Bird of the Month of January || Doves and Pigeons


Another dove that comes a close second is the Spotted Dove. It was earlier classified as the genus Streptopelia, essentially the same as the Oriental Turtle Dove, but based on studies that suggested that they were considerably different, the Spotted Dove was moved to the genus Spilopelia. The Spotted Dove is so-called, for its plumage, which is also considerably different from the Oriental Turtle Dove.
Spotted Dove
If you have read our post titled "Bird of the Month || Year 2020", you probably know that our bird of the month of January is Dove or Pigeon. Cold and severe, January is a good time to turn inward and reflect. The thought of spending the day wrapped in your warmest quilt, reading and sipping on hot coffee, sometimes cracking peanuts while lounging in the winter sun, brings back memories from our childhood and that is why we chose the Dove as the bird of January 2020. Meditative, quiet, and gentle, doves inspire poetry, love, peace and all things good.


If you have read our post titled "Bird of the Month || Year 2020", you probably know that our bird of the month of January is Dove or Pigeon. Cold and severe, January is a good time to turn inward and reflect. The thought of spending the day wrapped in your warmest quilt, reading and sipping on hot coffee, sometimes cracking peanuts while lounging in the winter sun, brings back memories from our childhood and that is why we chose the Dove as the bird of January 2020. Meditative, quiet, and gentle, doves inspire poetry, love, peace and all things good. Of all the doves I have seen so far. Oriental Turtle Dove is my favorite. And the reason is obvious. It is pretty, calm, and graceful. Its call is a soft longish purr, somehow a lot less irritating than that of the common pigeon. Like most pigeons, this dove also is mostly granivorous and can be found foraging for grains on the ground. Though this one that we clicked was sitting calmly, almost meditatively, in the tree.
Oriental Turtle Dove

Of all the doves I have seen so far. Oriental Turtle Dove is my favorite. And the reason is obvious. It is pretty, calm, and graceful. Its call is a soft longish purr, somehow a lot less irritating than that of the common pigeon. Like most pigeons, this dove also is mostly granivorous and can be found foraging for grains on the ground. Though this one that we clicked was sitting calmly, almost meditatively, in the tree. 

The Oriental Turtle Dove breeds in wooded habitats and the household duties are divided between the two mates. While the male gathers material for the nest, the female constructs it. They take turns to incubate the eggs. Birds that reside in higher altitudes migrate to lower altitudes during winter. This is a resilient bird and is found in a variety of habitats. The Turtle Dove is so named because of its call that sounds a lot like "turrr...turrr...turrr".
Spotted Dove
The Oriental Turtle Dove breeds in wooded habitats and the household duties are divided between the two mates. While the male gathers material for the nest, the female constructs it. They take turns to incubate the eggs. Birds that reside in higher altitudes migrate to lower altitudes during winter. This is a resilient bird and is found in a variety of habitats. The Turtle Dove is so named because of its call that sounds a lot like "turrr...turrr...turrr".

Another dove that comes a close second is the Spotted Dove. It was earlier classified as the genus Streptopelia, essentially the same as the Oriental Turtle Dove, but based on studies that suggested that they were considerably different, the Spotted Dove was moved to the genus Spilopelia. The Spotted Dove is so-called, for its plumage, which is also considerably different from the Oriental Turtle Dove.
Spotted Dove
Another dove that comes a close second is the Spotted Dove. It was earlier classified as the genus Streptopelia, essentially the same as the Oriental Turtle Dove, but based on studies that suggested that they were considerably different, the Spotted Dove was moved to the genus Spilopelia. The Spotted Dove is so-called, for its plumage, which is also considerably different from the Oriental Turtle Dove. 

The Spotted Dove has white spots on a black collar and rufus spots on its back, unlike the Oriental Turtle Dove, which has black and white bands on its collar and sea-shell like black and golden pattern on its back. Of the two, however, the Turtle Dove looks, much more like a work of art.
Spotted Dove

The Spotted Dove has white spots on a black collar and rufus spots on its back, unlike the Oriental Turtle Dove, which has black and white bands on its collar and sea-shell like black and golden pattern on its back. Of the two, however, the Turtle Dove looks, much more like a work of art.   

One common dove that you may have seen around is the Laughing Dove (also known as Faakhta). This is a smallish, long-tailed dove that is so named because of its unique call, which sounds a little like a laughter. These are calm and peaceful creatures that look delicate, but can be quite daring. We had Laughing Doves breeding in our balcony for two seasons and they were pretty courageous. Wouldn't take flight even if we went into the balcony.
Laughing Dove
One common dove that you may have seen around is the Laughing Dove (also known as Faakhta). This is a smallish, long-tailed dove that is so named because of its unique call, which sounds a little like a laughter. These are calm and peaceful creatures that look delicate, but can be quite daring. We had Laughing Doves breeding in our balcony for two seasons and they were pretty courageous. Wouldn't take flight even if we went into the balcony. 

The Laughing Dove is They have pinkish legs and undersides, an almost white vent, an dark brown wings. When these birds call, their neck expands and at that time, you cans see the black and buff checkerboard like pattern on their throat. The birds usually stick around in pairs, but are also seen in mixed gatherings of various kinds of doves.
Rock Doves or Rock Pigeon
The Laughing Dove is They have pinkish legs and undersides, an almost white vent, an dark brown wings. When these birds call, their neck expands and at that time, you cans see the black and buff checkerboard like pattern on their throat. The birds usually stick around in pairs, but are also seen in mixed gatherings of various kinds of doves. 

Another dove that we have seen, but not clicked is the Eurasian Collared Dove. This dove has a black collar, whereas the rest of its body is greyish-brown. The dove is found throughout India and looks quite beautiful in flight. Apart from this, we have also seen Yellow-footed Green Pigeons several times in Delhi and one Emerald Dove in Himachal Pradesh. However, we were not able to click their photographs.
Pet pigeons in Old Delhi
Another dove that we have seen, but not clicked is the Eurasian Collared Dove. This dove has a black collar, whereas the rest of its body is greyish-brown. The dove is found throughout India and looks quite beautiful in flight. Apart from this, we have also seen Yellow-footed Green Pigeons several times in Delhi and one Emerald Dove in Himachal Pradesh. However, we were not able to click their photographs. 

The one dove that we should all talk about is the Common Pigeon, also known as the Rock Dove. While other urban birds have become rarer, these Doves have not only managed to stick around, but actually thrive. The birds make nests in building cavities and even try to hijack bird feeders you hang for smaller birds. These birds are fast fliers and aren't easy prey for flying predators. On the ground, it is a different story altogether. Sometimes you need to reach close to them and use your car horn to make them take flight when they are simply hanging around in the middle of the street.
Leucist Rock Pigeon (a condition due to lack in pigmentation)
The one dove that we should all talk about is the Common Pigeon, also known as the Rock Dove. While other urban birds have become rarer, these Doves have not only managed to stick around, but actually thrive. The birds make nests in building cavities and even try to hijack bird feeders you hang for smaller birds. These birds are fast fliers and aren't easy prey for flying predators. On the ground, it is a different story altogether. Sometimes you need to reach close to them and use your car horn to make them take flight when they are simply hanging around in the middle of the street. 

But yes, with the exception of the Rock Pigeon, all of these doves are peaceful and calm creatures and are definitely the most appropriate birds to celebrate for the month of January. We'll come back soon with a post about our bird of February, the Barbet.
Dove-studded Sky
But yes, with the exception of the Rock Pigeon, all of these doves are peaceful and calm creatures and are definitely the most appropriate birds to celebrate for the month of January. We'll come back soon with a post about our bird of February, the Barbet. 

Related Blogposts -

As winter approaches North India, various wetlands start seeing thousands of Migratory Birds and Bharatpur's Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary is one of the most popular wetlands around National Capital region of India and hence sees lot of tourists from Delhi/Noida/Gurgaon region. And it's not limited to nearby tourists. Lot of serious birders visit Bharatpur during Winters from various parts of the country as well as foreigner tourists. This blog-post shares tips to plan a successful trip to Bharatpur from Delhi and what kind of things to take care while planning this birding trip. One day Road-Trip to Bharatpur Birds Sanctuary from Delhi : Winters Special
























We were definitely fortunate when it comes to the number of Herons and Egrets we were able to sight during our visit to the Keoladeo National Park in November. However, at that time, we did not know which was which. These two birds are so similar when it comes to their behavior that it takes an expert to identify them separately. We referred to our birding companion - A Pictorial Field Guide to Birds of India. However, I am sure we have made some mistakes in case of a few birds. In case you can spot any, please do point them out. We would be eternally grateful. Great Egrets.Both Herons and Egrets, and also the Bitterns, belong to the family Ardeidae. Though some argue that these are actually same birds with the only differences being that Egrets usually have white or buff plumage and develop distinctive white plumes during the breeding season. Otherwise, both these birds seek the same kind of habitat - wetlands. They breed in trees close to the wetlands, and they fly with their necks retracted, unlike storks and cranes who fly with their necks outstretched. Grey Heron in Flight. Experts are still undecided about what makes a heron, a heron and an egret, an egret. So much so that though these birds are classified under separate genera - Ardea and Egretta - the only marked difference in the definition of these genera is the size. Ardea consists of larger of the Herons whereas Egretta consists of the smaller ones. Though the size difference is often indistinct. Both the birds typically have a large wingspan and look very graceful in flight. Great Egret in Flight. You will often see these birds standing still with one leg raised and their necks outstretched carefully watching out for prey to come close enough so that they can snap it up with a quick movement of their neck and beaks. These birds are carnivorous and feed mainly on fish, frogs, lizards, and molluscs. Some herons, such as the cattle egret, often move away from the wetlands and follow cattle. These egrets feed on the insects that are disturbed by the movement of cattle in bushes. Juvenile Purple Heron(?) in the foreground with Great Egrets in the Distance. Another aspect that is unique about Herons is that they have powder down. These peculiar down feathers that often disintegrate into a powdery substance are thought to be of special significance to these birds because of their wet habitat and damp surroundings. It is also believed that these birds use the powder to preen and coat the feathers that cover the rest of their body. It is supposed to protect these feathers from slime and dirt. Purple Heron. It took us a while to associate these tall, graceful birds with the little cattle egrets we are used to seeing in the city. Initially I thought that these were cranes. However, when upon further research I discovered that though cranes and herons may look alike at a glance, they are indeed two very different birds. While Herons belong to the order Pelecaniformes, Cranes are part of the Gruiformes order. Unlike Herons who hold their necks in an "S" shape and completely retract them during flight, cranes old their necks straight. Herons have longer beaks and necks than cranes, though cranes typically are bigger in size. Indian Pond Heron. We were unfortunately not able to spot any cranes during our visit to Keoladeo. Cranes that are supposed to flock in Keoladeo during winters are Siberian Crane, Sarus Crane, Demoiselle Crane, and Common Crane. Of these, Siberian Crane does not visit India any more. A single pair of these critically endangered birds was last seen in Keoladeo National Park in 2002. Since then there is no recorded sighting of these birds in India. This is sad. If you think you have seen a Siberian crane during your visit to Keoladeo National Park, you are either mistaken or unbelievably fortunate and on the verge of being famous. Grey Heron keeping company with Black-Headed and Glossy Ibises. Herons and Egrets keep company with other water birds such as ducks, coots, waterhens etc. You will often spot one or two individuals standing tall among a flock of other smaller birds. In the above photograph, a grey heron is seen peacefully existing with the much smaller ibises. The ibises in this picture are the black-necked Ibis and the Glossy Ibis, which are often mistaken as white Ibis and Black Ibis, respectively. Though the black-necked Ibis is nearly threatened, they were a common sight in Keoladeo National Park. Grey Heron up close. The dotted line running down then neck of a grey heron creates an illusion of stitch marks and you may be forgiven if you confuse the bird with a stuff toy. From a distance and also at various stages of this heron's life, it may resemble the Great Egret quite a bit. However, two of the most distinctive identifying characteristics of the Egret are its dark legs and yellow beaks, which are also almost always easily identifiable from a distance, unless the legs are hidden behind the bushes or under water. Juvenile Cinnamon Bittern. A smaller member of the Ardeidae family, the bittern is classified into a separate subfamily Botaurinae. Typically smaller than the other herons, bitterns also exhibit slightly different behavior patterns. Bitterns are smaller and plumper than a typical Heron. They also have shorter necks, though they too can retract and elongate their necks. Unlike Herons who patiently wait for their prey to wander close enough, bitterns, and also pond herons, at times are known to chase down their prey. This kind of active hunting is not seen in other Herons. The bittern seen above has a similar plumage to the Indian Pond Heron (scroll up to see), but has a cinnamon colored underbelly as opposed to a white one in the pond heron. Grey Heron with Cattle Egret (?). In the photograph above, you can see a Grey Heron in close vicinity of a cattle egret. While structurally, both the birds seem similar, there are clear differences that can help you distinguish one from the other. While the Heron (on the left) has light-colored legs, the egret has darker, almost black, legs. Also, the beak in case of a Heron is pinkish, whereas an egret has a yellow beak. Both these birds, in the photograph above, are quite interested in something that is happening on their left. Intermediate Egret (?). This looks like a cattle egret though I cannot be sure. It's neck is too short for a great egret, though admittedly the bird looks a bit bigger than the egrets we see in the city. So may be it is an intermediate Egret. I will leave it to the experts to judge. However, such a picture of an egret standing still at the edge of water looks deceptively peaceful. I also found out what is known as the bagula in India (bagula bhagat for its unique habit of standing with one leg folded) is the same bird as the Great Egret. Purple Heron with Great Egret in the distance. Here are two of the larger birds in the same frame. The bird in the foreground is the purple heron and the one in the far distance is the great egret. You can see the thick "S" shaped neck of the Great Egret, while the purple heron up close has a slender neck, though this bird too can retract its neck when it so feels like. We were really grateful to spot these graceful birds in their natural habitat. The Keoladeo National Park is one of the very few walled wetlands where migratory and resident birds are safe from human interference. Cattle Egret. The sheer variety of birds at Keoladeo National Park is overwhelming. More than 400 different species have been observed here. Of those, we were only able to see a handful. At the time, we thought some of these herons and egrets and storks were migratory, but it turns out that they are all resident. The only migratory birds we saw were the smaller ones. The park is already lively, and I wonder how much more lively it would be once the migratory birds arrive. Anyhow, I think February would be a good time for another visit.
Juvenile Purple Heron(?) in the foreground with Great Egrets in the Distance

Herons and Egrets at Keoladeo National Park || Waterbirds and Waders at Bharatpur











Comments

Post a Comment

Trending Post Today !

Image

How to reach Kasol/Malana and top things to do around this stunning hill-station of Himalayan State of India

If you are a regular visitor of Travellingcamera , you must have noticed that title of this Photo Journey is not really matching with what we usually share. This post is inspired by lot of queries which come to us, especially in summer.  One of the mostly asked thing is the options to reach Kasol and Malana . Here we are trying to share some details the option to reach Kasol/Malana, places to stay , things to do and lot more.  Related post -  Kasol: A beautiful Himalayan hotspot
Image

Main places to see & Top things to do around Dalhousie : Stunning Hill Station in Himalayan State of India

  Dalhousie is one of the most popular Hill Stations in Himachal  and there is lot to explore around Dalhousie. This is small and very well maintained town in Chamba region of Himachal Pradesh . This Photo Journey shares some of the exciting places around Chamba and how to plan a good one day tour through Khajjiar, Chamba & Chamera etc. CHAMERA HYDROLIC PROJECT Chamera Hydroelectric Project is located in Banikhet, 7 kms from Dalhousie. The water body near the lake is very scenic and is a popular boating spot. Chamera Dam is around 40 kilometers from Chamba Town. It takes approximately 1.5 hrs to reach the place is road condition is good. Overall it’s a little dry terrain as compared to Dalhousie and Khajjiar. And temperature also goes up as we go towards Chamera Dam.  As you move out from Chamba town, you follow Ravi river for some time and then take right. After 45 minutes of drive, you get a glimpse of Chemera Dam.