Hunting Digital Plumes in the US and Beyond: Birding the Extraordinary: Babblers and Bulbuls; Munias and Prinias and more ...

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Birding the Extraordinary: Babblers and Bulbuls; Munias and Prinias and more ...

[India, Winter 2013]

Here's an assortment of passerines including babblers, bulbuls, munias, prinias, pipits & wagtails and others. Given the considerable breadth of the avian spectrum covered herein, only a short introduction to each family or species will be offered instead of a full study.

First the Prinias

Ashy Prinia
Plain Prinia

Prinias are a genus of 2 dozen Old World warblers named after the Japanese prinya (the local name for the Bar-winged Prinia).

Ashy Prinia seen in Haryana

Ashy Prinia (above) is a common near endemic of the subcontinent -- the male has an ashy head and dark red eyes.

The Plain Prinia is ... (aptly) rather plain...:

Plain Prinia seen in Haryana

Munias are a genus of 40 finches belonging to the Old World; profiled here are 3 of them; one of which -- the Scaly-breasted -- is also found (as an introduced exotic) in California and Puerto Rico where it is known as the Nutmeg Mannikin:

Scaly-breasted Munia
White-rumped Munia
Indian Silverbill (aka White-throated Munia)

Scaly-breasted Munia seen at Carambolim Lake, Goa

Joyous relief accompanies the observation of a species whose naming is obvious from its looks -- in this case, no superior identification skills are required to discern any cryptic visual subtleties; indeed, the "scaly breast" on this munia is perhaps the first attribute to be noticed.

The next munia is the White-Rumped Munia -- it was observed near Morjim Beach, Goa. At this angle, the white rump is clearly visible:

White-rumped Munia seen at Morjim Beach

The Indian Silverbill is another munia that is found in the subcontinent as well as parts of the Middle East. Introduced populations also exist in Puerto Rico, Nice (France) and elswhere.

Indian Silverbill seen in Rajasthan

Indian Silverbill

Bulbuls are a large family of 130 species found in Africa and Asia. The latest addition to this family comes from 2009 when the Bare-faced Bulbul was discovered in Laos (read article here). The word "bulbul" comes to us from the Persian for "nightingale" and is reflective of the musical vocalizations of these distinctive birds. Profiled here are 5 of the 22 species found in India:

White-eared Bulbul
Red-vented Bulbul
Yellow-browed Bulbul
White-browed Bulbul
Flame-throated Bulbul

The White-eared Bulbul has an entirely black head and face except for the prominent white cheeks; since "White-cheeked Bulbul" was already taken, this becomes the "White-eared Bulbul".

White-eared Bulbul seen near Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan

The Red-vented Bulbul is similar except it has an entirely black face and a prominent red vent.

Next, 3 endemic bulbuls: the Yellow-browed:

Yellow-browed Bulbul seen at Goa

The white-browed:

White-browed Bulbul seen at Goa

... and the Flame-throated Bulbul:

The babblers comprise a huge family of 310 species [some with disputed taxonomic status and placement] with India hosting a third of that number of which only 4 species will be shown here:

Large Grey Babbler
Jungle Babbler
Dark-fronted Babbler
Puff-throated babbler

The Large Grey Babbler, unsurprisingly, looks like a large grey babbler.

Large Grey Babbler seen in Haryana

Jungle Babbler seen at World Forest Arboretum, Rajasthan

Jungle Babblers are an abundant bird in the subcontinent; gregarious and noisy, they have an "Angry Bird" look to them.

Dark-fronted Babbler (a near endemic) seen in Goa:

And Puff-throated Babbler:

Puff-throated Babbler seen in Goa

There are 40 pipits and a dozen wagtails in the family Motacillidae of which the following were observed in India:

Pipits & Wagtails

Blythe's Pipit
Richard's Pipit
Paddyfield Pipit
Tree Pipit
Rosy Pipit
Citrine Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
White Wagtail
White-browed Wagtail

Blythe's Pipit seen in Haryana

Richard's Pipit seen in Goa

Richard's Pipit seen at Morjim Beach, Goa

Paddyfield Pipit seen in Haryana

Tree Pipit seen in Goa

Rosy Pipit seen in Haryana

Now over to the Wagtails

Citrine Wagtail seen in Haryana

Citrine Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail seen in Rajasthan

Grey wagtail seen in Rajasthan -- note the dull pinkish legs

Grey Wagtail

White Wagtail seen in Rajasthan

White Wagtail seen in Haryana

White-browed Wagtail is stockier and larger than the others:

White-browed Wagtail seen at Chambal

White-browed Wagtail seen at Chandlai, Rajasthan

And now for the rest:

Wire-tailed Swallow

Wire-tailed Swallow seen in Goa

Asian Koel seen at Gir National Park, Gujarat

Common Tailorbird seen in Gujarat

Any bird with a name like Zitting Cisticola deserves respect:

Zitting Cisticola seen in Haryana

Black-breasted Weaver; a beautiful endemic, seen in Haryana

Crested Lark in Haryana

Crested Lark seen in Haryana

Malabar Crested Lark; an endemic; seen in Goa

Common Chiffchaff seen in Haryana

Indian Roller seen in Goa

Lesser Whitethroat

Indian Blackbird; considered by some to be deserving of full-species status

Indian Golden Oriole; recently separated from Eurasian Golden Oriole

Cinerous Tit seen in Rajasthan

Cinerous Tit seen in Rajasthan (earlier considered conspecific with the Great Tit)

Greenish (Leaf) Warbler seen in Goa

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta seen in Goa

White-throated Thrush; an endemic; seen in Goa

Orange Minivet (female) an endemic; seen in Goa

Orange Minivet (male) an endemic; seen in Goa

Pale-billed Flowerpecker seen in Goa

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch; an exquisite nuthatch seen in Goa

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

This post has probably covered more avian families than any other in this blog; and, hopefully will serve as inspiration to those birder who seek to go beyond the familiar

1 comment:

Bob Pelkey said...: Very inspirational, indeed. I also found it interesting that even "the locals" in Laos didn't recognize the Bare-faced Bulbul when it shown to them. Your wonderful work continues, Hemant!; March 10, 2014 at 7:53 PM

What is Plume Hunting?

Plume hunting was big business in the late 1800's. Unfortunately, the dark side to the beauty of plumes led to the slaughter of millions of birds so women could wear fancy hats (Read about Plume Hunting).

Thankfully, in this age of digitization, we can capture most anything we want -- books, music, video, etc. -- digitally. And, with the advent of digital photography at the turn of the millennium, we can once again hunt for plumes -- but digitally; with none of the accompanying destruction. This blog is dedicated to capturing the beauty of nature reflected through the incredible diversity of our avifauna.

Reproduced below is ecofeminist Celia Thaxter's, "Woman’s Heartlessness" (Boston 1886; reproduced from Google Books) which was published at the time when plumes were worth their weight in gold and many species of birds were fast headed toward extinction:

WOMAN’S HEARTLESSNESS
By Celia Laighton Thaxter

When the Audubon Society was first organized, it seemed a comparatively simple thing to awaken in the minds of all bird-wearing women a sense of what their “decoration” involved. We flattered ourselves that the tender and compassionate heart of woman would at once respond to the appeal for mercy, but after many months of effort we are obliged to acknowledge ourselves mistaken in our estimate of that universal compassion, that tender heart in which we believed. Not among the ignorant and uncultivated so much as the educated and enlightened do we find the indifference and hardness that baffles and perplexes us. Not always, heaven be praised! But too often,--I think I may say in two-thirds of the cases to which we appeal. One lady said to me, “I think there is a great deal of sentiment wasted on the birds. There are so many of them, they will never be missed any more than mosquitoes. I shall put birds on my new bonnet.” This was a fond and devoted mother, a cultivated and accomplished woman. It seemed a desperate case, indeed, but still I strove with it. “Why do you give yourself so much trouble?” she asked. “They will soon go out of fashion, and there will be an end of it.” That may be,” I replied, “but fashion next year may order them back again, and how many women will have human feeling enough to refuse to wear them? It was merely waste of breath, however, and she went her way, a charnel-house of beaks and claws and bones and feathers and glass eyes upon her fatuous head.

Another, mockingly, says, “Why don’t you try to save the little fishes in the sea?” and continues to walk the world with dozens of warblers’ wings making her headgear hideous. Not one in fifty is found willing to remove at once the birds from her head, even if, languidly, she does acquiesce in the assertion that it is a cruel sin against nature to destroy them. “When these are worn out I am willing to promise not to buy any more,” is what we hear, and we are thankful, indeed, for even so much grace; but alas! birds never “wear out.” And as their wearer does not carry a placard stating their history, that they were bought last year, or perhaps given to her, and she does not intend to buy any more, her economy goes on setting the bad example, or it may be her indolence is to blame, one is as fatal as the other. Occasionally, but too rarely, we meet with a fine spirit, the fire of whose generous impulse consumes at once all selfish considerations, who recognizes the importance of her own responsibility, and whose action is swift as her thought to pluck our the murderous sign, and go forth free of its dishonor. And how refreshing is the sight of the birdless bonnet! The face beneath, no matter how plain it may be, seems to possess a gentle charm. She might have had birds, this woman, for they are cheap and plentiful enough, heaven knows! But she has them not, therefore she must wear within things infinitely precious,--namely, good sense, good taste, good feeling. Heaven bless every woman who dares turn her back on Fashion and go about thus beautifully adorned!

In one of the most widely circulated newspapers the fashionable news from Paris begins: “Birds are worn more than ever.” Birds “are worn!” Pitiful phrase! Sentence of deadly significance! “Birds are worn,”—as if that were final, as if all women must follow one another like a flock of sheep over a wall, and forget reason, forget the human heart within, forget everything but the empty pride of being “in the fashion.” Ah me, my fire-flecked oriole, watching your airy cradle from the friendly swinging elm bough, go get yourself an inky coat. Your beauty makes you but a target for the accursed gun that shatters your lovely life, quenches your delicious voice, destroys your love, your bliss, your dutiful cares, your whole beautiful being, that your dead body may disfigure some woman’s head and call all eyes to gaze at her! But no,--that will not save you. Blackbirds are not safe, they “are worn.” Carrion crows “are worn,” unsavory scavengers though they be. No matter on what they may have fed,--they “are worn.” Soar, swift sea-swallow,--I would it could be millions of miles away from the haunts of men; to the uttermost parts of the earth and the ocean carry your grace, your slender loveliness of shape, your matchless delicacy of tint and tone of color, soft, wondrous like gray cloud and silvery snow,--fly! dear and beautiful creature; seek the centre of the storm, the heart of the Arctic cold, the winter blast, they are not so unkind as—woman’s vanity. Do I not see you every day, your mocking semblance writhing as if in agony round female heads,--still and stark, sharp wings and tail pointing in stiff distress to heaven, your dried and ghastly head and beak dragged down to point to the face below, as if saying, “She did it.” The albatross of the Ancient Mariner is not more dreadful. Yesterday I saw three of you on one hat! Three terns at once, a horrible confusion of death and dismay.

Does any woman imagine these withered corpses (cured with arsenic) which she loves to carry about, are beautiful? Not so; the birds lost their beauty with their lives. Today I saw a mat woven of warblers' heads, spiked all over its surface with sharp beaks, set up on a bonnet and borne aloft by its possessor in pride! Twenty murders on one! and the face beneath bland and satisfied, for are not "Birds to be worn more than ever?" Flit, sandpiper, from the sea's margin to some loneliness remote and safe from the noble race of man! No longer in the soft May twilight call from cove to cove along the shore in notes that seem to breathe the very spirit of tender joy, of happy love, of sweet content; tones that mingle so divinely with the warm waves' murmur, with the south wind's balm, and sound in music through the dusk, long after the last crimson flash of sunset has faded from the sky year after year you come back to make your nest in the place you know and love, but you shall not live your humble, blissful, dutiful life, you shall not guard your treasured home, nor rejoice when your little ones break the silence with their first cry to you for food. You shall not shelter and protect and care for them with the same divine instinct you share with human mothers. No, some woman wants your corpse to carry on her head. You shall die that vanity, that "Fashion" may live.

I fear we no longer deserve these golden gifts of God. I would the birds could all emigrate to some friendlier planet peopled by a nobler race than ours, where they might live their sweet lives unmolested, and be treated with the respect, the consideration, and the grateful love which are their due. For we have almost forfeited our right to the blessing of their presence.

But still we venture to hope for a better future, still the Audubon and other societies work with heart and soul, to protect and save them, and we trust yet to see the day when women, one and all, will look upon the wearing of birds in its proper light,--namely, as a sign of heartlessness and a mark of ignominy and reproach.

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Sunday, March 9, 2014

Birding the Extraordinary: Babblers and Bulbuls; Munias and Prinias and more ...

1 comment:

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