, the enthusiastic bird-watchers from all over our Old Mysuru region, zero in on to a village — Naguvanahalli, close to Mysuru, off Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, to photograph and observe the Migratory…
By Ragoo Rao Nectarinia… Nectariniidae, as the name itself suggests, is a Family of Small Birds, smaller than Sparrows, energetically and boisterously flitting around in gardens and wild places, wherever there are abundant flowers, to relish the sweet nectar the flowers offers. These Nectar Seekers, the Nectarines as they are called in Ornithology, have their…
Papamoscas… Gobemouche… Tickellblauschnapper… as this blue and yellow bird, about the size of a sparrow, is called in Spanish, German and French respectively, which recently moved in to human habitations, like home gardens and parks — since two years, from its original habitat of lakeside and riverside bamboo thickets and shrubs, is called in Common…
Mythology, whether from India, Egypt or Greece or anywhere in the World Civilisations, has wonderful tales of animals. People cursed to take animal forms, animals cursed to take plant forms and the like. How true is not the question here but how fascinating and connected to the description of these Myths around the creatures is…
By Ragoo Rao, Ethologist Bird-brained. Calling someone bird-brained is an insult as it refers to the person as a dunce or a dimwit. The size of the brain of birds is likened to the brains of a dimwit. This might have been true until now as we were ignorant of the capabilities of small-brained birds….
By Ragoo Rao, Ethologist The Purple Swamp Hen is a large water hen with a distinctive heavy red bill and forehead shield. It has red eyes and a deep blue head and breast with black upper parts and wings. In bright sunlight the plumage shines with an intense blue sheen. These birds use a variety…
By Ragoo Rao Mom, both in human world and animal kingdom, is often the first to get the due respects when it comes to raising children. But let us not forget to give dad the credit where credit is due. The best dads in the animal kingdom will go to great lengths when it comes…
Pelicans are large squat birds of the water bodies. Of the three Species of Pelicans in the Indian Region, the Great White Pelican – Pelicanus onocotalus; The Dalmatian Pelican – Pelicanus crispus, and the third Spot-billed Pelican – Pelicanus philippensis, the third Spot-billed Pelican – Pelicanus philippensis, is the most widespread resident bird. It is…
Things are changing, some not for the better. Life-supportive native plants are being replaced by exotic varieties. Some harmful, some beneficial while some really degrade the ecosystem. Felling of trees is not the only habitat destruction; planting wrong species is the more harmful act of habitat degradation. Small native shrubs and grasses which are life-sustaining…
Habitat destruction is forcing these beautiful birds, the architects of Nature, to dwindle in their numbers. Their nests are brought down and sold by many vandals as decorative articles to be hung at homes. This destruction is continuing unabated as there is a market to sell them. So the next time if someone sells you…
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