Stalking Vanilla: Birds of South India

So,South India is BIG and out of the 5 southern states, I only visited 2, and then only 3 places within those 2 states, but boy, did I see some amazing birds!

I was there at the beginning of the month and staying in nature heavy places, it was relatively eay to spot em birds!

SCARLET MINIVET MALE
Spotted at Elephant Valley Eco Farm, Palani Hills, Perumalmalai, Tamil Nadu

The Scarler Minivet was my favourite.

We spotted both the male and female.
The male is orange and black, while the female is yellow.

SCARLET MINIVET FEMALE

Spotted at Elephant Valley Eco Farm, Palani Hills, Perumalmalai, Tamil Nadu

BLUE WINGED PARAKEET

Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

Blue Winged Parakeet - Male

We saw so many of them. They'd make a screetchy racket.

This parakeet is endemic to the region.

Blue Winged Parakeet - Male

Blue Winged Parakeet - Female & Male

The male has a red beak and a teal collar on the neck in addition to the black, while the female has a black beak and collar.

Blue Winged Parakeet - Male

BRONZED DRONGO

Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

Slightly off shot.

GREATER RACKET TAILED DRONGO

Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

I have seen the Black Drongo & Ashy Drongo in Maharashtra and Himachal but this was the first time I saw the Racket Tailed Drongo.

In fact, I was surprised that this bird belongs to the Drongo family.

WHITE CHEEKED BARBET

Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

This is very similar to the more common Brown Headed Barbet, but this species has a white patch on the cheek & is endemic to the Western Ghats of India.

COMMON TAILORBIRD

Spotted at Elephant Valley Eco Farm, Perumalmalai, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu

This small wonder has a rather loud call.

DHYAL THRUSH AKA THE ORIENTAL MAGPIE ROBIN

Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

This is supposed to be more closely related to Old World Flycatchers

GREATER COUCAL aka THE CROW PHEASANT
Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

This one is pretty common across India, and I have seen it in Maharashtra too, where it is known as Bharadwaj.

JUNGLE BABBLER

Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

This bird is also known as Shat Bhai in Bengal, which means 7 brothers. This stems from the fact that the bird is known to flock in numbers.

Another interesting anecdote from the colonial era goes:

Some years back, a new Viceroy was being shown the wonders of his temporary kingdom, and among these the Taj at Agra held, of course, an important place. Arrived before the glorious monument of Eastern love and pride, the artless Aide-de-Camp was mute; the gilded staff were still as Kipling says, in anxious expectation of the comment of His Excellency. But this, alas when it came was merely the remark: "What are those funny little birds ? The shock must have been the greater for the fact that the mean fowls thus honoured were it seems, of that singularly disreputable species which is commonly known in India as the "Seven Sisters" or "Seven Brothers," or by the Hindustani equivalent of sat-bhai."

PIED BUSHCHAT

Spotted at Wellington, DSSC, Army Area, Tamil Nadu

Pied Bushchat Male

Pied Bushchat Female

RED VENTED BULBUL
Spotted at Wellington, DSSC, Army Area, Tamil Nadu

Slightly difficult to spot in these images, but their bum is red.

RED WHISKERED BULBUL
Spotted at Wellington, DSSC, Army Area, Tamil Nadu & Pallivasal, Idduki, Kerala

These are with a red spot on their cheeks.

too much rouge, I say, but they work it!

RUFOUS TREEPIE
Spotted at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala

This bird has much to say and is quite loud. In fact, because of this loudness, the Bengalis call it Hari Chacha (i.e. Hari Uncle).

Don't know the direct significance but Hari Uncle must be a loud mouth.

Rufous Treepie & Eurasian Blackbird Silhouette

SOUTHERN HILL MYNAH
Spotted at Elephant Valley Eco Farm, Perumalmalai, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu

TICKELL'S BLUE FLYCATCHER
Spotted the ddult at the Elephant Valley Eco Farm, Perumalmalai, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu
Spotted the juvenile at Pallivasal, Idukki, Kerala