Part 1 — D. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO HABITS
Reading edition
I. Birds having remarkable cries.
II. Birds whose nests are likely to be found in any garden in the plains.
III. Birds that habitually sit on exposed perches.
IV. Birds that go about in flocks.
V. Flight.
VI. Feeding habits.
VII. Birds which habitually carry the tail almost vertically.
Since habits of birds vary according to circumstances, none of the lists given are exhaustive. They merely serve as rough guides. Thus, if a nest be found in the compound it is in all probability the nest of one of the species set forth in the list given, but it may, of course, belong to some other species. The list is nevertheless useful, as out of twenty nests found in any garden in the plains nineteen of them will also certainly belong to birds set [70] forth in my list. Having determined that a given bird in all probability belongs to one of these species, it should not be difficult to arrive at its name by a process of elimination.
I. BIRDS HAVING REMARKABLE CRIES
Call
Name of Bird
No. of Bird in Part II
A loud metallic coch-lee, coch-lee, or cogee, cogee
Indian Tree-pie 5
Squeaks like that of a revolving axle that requires oiling
The Seven Sisters 6
A striking whistle, like that of a human being
The Idle Schoolboy 11
A sweet little tinkling song
The Bulbuls 15-22
A cheery whistle, heard chiefly at dawn, which Cunningham describes as “chēyk, chĕchi chĕyk, chēȳk chĕchi chēȳ chēȳh”
The King Crow 25
A loud to-wee, to-wee, to-wee
The Tailor Bird 28
A snapping noise
Ashy Wren-warbler 31
[71]
A pretty, mellow tanti-tuia
The Woodshrike 38
A loud, mellow, peeho, peeho
The Orioles 44 & 45
Keeky, keeky, keeky . . . churr, churr, kok, kok, kok
The Common Myna 52
A whistle of about six notes, like the first bars of the “Guards Valse”
The Fantailed Flycatchers 58-60
A song like that of a canary
Purple Sunbird 107
A loud, screaming call
Golden-backed Woodpecker 111
A loud, monotonous, penetrating kutur kutur, kuturuk
Green Barbet 113
A monotonous, metallic tonk, tonk, tonk, like the tapping of a hammer on metal
The Coppersmith 114
A loud, rattling scream
White-breasted Kingfisher 120
A low ūk, ūk, ūk
The Hoopoe 123
[72]
A shrill, trembling scream
The Swift 124
A sound like a stone sliding over ice
The Common Nightjar 126
Chuk, chuk, chuk, like the tapping of a plank with a hammer
Horsfield’s Nightjar 127
A crescendo “brain-fever, brain-fever, BRAIN-FEVER”
Brain-fever Bird 128
A crescendo “ku-il, ku-il, KU-IL”
The Koel 130
A low, sonorous, owl-like whoot, whoot, whoot
The Crow-Pheasant 131
Loud screams uttered during flight
The Paroquets 132-134
“A torrent of squeak and chatter and gibberish,” kucha, kwachee, kwachee, kwachee, kwachee rapidly uttered in a shrieking, chattering tone
The Spotted Owlet 135
A weird screech, heard at night
The Barn Owl 136
A single hoot repeated monotonously at regular intervals of ten seconds, oomp
The Scops Owl 138
[73]
At early dawn. “Turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, turtuck, tuckatu, chatucka tuckatuck. The words or dissyllables sounding rather low at first and with considerable pauses between, and the intervals decreasing and the tone getting louder till they end rapidly” (Tickell)
The Jungle Owlet 139
Loud resonant calls uttered when the bird is high up in the air
The Fish-Eagles 148-150
Peculiar squeaking wail uttered while the bird is sailing in the air
The Brahminy Kite 151
A mournful wailing trill, chee-hĭ hĭ hĭ hĭ hĭ hĭ, uttered on the wing
The Pariah Kite 152
A sharp double whistle
The Shikra 158
A plaintive cūkoo-coo-coo
The Spotted Dove 166
[74]
A soft subdued cuk-cuk-coo-coo-coo
The Little Brown Dove 167
Kŭ-kŭ—kŭ
The Indian Ring Dove 168
A deep grunting coo-coo-coo
The Red Turtle Dove 169
A loud pe-haun, rather like the miau of a cat
The Peafowl 170
A harsh, high-pitched, rapidly uttered juk-juk, tee-tee-tur
The Black Partridge 172
Three single harsh notes followed by a succession of shrill, ringing pateela-pateela-pateelas
The Grey Partridge 173
A very loud, hoarse, reiterated call, not easy to describe
The White-breasted Water-hen 174
Loud, penetrating, trumpet-like calls
The Cranes 177-179
Wild-sounding cry, heard at night
The Stone Curlew 180
[75]
A loud, shrill “Did he do it? Pity to do it!”
The Red-wattled Lapwing 183
Like the above, but shorter
The Yellow-wattled Lapwing 184
Clappering of the beak
The Storks 216-221
A soft but penetrating chakwa or á-onk (Stuart Baker)
The Brahminy Duck 229
II. BIRDS WHOSE NESTS ARE LIKELY TO BE FOUND IN ANY GARDEN IN THE PLAINS
1. The Indian House Crow (3). (In tall trees.) (Also the Corby (1) in Madras.)
2. The Common Babbler (6). (In a bush; eggs blue.) (Not in Madras.)
3. One or other of the species of “Seven Sisters” (7-9). (In a bush; eggs blue.)
4. One or other of the Red-vented Bulbuls (15-18). (In a bush or plant growing in the verandah; eggs pale pink, blotched with reddish brown.)
[76]
5. One or other of the Red-whiskered Bulbuls (20 and 21). (Locally. Nest as in 4.)
6. The White-browed Bulbul (22). (In Madras only. Nest in bush, eggs as in 4.)
7. The King Crow (25). (Tiny cup in fork of tree.)
8. The Indian Tailor Bird (28). (In bush or plant growing in verandah. Two or three leaves stitched together.)
9. The Orioles (44 and 45). (In trees, very frequently quite close to that of a King Crow.)
10. The Brahminy Myna (51). (In hole in building.)
11. The Common Myna (52). (In hole in building or tree.)
12. The Pied Myna (54). (In low tree.) (Not in Punjab or S. India.)
13. The Indian Paradise Flycatcher (57). (In one of lower branches of tree.)
14. One or other of the Fantailed Flycatchers (58-60). (In a low tree or bush.)
15. The Brown Rock Chat (64). (Inside a building on a ledge.) (Not in S. India.)
16. The Indian Robins (66 and 67). (Very often on a window-sill.)
[77]
17. The Magpie Robin (68). (In hole in a wall or tree; eggs green with reddish blotches.)
18. The Yellow-throated Sparrow (81). (In hole in tree.)
19. The Common Sparrow (82). (Anywhere on the verandah or inside the bungalow.)
20. The Indian Pied Wagtail (92). (In hole in building.)
21. The Purple Sunbird (107). (Nest suspended from a bush or a rafter in the verandah.)
22. The Purple-rumped Sunbird (108). (Nest as in case of 21.)
23. The Golden-backed Woodpecker (111). (In hole in tree, which the bird hollows out.)
24. The Barbets (113 and 114). (In hole in tree, which the birds hollow out.)
25. The Indian Roller (115). (In hole in tree or building.)
26. The Indian Hoopoe (123). (In hole in tree or building.)
27. The Indian Swift (124). (In verandah or a deserted building.)
28. The Crow-Pheasant (131). (In a dense thicket.)
29. The Green Parrots (132-134). (In holes in trees; sometimes buildings.)
[78]
30. The Spotted Owlet (135). (In hole in tree or building.)
31. The Common Pariah Kite (152). (High up in tall trees.)
32. The Shikra (158). (In trees.)
33. The Doves (166-169). (In trees, and in the case of the Little Brown Dove often in the verandah.)
34. The Paddy Bird (224). (High up in tree.)
III. BIRDS THAT ARE FOND OF SITTING ON EXPOSED PERCHES, SUCH AS TELEGRAPH WIRES
1. The Crows (1-4).
2. The Drongos (25 and 26).
3. The Shrikes (34-37).
4. The Bush Chats (61-63).
5. The Common Sparrow (82).
6. The Swallows (88-90).
7. The Indian Roller (115).
8. The Bee-eaters (116 and 117).
9. The Kingfishers (118-120).
10. The White-eyed Buzzard (147).
11. The Doves (166-168).
[79]
IV. BIRDS WHICH ARE ALMOST INVARIABLY FOUND IN FLOCKS, EXCEPT WHEN NESTING
1. The Babblers (7-9). (Small flocks of seven or eight.)
2. The Indian White-eye (12).
3. The Nuthatches (23 and 24).
4. The Minivets (39-41). (Small flocks.)
5. The Cuckoo-Shrikes (42 and 43). (Small flocks.)
6. The Rose-coloured Starling (48). (Very large flocks.)
7. The Indian Starling (49).
8. The Grey-headed Myna (50). (Small flocks.) (The other species of Myna frequently, but by no means invariably, congregate in flocks.)
9. The Weaver Birds (70-73). (Small flocks.)
10. The Munias (74-79). (Especially the Red Munia.)
11. The Common Rose-Finch (80).
12. The Buntings (83-85). (Feed on the ripening grain.)
13. The Hornbills (121 and 122). (Small flocks.)
[80]
14. The Swifts (124 and 125).
15. The Green Parrots (132-134).
16. The Spotted Owlet (135). (Very small flocks; probably family parties.)
17. The Vultures (141-143). (Only when feeding on a carcase.)
18. The Common Peafowl (170). (Small parties.)
19. The Common and Demoiselle Cranes (177 and 179). (The Saras Crane never goes in flocks.)
20. The Plovers (185 and 186).
21. The Little Stint (195).
22. The Indian Skimmer (206).
23. The Spoonbill (215).
24. The Cattle Egret (223).
25. The Night Heron (225).
26. The Common Flamingo (226).
27. The Geese (227 and 228).
28. The Shoveller (230).
29. Many of the Gulls and Terns go about in flocks.
[81]
V. FLIGHT
1. Birds of very powerful flight, i.e. birds which spend a great part of the day on the wing
1. The Swallows and Martins (86-90). (These live on small insects which they catch on the wing.)
2. The Swifts (124 and 125). (These feed in the same way as the swallows, but they never perch. When they wish to rest they go to their nests.)
3. The Pied Kingfisher (118). (This spends much of the day in fishing. It flies over the water and every now and again hovers on rapidly vibrating wings, and then drops on to its quarry in the water.)
4. The Osprey (140). (Obtains its food in much the same way as does the Pied Kingfisher.)
5. The Fishing Eagles (148-150).
6. The Brahminy Kite (151).
7. The common Pariah Kite (152). (These two species spend hours in the air sailing in circles looking out for their quarry.)
8. The Vultures (141-144). (These remain for hours high up in the air motionless on expanded wings, until one espies something to eat on the earth below; it then descends, and its companions, observing this, follow suit.)
[82]
9. The Kestrel (162). (This behaves over land much as the Pied Kingfisher does over the water.)
10. The Gulls (196-199). (Everyone is familiar with the manner in which gulls follow ships.)
11. The Terns (200-206).
2. Birds which make little sallies into the air from a perch after insects
(Vide Feeding habits, 4.)
3. Little birds which fly from the ground some twenty or thirty feet and then drop to the ground, singing as they descend
The Finch-Larks (104 and 105).
VI. FEEDING HABITS
1. Birds which feed largely on the ground
1. The Crows (1-4). (These are omnivorous, and feed anywhere and everywhere.)
2. The Babblers (6-9).
3. The Malabar Whistling Thrush (11).
4. The Shrikes (34-37). (Descend from perch to ground, seize their quarry, and return to perch and devour it.)
[83]
5. The Mynas (51-54).
6. The Bush Chats (61-63).
7. The Brown Rock Chats (64).
8. The Indian Redstart (65).
9. The Indian Robins (66 and 67).
10. The Magpie Robin (68).
11. The Munias (74-79).
12. The Wagtails (91-94).
13. The Pipits (95-96).
14. The Larks (97-105).
15. The Indian Pitta (109).
16. The Indian Roller (115). (Descends from perch to ground and seizes its quarry and then returns to perch.)
17. The Hoopoe (123).
18. The Crow-Pheasant (131).
19. The Vultures (141-145).
20. The Common Kite (152). (Drops from the air and seizes its food in its talons.)
21. The White-eyed Buzzard (147). (Swoops down from a perch on to a lizard, etc.)
22. The Harriers (153-157). (Fly low and drop on to their prey.)
23. The Kestrel (162). (Hovers on rapidly vibrating wings and drops on to its prey.)
[84]
24. The Blue Rock Pigeon (165).
25. The Doves (166-169).
26. All game and wading birds (except those that take their food off water).
2. Birds that run up and down the trunks of trees, on which they find their food
1. The Nuthatches (23 and 24).
2. The Woodpeckers (110 and 111).
3. The Common Wryneck (112).
3. Birds that feed largely on insects which they pick off the foliage, sometimes hovering on vibrating wings in order to secure their quarry
1. The Indian White-eye (12). (Frequents trees.)
2. The Tailor Bird (28). (Frequents bushes.)
3. The Warblers (29-32). (Frequent bushes.)
4. The Common Woodshrike (38). (Frequents trees).
5. The Minivets (39-41). (Frequent trees.)
6. The Cuckoo-Shrikes (42 and 43). (Frequent trees.)
7. The Sunbirds (106-108). (Frequent bushes.)
[85]
4. Birds which feed on insects which they catch in the air by making little sallies from a perch
1. The Drongos (25 and 26).
2. The Flycatchers (55 and 60).
3. The Bee-eaters (116 and 117).
5. Birds which either catch fish or take their food off the surface of water
1. The Kingfishers (118-120).
2. The Osprey (140).
3. The Fishing Eagles (148-150).
4. The Brahminy Kite (151).
5. The Gulls (196-199).
6. The Terns (200-205).
7. The Indian Skimmer (206).
8. The Pelicans (207 and 208).
9. The Cormorants (209-211).
VII. BIRDS WHICH HABITUALLY CARRY THE TAIL ALMOST VERTICALLY
1. The Tailor Bird (28).
2. The Indian Robins (66 and 67).
3. The Magpie Robin (68).