Collins Field Guide Birds of India Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Norman Arlott
Language: English
Pages: 360
ISBN: 000742955X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
This comprehensive new field guide is an excellent addition to the world-renowned series - the ultimate reference book for travelling birdwatchers. Every species of bird you might encounter in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Andaman Islands, the Nicobar Islands and the Maldives is featured, apart from non-established introductions. Beautiful artwork depicts their breeding plumage, and non-breeding plumage when it differs significantly. The accompanying text concentrates on the specific characteristics and appearance of each species that allow identification in the field, including voice and distribution maps.
Himalayas and the hills of the NE. 3 YELLOW-BELLIED FLOWERPECKER Dicaeum melanoxanthum 12–13cm FIELD NOTES: Elusive, often sits upright; noted making fly-catching sallies from dead branches. VOICE: A harsh, agitated zit-zit-zit-zit. HABITAT: Tall trees in open forests and clearings in dense forest. DISTRIBUTION: Resident in the Himalayas and the NE hills. 4 LEGGE’S FLOWERPECKER (WHITE-THROATED FLOWERPECKER) Dicaeum vincens 10cm FIELD NOTES: Acrobatic forager, mainly in treetops. VOICE: Song
with dark streaking, whitish below with brownish streaks on foreneck and breast. VOICE: In flight utters a sharp kakak kakak. HABITAT: Vegetation surrounding marshes, lakes and flooded paddyfields. DISTRIBUTION: Widespread resident. 4 LITTLE BITTERN Ixobrychus minutus 33–38cm FIELD NOTES: Secretive. In flight shows black back, tail and flight feathers contrasting with buff forewing. Juvenile dull buff-brown with darker streaking above and below. VOICE: A low, repeated hoogh or grook. When
A. v. abdulali (not shown) have a grey-tawny chest, a tawny belly and grey thighs, and all underparts lack bars or streaks. VOICE: A rapid tchew-tchew-tchew. HABITAT: Dense broadleaved forest, more open wooded areas post breeding. DISTRIBUTION: Widespread, scattered resident. 6 JAPANESE SPARROWHAWK (JAPANESE LESSER or ASIATIC SPARROWHAWK) Accipiter gularis 29–34cm FIELD NOTES: Feeding actions similar to Besra. Juvenile similar to adult female but chest streaked not barred. VOICE: Harsh cries.
faster and shallower. White claws. VOICE: A rasping chay-chay-chay, usually given at roosts. When disturbed gives a trilling keerrrl or kikikik. HABITAT: Open areas including cultivations. DISTRIBUTION: Widespread passage migrant. 4 KESTREL (COMMON or EURASIAN KESTREL) Falco tinnunculus 31–37cm FIELD NOTES: Frequently hovers when searching for prey or sits on post or other exposed perch from which it drops onto its quarry. Usually seen singly or in pairs. Black claws. VOICE: A shrill
gardens. DISTRIBUTION: Widespread resident. 128 LAUGHINGTHRUSHES 1 ASHY-HEADED LAUGHINGTHRUSH Garrulax cinereifrons 24–25cm FIELD NOTES: Forages in flocks of 4–20 that keep up a constant flow of squeaks and chatters, usually found low in vegetation or on the ground. VOICE: Continuous high-pitched squeaky notes and harsh churring sounds interspersed with sharp chit notes or higher-pitched pieu-pieu. HABITAT: Dense humid forest undergrowth and bamboo thickets. DISTRIBUTION: Resident in Sri Lanka.