Kula-kozhi

FIELD CHARACTERS: A familiar slaty grey, stub-tailed, skulking marsh bird with prominent white face, supercilia, throat, breast and middle of abdomen, and rusty red under the tail. Sexes alike. Singly, about thickets on waterlogged ground. Resident. Fairly common. Chiefly low country but upto at least 3000 ft. (c. 900 m.) – Periyar Lake environs. Affects Pandanus brakes and marginal vegetation in swamps and inundated paddy fields. Also the neighbourhood of homestead along the coastal backwaters.Distribution Outside Kerala is in Ceylon and peninsular India north to about lat. 20 0 N. North India , Assam and Burma are inhabited by the race chinensis.
SIZE: About that of the Partridge

Other races extend the species to Malaysia , southern China , the Philippines and Formosa .. Silent except during the monsoon months when breeding, when it becomes particularly noisy. Its food consisit of insects, worms, molluscs, grain and shoots of paddy and marsh plants. Eggs – 6 o r 7, cream or pinkish white streaked and blotched with reddish brown. Average SIZE 39.5X30.0mm

Eetkili-kalam,Thamarakozhi

SIZE: About that of the Partridge
A leggy swamp bird, something like the moorhen, with glossy black head and breast, metallic greenish bronze back and wings, and chestnut-red stub tail. A broad white stripe from the eye to the nape. Sexes alike. Young birds chiefly whitish, ruffoous and brown. The outstanding feature of the Jacanas-this species and the next is their absurdly elongated spider like toes. Resident. Not common, but frequent.Its food consists of seeds and shoots of water-plants, as well as insects and molluscs. Eggs-normally 4, very glossy and handsome, bronze-brown with an irregular network of dark brown scrawls. Average SIZE 36.4x25.1mm. The female is polyandrous. The male incubates the eggs and looks after the young

Pulli-ponman, Pulli meenkothi

SIZE : Between the Myna and the Pigeon
A speckled and barred black-and-white kingfisher with the typical stout dagger-shaped bill(black). Forehead, crown and nuchal crest black,finely streaked with white. Supercilium and collar on hindneck white. A broad black streak through eye to ear-coverts. Underparts white with a double black gorget across breast in the male. In the female the lower gorget is wanting and the upper broken in the middle. Resident. Common. Low country. Keeps to the coastal backwaters and to the larger placid streams with deep rock pools here and there, north to about Kozhikode . Nesting Season-evidently between November/December and March/April. Nest- a horizontal tunnel, 3 to 6 ft.(1 to 2 m) in length, excavated in the precipitous mud bank of a stream or river. It terminated in a widened egg-chamber, unlined but almost invariably littered with cast-up fish bones. Eggs- 5 or 6, pure white, glossy, roundish ovals. Average SIZE 29.9x21.4mm.

Vezhambal,Ponden vezhambal

SIZE: Larger than the Grey Hornbill. Between the Kite and the Vulture.
Easily differentiated from the Great Indian Hornbill (next) by its smaller SIZE, black neck and white underparts. Tail white with the central pair of feathers black. Casque or helmet high, narrow and sharp-ridged, ending in a single point. Female like the male except in the coloration of the soft parts (see below). Noisy flocks, in lofty tree-tops. Resident. Uncommon. Affects evergreen and moist deciduous forest along the foot of the hills, e.g., Thattakad, Amarambalam (Malabar district). It is also found in Ceylon ; Western Ghats north to about Ratnagiri; the former Hyderabad state, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar , Orissa. Arboreal and mainly frugivorous. Eggs are White in colour becoming brown-stained as incubation proceeds. Average SIZE about 55X38 mm.

Kakka-tampuratti,Anaranchi

A glossy jet black bird with long deeply forked tail. Sexes alike.  Resident. Common. Deciduous low country under 500 ft. (c. 150 m) Affects open fallow and grazing land, and compounds in towns and villages. Very partial to the jack-fruit, cashew and coconut gardens surrounding homesteads along the backwaters, and the dyked paddy cultivation in this neighbourhood. It is also found in Peninsular India south of the Indo-Gangetic plain. Northern India and the Lower Himalayas together with Assam are occupied by the race albirictus, and Ceylon by minor.Single birds commonly seen perched on telegraph wires, dead trees, fence-posts and the like keeping a sharp look-out for grasshoppers and other insects and pouncing on them on the ground or capturing them in the air. If too large to be swallowed entire, the victim is held under foot and torn to pieces with the sharp hook-tipped bill. Their diet is entirely insectivorous; they do considerable good to agriculture by the large quantities of injurious pests they destroy. They have a number of harsh challenging calls, some closely resembling those of Shikra hawk. The birds become particularly noisy at the breeding season, when they frequently indulge in scolding duets, trios and quartets. Nesting: Season – March to June/July. Nest – a flimsy-bottomed cup of fine twigs, grasses and fibres loosely cemented together with cobwebs. Placed in a fork, usually near the extremity of a horizontal branch, or up in the head of a palm at the base of a leaf stalk, 20 to 30 ft. (c. 6 to 9 m) from the ground. A tree standing by itself in the midst of open cultivation and commanding a good view of the surroundings is preferred. Eggs – 3 to 5, variable in colour and markings, the most common type being whitish with brownish red spots. Average SIZE 25.5X19.0 mm. (Fauna).

Kozhi –Vezhambal

SIZE: About that of the Kite
A plain brownish slaty-grey hornbill without any casque on its bill. Wing-quills and tail black, the latter with broad white tips to the two central pairs of feathers. Throat and breast streaked with whitish. Sexes almost alike (see colours of bill). Resident. Common. Affects evergreen and moist decisuous biotope from the low country (eg. Thattakad, c.200ft., or 60m) to about 4000ft(1200m) in the hills. Lofty shade-trees in cardamom shoals with a sprinkling of wild figs(Ficus) are favoaurite haunts). Goes about in parties of 5 or 6. Larger flocks congregate to feed on fruiting trees in the usual frugivorous company of green pigeons, grackles and others. Nesting: Season-January to early April, most eggs being found in February. Nest and nesting habits as of the familiy(see under Great Indian Hornbill). Eggs-usually 3, sometimes 4, white but becoming discloured in incubation. Average SIZE 41.4x30.0

Karimparundu

SIZE: Larger than the Pariah Kite.
FIELD CHARACTERS: A large black eagle the tips of whose wings when at rest reach the end of the tail. In overhead flight the black plumage, narrowly grey-barred tail-longer than in most eagles – and the bright chrome yellow feet are diagnostic. The dark underside of the wing contrasting with a pale patch on the primaries, the bright yellow cere and a white patch under the eye – visible at close range – confirm its identity. When sailing the broad wings are held above the line of the back in a wide V, and end in upturned ‘splayed fingers' as in a vulture. Sexes alike. Singly, on forested hills. Resident. Fairly common, but not abundant. Evergreen and moist deciduous biotope. Foothills, and upto the highest elevations. Forested ravines or shoals, interspersed with open grassy spurs and hillsides, are its favourite haunts. Distribution Outside Kerala is in Ceylon ; the Western Ghats country north to the Tapti River , including the Nilgiris, Palnis and associated hills. Also the Shevaroys. The Satpuras and other hills in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra, Bihar , Orissa, W. Bengal and E. Pakistan . The Himalayas from W. Pakistan to eastern Assam . Burma ; Thailand ; Malaysia to Celebes . Its food consists of frogs, lizards and large insects. Birds, even of the SIZE of junglefowl, are often killed and nests are habitually robbed of their contents, both eggs and young. Egg- normally a singleton, handsome, whitish to pinkish in ground colour densely and finely stippled with pale brick –red. Average SIZE 62.7x49.9 mm.

Chera-Kozhi

SIZE : About that of the Kite
Field Characters : A black, cormorant-like water bird with a long and very slender S-shaped neck, narrow head and pointed dagger bill. Back heavily streaked with silver-grey; head and neck velvety brown; chin and throat whitish. Tail long, stiff and wedge-shaped(almost rounded). Sexes alike. Singly or in loose parties on tanks&c Resident. Fairly common, but not abundant. Affects open placid streams, village tanks, and dammed reservoirs. On the last the exposed tops of the submerged dead tress provide favorite lookout and wing-drying posts. This is also found in Ceylon , all India , burma , Malaysia ,,Indochinese countries to the Phluppines. Other races occur in America , Africa and Australia . Eggs 3 or 4, very elongated,
pale greenish blue with whitish chalky coating. Average SIZE 52.9x33.5mm

Kakkattaravu

SIZE : Somewhat larger than the Jungle Crow, with longer neck and tail.
Field Characters : A glistening black duck-like water bird with a longer stiff tail and slender compressed bill sharply hooked at the tip. A small white patch on throat, and suggestion of a nuchal crest. Sexes alike. Singly or in flocks, on or near water.Cormorants are almost exclusively fish-eaters. They chase and capture their quarry under water, being expert divers and submarine swimmers. Flocks sometimes hunt in concert in the manner of pelicans. They also hunt individually. When satiated, the birds may be seen sitting on a rock or sandbank, or on stakes or trees in or near the water, drying themselves with outstretched wings.
Eggs- 4 or 5, long narrow ovals, bluish white in color with a chalky texture. Average SIZE 44.8x29.0mm

Kiwi

                     The Rhea of South America, the Kakapo of New Zealand and the Cassowary of Australia and New Guinea are also flightless birds.  A number of extinct birds were also flightless, including the Dodo of Mauritius and the Moa and Dinornis of New Zealand.

Australian emu

             The New Zealand Kiwi has nothing to do with kiwifruit.  It lives in moist forests and uses its long, bendable bill to poke around the ground in search of worms.

             Unlike many of the other flightless birds, the kiwi is not very large.  It's only about a foot and a half long.  To avoid predators, the kiwi hides during the day and comes out at night to search for food.

             The kiwi has fine feathers that make it look almost furry.  It has no tail feathers and its wings are so small they're typically not very easy to see.  

Ostriches

            The emus of Australia are the second largest bird.  They can grow to 6 feet tall and weigh 100 pounds.  Emus are also fast runners.  

            They live in smaller flocks on the dry plains and deserts in Australia.  They feed on leaves, grass, and insects.

         Father emus are the caregivers -- they build the nests, incubate the eggs and raise the babies until they are able to take care of themselves.

Puffin

            The largest living bird is the ostrich which can be as big as 8 feet tall and 330 pounds.  The ostrich relies on its speed, size and strong kick rather than flight for safety.  An ostrich can kill a person with one kick and can run up to 40 miles per hour.

Ostriches live in flocks in dry parts of Africa.  Flocks can have as many as 600 birds in them.  

Ostriches are vegetarian and spend much of their time searching out water.

Penguin swimming

A penguin spends as much as 75% of it's life at sea.  It doesn't use it's wings to fly -- it uses them to swim.

Its streamlined body and strong wings allow it to swim as fast as 15 miles per hour after fish, krill, squid and crustaceans. 

Check out our KidZone Penguins section for more fun facts, photos and activities about penguins.

           

Puffins CAN fly, but they tend not to.  Like the penguin, it uses its wings to move through the water catching fish and other small sea creatures by diving.

Puffins spend a few months each year living on an island.  The rest of the time they live in the northern seas.

Puffins only go to the island when it is time to have babies.  When the baby hatches and reaches about 6 weeks old, the parents return to the sea, stranding it on the island.  All by itself, the chick learns to swim and catch fish to eat.

Flightless Birds

Although it's true that all birds have feathers and wings, that doesn't necessarily mean they can all fly.

Mallard ducks

When they aren't in the water, waterfowl waddle their way through life.

Swans and most ducks are clumsy and awkward on land.  Some kinds of ducks can barely walk at all, and hardly ever leave the water.  Geese are a bit better at walking, since they spend a lot of time feeding on land, but you can still make out the waddle if you watch them for awhile.

Those awkward legs are great in the water though.  The legs are quite far apart and the feet are webbed which makes waterfowl a graceful group of swimmers.

Waterfowl

           From Daffy Duck to Mother Goose, waterfowl seem to be some of the most popular birds to turn into cartoon characters.  Perhaps it's the oversized bills, the nasal QUACK/HONK or the slight waddle in the walk that make these birds such a fond part of children's literature and television.  Whatever the attraction, these ugly ducklings have been turning into swans for generations.

               The main characteristic of ducks, geese and swans (known as waterfowl) is that they all love to swim.  Although they have somewhat different diets, they all spend a lot of time in the water.  Ducks and swans dip, duck and dive to get at insects, snails, small fish and water plants.  Geese mainly graze on land in fields and meadows eating plants, grass and seeds.

Owl

       A bird of prey's toenails are called talons. Talons are very sharp, hook-like appendages that are used to catch prey and balance on trees.

Raptors that spend a lot of time soaring above the ground in search of prey have long broad wings that allow them to catch rising air currents and soar through the air.  Soaring saves energy because the bird doesn't have to flap its wings to stay aloft.   Soaring also makes it harder for a potential meal to spot the bird of prey.  

I spy with my little eye...

Raptor eyes are so big that they cannot move them.  The bird has to turn its entire head to look around (that's where the idea that owls can spin their heads around comes from... they can't really, but they can turn their heads a LOT farther than we can!)

The eyes of a raptor are so important for their survival, that they have three eyelids.  The third one is partially see-through (partly "transparent") which allows the birds of prey to protect their eyes when attacking prey and still have some sight.

Birds of prey have eyesight that is at least two or three times better than ours.  Some can see a grasshopper from the other side of a football field!  Golden eagles can spot a rabbit from over a mile away and owls have great night vision so they can hunt in the dark.

Bald eagle

Birds of prey or "raptors" are meat eating birds that use their strong feet, talons and hooked beaks to catch and kill their prey.  This group includes eagles, osprey, hawks, owls (Great Horned Owl), kites, harriers, buzzards, merlins, vultures, goshawks and condors.  They eat small mammals such as mice and rabbits, fish, snakes, and even other birds.  Some catch and kill their food and others (like vultures) feast on the leftovers other hunters leave behind.

Look at the photo of the bald eagle to the left.  Can you see how strong it's beak looks?  See how it has a hooked end?  This beak is used to tear into flesh. 

Birds don't have teeth... can you guess why?  Teeth are heavy and would make it very difficult for birds to fly.  This is especially important for birds of prey who must fly swiftly to catch their food.  Birds "chew" their food inside a part of the stomach called the gizzard.  The gizzard has strong muscles which grind the food against a rough inner surface to break it down.         

 

ALL ABOUT BIRDS

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