Killer collared falconet

Hello readers, I hope you are enjoying beautiful weather, especially in Mumbai. Let me tell you that this is the best season to enjoy birding all over India. Birds from all various places migrate to India in this season hence try to grab this opportunity to experience the best time of the year. You can visit Bharatpur, Velavdar, Little run of kutch, Dandeli etc and if you wish to visit within Mumbai city then visit Bhandup Pumping Station, Seawoods, Karnala, SGNP.

Since this is a birding season let me talk about the bird, which you may have not heard of a killer bird with unique habits that will surely instigate you to explore birding places in this season. Let us move to the next section to see the qualities of this unique bird. 

Smallest bird of prey

The first time we were lucky to sight this bird at Jim Corbett where we saw a couple of them sitting on a tree branch with a kill, let us see some of its unique habits of killing prey

The specialty of the bird is killer behavior with its size, normally we can see raptors as large or huge in size like eagles, vultures, Owls, Osprey, Falcon, etc., but here Falconet is smallest amongst the raptors but equally well versed to attack the prey

The Collared Falconet hunts from perch, searching actively from prey by turning the head rapidly. It performs several foraging sallies, and the prey is usually caught up to 50 meters from the perch. However, insects are often caught in the air

It forages by short flights from perches, often dead branches, and returns to the perch to eat the prey. It hunts like a flycatcher or a small shrike rather than a falcon

The Collared Falconet may sometimes hunt in small groups of 1-7 individuals, but usually close to the nighttime roosts. It is often more active at dusk when it can catch moths

The preys include large insects such as butterflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, beetles, and cicadas, but it also takes small birds, lizards, and small mammals

After knowing its attacking behavior let us see many more facts of this lovely colorful raptor in the next section

Colorful facts

The collared falconet (Microhierax caerulescens) is a species of bird of prey in the Falconidae family. It is 18 cm long. Rapid wing beats are interspersed with long glides. When perched, "rather shrike-like"

The collared falconet is a very small falcon, shrike-like in shape, mainly pied and having bold white super cilia and collar, with a relatively heavy double-toothed bill. On the head, crown, nape, and ear-covert patch are black. Forehead, eyebrow, and malar stripe are white

The “toothed” bill is blackish with pale grey cere. The eyes are dark brown, surrounded by pale grey eyering. Legs and feet are dark greys to blackish

The female is slightly larger than the male. She has more white on the wings and less prominent nuchal collar

It has short wings, a medium-length tail, strong half-feathered legs, and powerful feet

It perches conspicuously on top or edge of tree or bush, often on a dead twig, frequently bobbing head and slowly moving tail up and down; wing-tips less than halfway down the tail

It roosts and nests in cavities, usually abandoned by other bird species, Falconet is often seen alone or in pairs and in small groups

The Collared Falconet uses a hole made by a woodpecker or a barbet, usually placed between 7 and 12 meters above the ground. It may occasionally use hollows in buildings or natural holes in trees. The hole is half-filled with a layer of dried leaves and insect parts

Do let me know if you need any help to visit any of these places, get in touch with me on btwildart@gmail.com

Learning of the day

State Bird of Bihar

House sparrow- The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a bird of the sparrow family Passeridae, found in most parts of the world

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DSLR Section 

Lovely lesser Florican

To start with, let me wish everyone a very happy new year, hope 20-20 would bring a lot of smile and prosperity in your life. I am sure everyone must have taken a new resolution for the year 20-20, one of them should be saving/improving the quality of the environment near our area. Please take an effort to save our mother nature by not using plastic, ensuring cleanliness near our area and not throwing garbage or any such material in wetland/ocean.

Today to welcome 20-20 I am coming with something very special, the beginning should be grand to start with year’s first blog hence I have picked up the species which is on verge of extinction and need urgent attention for conservation. The bird is a lovely bird with unique habits but sadly it is hardly left in numbers. I know you are eager to know about this lovely bird, so let us move to the next section and meet this lovely creature. 

Jumping jack florican

Florican is known for the leaping breeding displays made by the males during the Monsoon season. In fact, the Lesser Florican is best known for its aerial courtship display, where the male makes a series of spectacular jumps to a height of 1.5m to 2m, around 500 times a day. 

During the breeding season, males leap suddenly from the grass with a peculiar croaking or knocking call, flutter their wings and fall back with slightly open wings. At the apogee of the leap, the neck is arched backward and the legs folded as if in a sitting posture. These jumps are repeated after intervals of about three or more minutes. The displays are made mainly in the early mornings and late evenings. 

The main attraction is to see jumping display, it continues to jump for a long period to attract female, it is like jumping jack, just visit DSLR section to see the dancing step of this bird so as you will realize why this bird is so attractive.

Now you know the reason for the main attraction so let's move to the next section to know many more facts of florican in detail.

Colorful Facts 

The lesser florican (Sypheotides indicus) also known as the Likh or Kharmore, is the smallest in the bustard family and the only member of the genus Sypheotides

The male has a contrasting black and white breeding plumage and distinctive elongated head feathers that extend behind the neck

The species is highly endangered and has been extirpated in some parts of its range such as Pakistan; it is threatened by both hunting and habitat degradation. The only similar species is the Bengal florican which is larger and lacks the white throat, collar and elongated plumes

The female is slightly larger than the male. The females and males in non-breeding plumage are buffs with black streaks with darker markings on the head and neck

The back is mottled and barred in black. The neck and upper breast are buffs with the streaks decreasing towards the belly. The outer primaries of the males are thin and notched on the inner-web

It breeds mainly in the central and western parts of India. The preferred habitat is grasslands but it sometimes occurs in fields such as those of cotton and lentils. Breeding areas are today restricted mainly to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, some areas in southern Nepal and parts of Andhra Pradesh

Lesser floricans feed on a wide variety of small vertebrates and invertebrates that include worms, centipedes, lizards, frogs, and insects such as locusts, flying ants and hairy caterpillars. They are also known to feed on shoots and seeds, herbs and berries

Females have a defensive display at the nest, which involves spreading their wings, tail and neck feathers. The females are said to produce a whistling call that attracts males. Males are aggressive towards other males in the neighborhood

Do visit the DSLR section to experience the jumping dance of this lovely species. Ending the blog with a hope that concern authorities will take appropriate action to conserve this one of the most unique birds we have in our kitty. 

Learning of the day

State Bird of Andhra Pradesh

Rose-ringed parakeet

The rose-ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), also known as the ring-necked parakeet, is a medium-sized parrot in the genus Psittacula, of the family Psittacidae.

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DSLR Section