Bird Nerds

Ep 11. Birds in Hills, Cliffs and Quarries

It’s time to test your fitness as this week we will be exploring the bird diversity at hills and cliffs, and quarries. The birds we talk about today have a wide distribution across India, however the flora varies with region, latitude and elevation. We are exploring a habitat of the Deccan Plateau region, where the average elevation of hills is around 600 metres. The terrain is mostly arid, but plantations are common here, pockets of grasslands are rampant in these hills, and occasionally there is dense vegetation to be found. We will come across birds of grasslands, scrublands and forests as well. Join us on our trek uphill as we encounter grey-breasted prinias, little swifts, tawny bellied babblers, Bonelli’s eagle, crested buntings, the burly Rock Eagle-Owl and the swishing and swooshing Shaheen Falcon. We also have some interesting tidbits about the now endangered White-Rumped Vultures.  If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in [https://www.instagram.com/peregrinator.in/] and @mariamspicclicks [https://www.instagram.com/mariamspicclicks/]. Credits: Intro sound citations:  1. Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Recording by Adil Hussain Ali Bird sounds and calls citations: 1. Grey-breasted Prinia - Sandeep Chakraborty, XC778992. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778992. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Crested Bunting - Saswat Mishra, XC672086. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/672086.Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 3. Little Swift - Tony Archer, XC634767. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/634767. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0  4. Bonelli's Eagle- Peter Boesman, XC473307. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/473307.Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 5. Indian Eagle-Owl - Frank Lambert, XC409708. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/409708. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 6. Peregrine Falcon - Romuald Mikusek, XC786158. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/786158. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0  Outro sound citation: 1. Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Ep 10. Birds in Well-Wooded Areas

In our tenth episode we talk you on a walk through a trail surrounded by tall trees, slightly dense undergrowth, spider webs across the path,  butterflies dancing and prancing on the side and the sound of crickets and other insects belting out their best background scores. Birds like flowerpeckers, Yellow Throated Sparrows and Indian Yellow Tits call out from tree tops. We also have encounters with the mimic - the White-bellied Drongo, the foodie- the Rufous Treepie, the drummer - the Yellow-crowned Woodpecker, beautiful flycatchers like the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher and the heartthrob the Indian Paradise Flycatcher. Our sightings also include the Small Minivet, Common Woodshrike and the Large Cuckooshrike. Today’s episode has some great insights about woodpeckers as well as interesting aspects about behavior and characteristic features of forest birds, which will help you identify them in their natural habitat. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in [https://www.instagram.com/peregrinator.in/] and @mariamspicclicks [https://www.instagram.com/mariamspicclicks/]. Credits: Intro sound citations:  1. Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Recording by Adil Hussain Ali Bird sounds and calls citations: 1. Pale-billed Flowerpecker - Andrew Spencer, XC547596. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547596. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 2. Indian Yellow Tit - Mandar Bhagat, XC195762. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/195762. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0  3. White-bellied Drongo - Jelle Scharringa, XC630374. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/630374. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 4. Rufous Treepie - Jelle Scharringa, XC627898. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/627898. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0  5. Yellow-crowned Woodpecker - Sreekumar Chirukandoth, XC643723. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/643723. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 6. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher - Peter Boesman, XC369137. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369137. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 7. Common Woodshrike - Jelle Scharringa, XC624610. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/624610. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 8. Large Cuckooshrike -  Sathyan Meppayur, XC741587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/741587.  License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Outro sound citation: 1. Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Ep 9. Birds in Villages and Farmlands

Leaving the city behind, this week we travel to the countryside with farmlands, orchards and surrounding villages. These farmlands are rich not only in food and resources, but also buzzing with bird activity. Farmlands are favorite foraging grounds for granivorous, insectivorous and frugivorous birds. Gregarious munias and avadavats, solitary pipits, melodious larks, chatty babblers, majestic peacocks, skilled hunters like black-winged kites and Indian rollers and the screechy barn owls welcome us in this habitat. Our conversation is peppered with some interesting aspects about their behaviour and characteristic features which will help you identify them in their natural habitat. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in [https://www.instagram.com/peregrinator.in/] and @mariamspicclicks [https://www.instagram.com/mariamspicclicks/]. Credits: Intro sound citations:  1. Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Recording by Adil Hussain Ali Bird sounds and calls citations: 1. Indian Peafowl - Manoj Karingamadathil, XC677383. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/677383. License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Paddyfield Pipit - Andrew Spencer, XC547896. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/547896. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 3. Rufous-tailed Lark - Recording by Adil Hussain Ali 4. Jungle Babbler - JISHNU KIZHAKKILLAM, XC796047. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/796047.License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 5. Yellow-eyed Babbler - Peter Boesman, XC472640. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/472640. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 6. Common Babbler - Birdcalls, XC187057. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/187057. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 7. Barn Owl - Recording by Adil Hussain Ali 8. Eurasian Hoopoe - Peter Boesman, XC369603. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/369603. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Outro sound citation: 1. Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Ep 8. Birds by the Stream (Part 2)

This week we continue to observe birds found by the small water body in our city, which could be a small pond or a lake or even a small stream. We see ibises, painted storks, statuesque herons, coots and whistling ducks as well as some aerial acrobats like martins and swallows. Our conversation is peppered with some fun facts, interesting aspects about their behavior as well as their popular local names. We also discuss some characteristic features which will help you identify them in their natural habitat. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in [https://www.instagram.com/peregrinator.in/] and @mariamspicclicks [https://www.instagram.com/mariamspicclicks/]. Credits: Intro sound citations:  1. Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Recording by Adil Hussain Ali Bird Sounds and calls citations: 1. Red-naped Ibis - Mathias Ritschard, XC21871. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/21871. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 2. Lesser Whistling Duck - Eveny Luis, XC178554. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/178554. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Outro sound citation: 1. Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0

Ep. 7. Birds by the Stream (Part 1)

This week we are back to exploring a new habitat and its birds. Walking through a scrubland exploring gardens, streets and compounds lined with tall trees and flowering bushes, we have reached a small water body in our city. It could be a small pond or a lake or even a small stream. We talk about cormorants, egrets, jacanas, kingfishers, dabbling ducks and some more water loving birds. Our conversation is peppered with some fun facts, interesting aspects about their behavior as well as their popular local names. We also discuss some characteristic features which will help you identify them in their natural habitat. If you have any questions related to birds or birdwatching, you can reach out to us on our Instagram handles: @peregrinator.in [https://www.instagram.com/peregrinator.in/] and @mariamspicclicks [https://www.instagram.com/mariamspicclicks/]. Credits: Intro sound citations:  1. Mike Catsis, XC176709. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/176709. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 2. Recording by Adil Hussain Ali Bird Sounds and calls citations: 1. White-browed Wagtail - Johan Roeland, XC234175. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/234175.  License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Outro sound citation: 1. Guy Kirwan, XC778587. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/778587. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0