TL;DR – What colour are a Black-winged Kite’s eyes?
Look closely at the eyes of a Black-winged Kite. Are they red? Or orange? Or yellow? The eyes will tell you if you are looking at an adult or a juvenile bird.
Tag: raptors
A White-bellied Sea Eagle fishes for compliments
A White-bellied Sea Eagle won’t make that astronomical push without a gastronomical pull and this one had no apparent interest in playing the avian Sisyphus.
Raptor Friday: A meeting with a Lesser Kestrel
A birding trip to Koonthakulam, Tamil Nadu, revealed a rare sighting of Lesser Kestrels, seasonal migrants that pass through India en route to Africa
Raptor Friday: The White Tiger of the shores
On broad soaring wings, the mighty White-bellied Sea Eagle patrols the coastline, plunging every now and then into the ocean for fish or sea snakes. Its aerobatic displays can make test pilots envious. If you see one, stop and watch. I remember that day more than four years ago. We were…
Odyssey to Bedni Bugyal – In another world
In the charming alpine meadow of Bedni Bugyal life goes on as if on another planet, though Jennifer Nandi notes that our inexorable worldliness has preceded our arrival here Life’s symmetry, reflected in Bedni Kund Trishul peeks fleetingly behind scudding cloud and the earth is white. I can hear melt-…
Download the October Calendar Wallpaper
Raptor on the road. DOWNLOAD THIS IMAGE AND SET IT AS YOUR CALENDAR WALLPAPER
Raptor Friday – Last Hope for Disappearing Vultures
There are enough roadkills, but why are vultures absent from our skies? An independent filmmaker explores the reasons Himalayan Griffons engage in a scuffle Several animals are killed in road accidents but we hardly see any vultures hovering above and swooping down for a cleanup operation. Ever wondered why? Neloy…
Raptor Friday – The Common Kestrel
The Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) visits the subcontinent in winter. It is also resident in the Himalayas and to a lesser extent in the Western Ghats
Encounter – the Short-toed Snake Eagle
Meet the Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) or plain “Short-toed Eagle”. It is a raptor of open countries, grass/ scrublands and semi-deserts, which, as its name suggests, loves to devour snakes and reptiles and occasionally mammals as well. And yes, the toes (or talons) are shorter compared to other birds of prey.…