Crested Francolin Afrikaans

The Crested Francolin (Dendroperdix sephaena) distribution extends over most of the savannas of eastern Africa south of the Sahara. In southern Africa, it occurs from northeastern Namibia, across northern and eastern Botswana, into Zimbabwe. Mostly it is found in African countries, Angola, Botswana, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe, Crested Francolin is largely absent from the northeastern and central regions. It falls outside the major francolin clades, grouping with an assemblage of primarily Indo-Malaysian perdicines. Its closest affinity with the African francolins is with the Coqui Francolin Fcoqui and the red-winged group.

Kirk’s Francolin, considered a subspecies of Crested Francolin, has been accorded specific status in the past. It differs from the nominate race by having a streaked lower abdomen, and replaces the nominate race in the low-lying areas of southern Mozambique from the Save River north-wards, extending through Tanzania to Somalia.

It occurs in pairs when breeding and in family parties of up to seven birds at other times. It is conspicuous and highly vocal, frequently seen along roadsides, and is easily distinguished from other francolins by its bantam-like build, with a cocked tail.

Habitat:

It generally inhabits woodlands with a dense scrub component. It favors areas with bush encroachment in savannas and tolerates poor grass cover. The vegetation analysis clearly shows its preference for woodlands; there is a marked avoidance of Miombo and the semi-arid Central and southern Kalahari. It is commonest in Acacia woodland compared to broadleaved woodland, and found densities of 48 birds / 100 ha in Acacia woodland, and 7.4 birds/100 ha in broadleaved woodland, in a central Transvaal study area.

Densities in northern Botswana were close to 1 bird/10 ha in a variety of Acacia-dominated habitats but differed widely in broadleaved 1 bird/8 ha in secondary broad-leaved riverine woodland, 1 bird/12 ha in Mopane scrub and tall Okavango riparian woodland, 1 bird/150 ha in tall miombo-like and Baikiaea woodlands, and 1 bird/250 ha in tall Mopane woodlands). In Zimbabwe, it is associated with thickets below 800 m, but it occurs up to 900 m in the drier west.

Movements:

There are no previous reports of seasonal movements, which suggest that the seasonal fluctuations in reporting rates, particularly marked in Zone6, are probably due to seasonal variations inconspicuousness.

Breeding:

The crested Francolin egg-laying process in both Zimbabwe and the Transvaal spans October till May, mainly October–March in both regions. The atlas data probably represent mainly sightings of chicks. A trend of earlier and more restricted breeding seasons with increasing latitude is suggested by the models. The breeding record speaks in February–May in Zones 1 and 5 (northeastern Namibia, northern Botswana, and Zimbabwe), December–February in Zone 6 (Transvaal), and November–February in Zone 7 (KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland). It is suggested that the peak breeding months might be as late as March-May in Zimbabwe.

Interspecific relationships:

In the drier savannas of the Transvaal and Zimbabwe, it is often sympatric with Coqui, Shelley’s F. shelleyi, Swainson’s F. swainsonii, and Natal F.natalensis Francolins. However, the Crested Francolin usually favors denser stands of scrub and thicket than Coqui, Shelley’s, and Swainson’s Francolins and drier sites than the Natal Francolin.

Historical Distribution and Conservation:

Although it might fluctuate locally in population size and distribution according to changes in habitat quality, there is no evidence of any long-term extensive distributional changes. The Crested Francolin is apparently not threatened any-where in its range, except locally where the bush is cleared and it as meriting monitoring. Read More - Greater Blue Eared Starling The Gorgeous Mystery Bird

 

The brown rock chat (Oenanthe fusca) or Indian chat,

The brown rock chat (Oenanthe fusca) or Indian chat, is a bird species of the family Muscicapidae. It is found mainly in northern and central India. It is often found on old buildings and rocky areas. It resembles a female Indian robin but lacks the reddish vent and differs in posture and behaviour apart from being larger. In flight it bears some resemblance to thrushes and redstarts. It feeds on insects, captured mainly on the ground. It was formerly placed as the sole species in the genus Cercomela but is now included with the wheatears in the genus Oenanthe. 

Brown Rock Chat at Rohtas Fort Jehlum City

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba)

The white wagtail (Motacilla alba) is a small passerine bird in the family Motacillidae, which also includes pipits and longclaws. The species breeds in much of Europe and Asia and parts of North Africa. It has a toehold in Alaska as a scarce breeder. It is a resident in the mildest parts of its range but otherwise migrates to Africa. In Ireland and Great Britain, the darker subspecies, the pied wagtail or water wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) predominates. In total, there are between 9 and 11 subspecies. The white wagtail is an insectivorous bird of the open country, often near habitation and water. It prefers bare areas for feeding, where it can see and pursue its prey. In urban areas, it has adapted to foraging on paved areas such as car parks. It nests in crevices in stone walls and similar natural and man-made structures. It is the national bird of Latvia and has featured on the stamps of several countries. Though it is 'of least concern', there are several threats against it, like being kept as pets and being used as food.

The black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus)

The black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) is a widely distributed very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family (Recurvirostridae). The scientific name H. himantopus was formerly applied to a single, almost cosmopolitan species. It is now normally applied to the form that is widespread in Eurasia and Africa and which was formerly regarded as the nominate subspecies of Himantopus himantopus sensu lato. 

The scientific name Himantopus comes from the Greek meaning "strap foot" or "thong foot". Most sources today accept 2–4 species. It is sometimes called pied stilt, but that name is now reserved for the Australian species, Himantopus leucocephalus. Adults are 33–36 cm (13–14 in) long. They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges. 

In the populations that have the top of the head normally white at least in winter, females tend to have less black on head and neck all year round, while males often have much black, particularly in summer. This difference is not clear-cut, however, and males usually get all-white heads in winter. Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

Grey-headed swamphen

Grey-headed swamphen (Porphyrio poliocephalus) is a species of swamphen occurring from the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to southern China and northern Thailand. It used to be considered a subspecies of the purple swamphen, but was elevated to full species status in 2015; today the purple swamphen is considered a superspecies and each of its six races are designated full species.

The male has an elaborate courtship display, holding water weeds in his bill and bowing to the female with loud chuckles.

The grey-headed swamphen was introduced to North America in the late 1990s due to avicultural escapes in the Pembroke Pines, Florida area. State wildlife biologists attempted to eradicate the birds, but they have multiplied and can now be found in many areas of southern Florida. Ornithological authorities consider it likely that the swamphen will become an established part of Florida's avifauna. It was added to the American Birding Association checklist in February 2013.

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)

The cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) is a cosmopolitan species of heron (family Ardeidae) found in the tropics, subtropics, and warm-temperate zones. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Bubulcus, although some authorities regard two of its subspecies as full species, the western cattle egret and the eastern cattle egret. Despite the similarities in plumage to the egrets of the genus Egretta, it is more closely related to the herons of Ardea. Originally native to parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe, it has undergone a rapid expansion in its distribution and successfully colonised much of the rest of the world in the last century.

It is a white bird adorned with buff plumes in the breeding season. It nests in colonies, usually near bodies of water and often with other wading birds. The nest is a platform of sticks in trees or shrubs. Cattle egrets exploit drier and open habitats more than other heron species. Their feeding habitats include seasonally inundated grasslands, pastures, farmlands, wetlands, and rice paddies. They often accompany cattle or other large mammals, catching insect and small vertebrate prey disturbed by these animals. Some populations are migratory and others show postbreeding dispersal.

The adult cattle egret has few predators, but birds or mammals may raid its nests, and chicks may be lost to starvation, calcium deficiency, or disturbance from other large birds. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals; wider human farming is believed to be a major cause of their suddenly expanded range. The cattle egret removes ticks and flies from cattle and consumes them. This benefits both species, but it has been implicated in the spread of tick-borne animal diseases.

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America,is a widespread bird of prey (raptor) in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-grey back, barred white underparts, and a black head. The peregrine is renowned for its speed, reaching over 320 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop (high-speed dive), making it the fastest bird in the world and the fastest member of the animal kingdom. According to a National Geographic TV program, the highest measured speed of a peregrine falcon is 389 km/h (242 mph). As is typical of bird-eating raptors, peregrine falcons are sexually dimorphic, with females being considerably larger than males.

Brown Rockchat !! Oenanthe fusca

The brown rock chat or Indian chat (Oenanthe fusca) is a bird in the chat (Saxicolinae) subfamily and is found mainly in northern and central India. It is often found on old buildings and rocky areas. It resembles a female Indian robin but lacks the reddish vent and differs in posture and behavior apart from being larger. In flight, it bears some resemblance to thrushes and redstarts. It feeds on insects, captured mainly on the ground. It was formerly placed as the sole species in the genus Cercomela but is now included with the wheatears in the genus Oenanthe.

The crested lark (Galerida cristata)

The crested lark (Galerida cristata) is a species of lark distinguished from the other 81 species of lark by the crest of feathers that rise up in territorial or courtship displays and when singing. Common to mainland Europe, the birds can also be found in northern Africa and in parts of western Asia and China. It is a non-migratory bird, but can occasionally be found as a vagrant in Great Britain. The crested lark was one of the many species originally described by Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae. It was classified in the genus Alauda until German naturalist Friedrich Boie placed it in the new genus Galerida in 1821.

Sandpipers has a Beautiful Voice

Sandpipers are a large family, Scolopacidae, of waders or shorebirds. Sandpipers have long bodies and legs, and narrow wings. Most species have a narrow bill, but otherwise the form and length are quite variable. Like other sandpipers, the semipalmated sandpiper has relatively long wings, a long neck and a short tail.

Amazing Call of passerine bird

I don't know the name of this bird. Maybe it is some kind of sparrow family. But this bird has an amazing call. 

The Eurasian magpie or common magpie

The Eurasian magpie or common magpie is a resident breeding bird throughout northern part of Eurasian continent. It is one of several birds in the crow family designated magpies, and belongs to the Holarctic radiation of "monochrome" magpies.

Rufous or Common Nightingale

The common nightingale or simply nightingale, also known as rufous nightingale, is a small passerine bird best known for it's powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but is now more generally considered to be an Old World flycatcher, Muscicapidae. Common nightingales are so named because they frequently sing at night as well as during the day. The name has been used for more then 1,000 years.Nightingales sing even more loudly in urban or near-urban environments, in order to overcome the background noise. The most characteristic feature of the song is a loud whistling crescendo, absent from the song of thrush nightingale. It has a frog-like alarm call.

The Rarest White Bird Albino House Sparrow

One of the world's rarest White Bird is Albino House Sparrow.  Most White Wild Birds seen are leucistic, lacking pigment. They are extremely rare in themselves, but a true albino bird, with pink eyes and white feathers is incredibly rare. Albinos are one of the rarest birds in the world and are distinctive. Unluckily Albino White Bird rarely reaches adulthood. Melanin serves some critical functions in vision and in protecting the eye from UV radiation. Hence, they are easy targets for predators and they can’t see well due to poor eyesight to spot danger and don’t survive long in the wild.

Albinism is a genetic condition which is known to affect around 300 different species of animal. Albinos that are white instead of their normal color are indeed rare. Therefore, about one in 20,000 humans are albinos, and at least 300 species of animals in North America have albino individuals. Miley Bull, the senior director of science and conservation, said the pinkness of the eye marks it as a true albino.

Furthermore, Albinos have the similar characteristics of other members of their species. So, except their cells are unable to produce melanin a dark pigment that results in normal coloration in the skin, scales, eyes or hair. Albinos are rare because the genes for that trait are recessive, while the genes for normal pigmentation are dominant. Albinos caused by a lack of melanin, the chemical which gives cells, and tissues, their coloration.

Without it, everything is colorless and appears as white. It is a recessive condition, meaning an individual needs two recessive alleles to trigger albinism. This is a rarity, as if there is one dominant allele it will overrule the albinism gene and make that individual a carrier of the condition. The leucistic bird is unusual because it is completely white from the top to head to the tip of its tail.

A full or true albino is a very specific mutation with a well-known genetic cause similar across all vertebrates. All of the plumage is white and the skin is unpigmented. Even the eye is unpigmented, and appears pink or red as we see the blood vessels in the retina. RSPB monitoring suggests a serious decline in the United Kingdom house sparrow population.

It is estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations. Adult full albino birds are in effect never seen in the wild. The inability to produce melanin does not affect the red carotenoid pigments, so the red color appears more or less as usual on this bird’s feathers and bill. An albino bird is not necessarily all white!

How to identify an albino Bird?

If the albino bird is alone, use the same elements as above and think of a species that occur in the area that fit those elements.  These clues should give you an idea of which species of bird the albino bird is likely to be. See the birds that associate with the albino bird. Since the bill, eyes, and legs color of the albino bird are pink and pale these cannot be used as a reference. Instead, rely on the shape, size, behavior, and habitat use. Birders rely on plumage as the primary clue for bird identification.

 

The fire-tailed myzornis

The fire-tailed myzornis (Myzornis pyrrhoura) is a bird species formerly placed in the Old World babbler family (Timaliidae). Its genus Myzornis is monotypic, and has recently been placed in the (much reduced) Old World warbler family Sylviidae. The species is found in Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. The fire-tailed myzornis is a small species of warbler, 11 to 13 cm long and weighing 10 to 13 g.

The fire-tailed myzornis has bright green plumage with a black mask around the eyes and black scalloping on the crown. The fire-tailed myzornis prefers bamboo thickets, Rhododendron shrubs, birches, and junipers. The species localized distribution and travels in small groups (3-4) or with other small babblers. This species was socially monogamous and sexually dimorphic both in plumage pattern and body size.

The species wing is black and white with a streak of bright red and the sides of the tail are red too. The bill is long, slightly curved and black. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is a common species in the upper ridges of the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas.

The fire-tailed myzornis is mostly seen between 9,000 feet to 13,000 according to climatic conditions and seasonal variation. The fire-tailed myzornis is capable of sustained stationary hovering flight much like sunbirds. It can also be seen running up moss-covered tree trunks like a creeper. Myzornis had larger and heavier nests, fewer but larger eggs, and a longer nestling period.

The fire-tailed myzornis normally eats insects, arachnids, berries, and flower nectar. The bird breeding season starts from April to July. Males and females made virtually equal contributions in breeding activities, including incubation, provisioning, brooding, and nest sanitation. The nest were built by both sexes and a globular structure made of moss and placed 1 to 6 m above the ground in moss, on a rock face or in a trunk with moss and lichen.

The fire-tailed myzornis is resident species with some altitudinal movement. This is usually a silent bird, can utter a high-pitched “tsit–tsit“. These life-history traits may facilitate its reproduction in the cold alpine areas of the Gaoligong Mountains. This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion. The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Source: CP