Category Zoology

            The intermediate egret is also a snow white bird, but with a medium size. It is around 56 cm in length and 400 g in weight. The stretched wings cover a span of about 100 cm. The features that distinguish this bird from the great egret are the neck and the legs. The neck is thicker, with a gentle curve and the legs are not long enough to extend beyond the tail while flying. It has a short but thick bill.

            These birds search for prey in shallow coastal or fresh water, including flooded fields. They are generally silent and wait patiently to stalk their preys. They feed on fish, frog, shelled creatures and insects.

            They build their nests from sticks in trees and shrubs, in colonies along with other herons.

            The intermediate egrets are commonly found throughout India, in Europe, Africa, Australia and the Americas. 

               The great egrets are very common in most parts of India and are also called common egrets. These are popularly seen on large wetlands and coastal areas. Most people can identify it as a large bird, as white as snow, having a long necks and very long legs. They stretch out these legs backwards while flying. When they stand still, the thin neck will be seen twisted sharply. But when they are after their prey, neck will be held straight.

               These birds can be seen singly, as well as in separate groups, near shallow water or vegetation. They build nests as colonies in trees close to water. The great egrets seen in the northern regions are sometimes seen migrating towards the south during winter.

               Apart from India, these birds are also found in Europe, Africa and Australia. Conservation is not required for these birds as they are not considered threatened in any way. 

          The little egret is a very common kind of heron, found in Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia alike. They are medium sized; around 55-65 cm in height and 350-550 grammes in weight. Their plumage is snowy white in colour, with black legs and yellow feet. When they fly, they stretch out their legs, while the neck is pulled in.

          The favourite food of these birds includes fish, frogs and other water animals and they are therefore found in fresh and shallow waters, estuaries and mangroves. These birds may wait patiently for the preys to stalk them. But if they are badly in need of food, they may even chase their preys energetically and stab them. They are always found in large groups and they also build their nests in tree colonies along with other birds in the region. These birds are very noisy.

          The main challenge these birds are facing now is the degradation of wetlands, agricultural pollution and human Interference in their ecosystem. Also, these birds have a large chance of catching bird flu. 

          The savanna nightjar is not a single kind of bird, but a group of slightly different species. Till now, there are at least ten known subspecies of these birds. Their common features include long, pointed wings, short legs and short bills. The feather cover of these birds is such that they very much resemble tree barks or dried leaves in colour.

          These birds are found in open forests and have a special liking for rocky and dried areas. They are nocturnal and hunt down a variety of insects like crickets, mantises, beetles, dragonflies, flying termites, flies and flying ants. The usual hunting time is either before dawn or after dusk. They usually fly high above the ground to stalk their prey and have a parakeet like screeching voice when they fly. But they roost on the ground like other nightjars.

          These birds are found throughout India. It is observed that these birds have adapted to life in urban environments, especially in countries like Indonesia where they build their nests in flat roof tops and building plots. 

          The jungle nightjar or grey nightjar is a kind of nightjar that is commonly seen in most parts of India. These birds are grey in colour. The top of their head shows a peculiar kind of black streaks. The wings and tails are long and the bird as a whole is around 20 cm in length. Although the bill is usually small, the bird’s mouth is very wide when open. They produce a series of thacoo or chuck notes as their call. The male birds can be identified by their exclusive white throat patch.

          These birds are generally seen near the edges of forests. They make their nests on the ground and they are nothing more than a simple patch. Jungle nightjars become active at dusk and hunt flying insects for foods. They roost on tree branches or ground. But it is nearly impossible to spot them due to their colour and shades that blend with the surroundings. 

                The Sri Lanka frogmouth is a nightjar-like bird with a huge head that is almost 25 cm in length. When these birds roost silently on tree branches, we can hardly see them, because their colour is very much similar to that of dried leaves. Their bill is hooked and thick, covered almost completely by feathers. Its call can be heard during dawns and dusks.

                These birds choose to live in dense, wet evergreen forests and sometimes also in plantations. They are nocturnal birds that catch flying insects like moths for food. Sometimes, they may chase their prey or may catch it by pouncing from the ground. When they build nests, the inner side is lined by moss and the outer side with lichens and tree bark. These birds are found in our Western Ghats while, as the name suggests, they are the only type of frogmouth found in Sri Lanka.